Dianjelli Dookhie is originally from Guyana in South America. Three years ago, she left Guyana and moved to New York City with her mother when she got remarried. Dianjelli now lives in Lawrence, Kansas while she is attending the University of Kansas. She is in her sophomore year studying architecture. She chose this school because it has an excellent five-year architectural program. When she completes the program, she will have a master’s degree which is required to take the test to become a licensed architect.
While she is a student, she has also decided to become an OCM Ambassador. This program gives students the opportunity to share OCM products with others through personal contacts and social media. OCM has many products geared towards the needs and interests of college students, including dorm or apartment décor, bedding, lighting, personal care kits, and even face masks. They even have ready-made care packages that parents can send to their students as well as graduation gifts when the time for graduation approaches.
The OCM Ambassador program is very new. This was the first year OCM put together a group of Ambassadors. Dianjelli is proud to be part of their first group, and it has been a great creative outlet for her.
https://www.instagram.com/yugita.jasmine/
Tell us a little about yourself and what college life has been like for you.
College life has been quite a journey so far, living away from home, going through my studies without having my parents here to help me when I have questions. There have been some difficult times and lots of late nights, but it has been a really good experience so far.
It was really cool to have a roommate for the first time and having her right there whenever I needed help with anything or needed to talk with someone. The best thing about dorm life was having a good friend nearby whenever I needed her.
I have been an OCM Ambassador for three months and it has been totally amazing. It is a great opportunity for me. It gives me exposure to working and learning from a team of marketing and social media managers. I have been learning a lot about growing my social media.
OCM has opened up so many opportunities for me that I did not think would be possible. It’s also a great thing to put on my resume. It has been so fun to reveal projects, take pictures, and it is helping me to express my creative side a bit more.
What made you decide to become an OCM ambassador?
I have always wanted to work with a company that I thought was really fun and exciting. I knew about OCM during my first year of college, and most of my inspiration for my dorm room came from their blogs. When the opportunity arose, I said I need to do this because I love this company so much and I love everything they have, and I would really like to be a part of seeing the company grow. I just wanted to be a part of that experience.
What has been the biggest highlight to being an ambassador for you?
I really love the community and interaction I have with other ambassadors. We share ideas with each other. They are people that always help me and give me advice especially when I am taking pictures of products, reviewing products, and I need a second opinion on something.
We are encouraged to focus the most on talking to people at my college about the OCM products since I understand what those students might need. I reach out specifically to freshmen and people that follow me. I give them tips and tricks and tell them more about how helpful OCM can be.
I love sharing about the care packages that come by subscription for the entire year. You pay for one price and on different dates throughout the year your student will receive packages and know you are thinking about them.
How have things changed during the pandemic?
This year, instead of staying in the dorm, I am in an apartment with two of my friends. Due to the pandemic, most classes are online. Just being indoors all day has made me a bit lazier, but I am trying to be a little more productive and get back to doing what I need to do.
What would you say to others looking at becoming an OCM ambassador?
I would say 100% do it. The team that you work with is amazing. The brand manager that we work with is Sara. She is the nicest, sweetest person ever. You get free products that you get to review. You have exceptional people to interact with through the company. It is fun getting ideas, talking about content, learning about social media, branding, and marketing. It has been such a good experience.
Are you active on Social Media?
I was off social media in my first year of college, and then my followers, my likes and everything completely fell off. When I got the OCM Ambassadorship, it pushed me to create more content for my page and I am working on my Instagram and my Pinterest now. I am trying new things. I have learned so much about editing, filters, and color schemes. We are currently working on OCM’s Pinterest as well to provide inspiration for all of their college students’ bedrooms and décor.
What kind of feedback have you received from your followers?
I currently have two posts up with OCM, but I also have a lot of stories at the top of my profile, and I can check my Instagram insights and stats and see who saved my posts and who sends the posts to people. I can one post has been shared over 10 times and 6 or 7 people saved it. That never happened with my older posts. It is pretty exciting to me that people are sending my posts to other people and saving them as well. It inspires me to get on there more. If I didn’t apply for the OCM Ambassadorship, I don’t think I would be back on my Instagram and actually taking it a bit more seriously. My following has increased. I have over 100 new followers. It’s not a lot, but for me, it’s a big deal.
Have you had any challenges being an OCM ambassador?
So far, I have not. People get pretty excited to make their space look nice.
How has OCM supported you being an ambassador?
Sara runs all the social media and works directly with the Ambassadors. She helps with any questions. Right from the beginning they encouraged us to share ideas, and they have used my ideas for blogs. Everyone is easy to work with. They are very open to new ideas and suggestions.
What is one piece of advice you would like to leave our readers with?
Make every moment a happy one. Do whatever makes you feel happy. Don’t go with the social norms if they make you feel uncomfortable, especially in a time where we have a lot of change. Just be you and have fun with it.