Guest Blogger: Solen Aref

The below blog was written by guest blogger, Solen Aref of Sigma Kappa at Washington State University to reflect on her experience working with College Hill as a social media micro-influencer, as well as her experience getting to know our brand on her campus. The post has been edited for clarity by College Hill.

I consider myself a savvy shopper - savvy in the sense that I prefer to support companies that do good things for the world, or their immediate communities. I respect a company that has a bigger agenda than just sheer profit. The moment I discovered College Hill, I felt an immediate connection.

College Hill's founder, Tony, came to the chapter meeting for my sorority, Sigma Kappa at Washington State University, one night to share his story. Tony went to WSU himself (Go Cougs!) and after graduation, he noticed that our humble little college town of Pullman, Washington was severely lacking in the local t-shirt company department.

And so, he set out to create just that. His idea grew into so much more, turning his passion into a lucrative business. He did so by putting a great amount of care into all the little details, executing each at levels that went above and beyond what anyone expected. Now, his little idea has blossomed into a company with three offices, including a Seattle HQ. The company has graced the lists of Best Places to Work + Fastest Growing Companies in America (by Inc + Counselor). 

What stood out to me above all else is the way that founder / owner Tony treats people. He's incredibly laid-back and comes across as someone that is really down-to-earth, approachable and personable. He offered me and my chapter great advice and imparted a lot of valuable knowledge.

When he talked about the company culture at College Hill, I was genuinely surprised, in the best possible way. He works alongside his employees to try to find the perfect roles for them during their time at College Hill. After three years with the company, employees are eligible to receive a free plane ticket to anywhere. The work environment that he has helped cultivate is really remarkable.

After seeing Tony speak at my chapter meeting, I went home and immediately did a quick Google search on College Hill since I was so amazed by what I heard. I was even more astonished when I learned of how much the company gives back to others. According to their website, when a group orders from College Hill in support of a charitable mission or event, 10% of those qualifying philanthropy orders go back to the charity they support. Can these guys get any more amazing? Obviously, I was interested in applying to their company and I was so thrilled when they offered me a chance to work on a fall project as a social media representative. I was so excited for this creativity outlet. 

College Hill's marketing team sent me the cutest gift package, containing such fun items for everyday use. I then got to sport the pieces, take pictures and videos in them and then upload them to my own Instagram page. It was such a blast creating fun content for my Instagram because I got to play around with some really adorable filters, gifs, graphics, stickers and colors. The theme we were going for was “fall cozy” and it was such an fun and easy theme to pull off considering the changing season! I was so proud to represent a company that does so much good for the world and I truly loved every minute of it.

I also got to work with the marketing communications manager, who is one of the sweetest people I’ve met through email! She was so helpful the entire time and really made things extremely simple for me by providing fun ideas for content. I enjoyed working with College Hill so much that they’ve created a lifelong fan in me. It’s not everyday I find a company I’m truly obsessed with, but I’m so glad I found College Hill. I can't predict the future, of course, but I’d bet good money that I’m still going to be a proud shopper of this brand long after I’ve graduated college myself.

~ Solen Aref

We're always looking for guest bloggers + social media enthusiasts. Interested in working with us? DM us: @ch_threads on IG!