High school senior and accepted Thiel College student wins admissions’ office TikTok contest

Posted March 30, 2020Communications and Marketing Department

GREENVILLE, Pa.—Farah Messai, a Jamestown High School senior from Greenville, Pa., and accepted student for the Class of 2024 at Thiel College won the Office of Admissions' first TikTok contest.

Admission counselor Caitlin DeSantis arranged the TikTok contest for prospective students to try to give them something to do at home while also getting them excited about Thiel College. The contest was for them to submit their best TikTok’s in Thiel gear using the hashtag #ThielonTikTok and the video with the most likes received a $100 Amazon gift card. We had more than 20 submissions.

TikTok is a phone app that lets users of the app create short videos that others are free to watch.

“We are in uncharted territory with everything going on and our biggest challenge is how we are going to keep our current and prospective students engaged with us when college isn’t the first thing on their mind anymore,” DeSantis said. “TikTok is a platform that allows us to make things fun and keep us connected to our students, whether it’s through a contest, student-submitted videos, or videos our staff and faculty make.”

Her brother, Khalil Messai ’22, is a sophomore criminal justice major at Thiel College.

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About Thiel College

Thiel College is an independent college founded in the Lutheran tradition. Located in Greenville, Pa., the College offers 60 majors and minors, 24 varsity sports, and an 11:1 student-faculty ratio. The College is also home to a new Master of Science in speech-language pathology and 2Master of Business Administration. Both master’s degree programs offer innovative and accelerated five-year paths which allow students to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years. The speech-language pathology program also has an accelerated 15-month graduate-level program. The M.B.A. program also has a 12-month post-graduate program.A dedicated faculty paired with dynamic research and internship opportunities produce numerous graduate school and job placements. Coeducational from its beginnings, the College remains committed to combining tradition with innovation as it celebrates 150 years.



Thiel College
75 College Ave
Greenville, PA 16125
1-800-248-4435