What’s Your Story? Meet the Vanderbilt Student Behind #halfthestory

Sick and tired of how people try to portray themselves on social media? A Vanderbilt University student and entrepreneur spear heads a social media campaign aimed at helping people to be more authentic. Meet Larissa May and #halfthestory.

We are in a love-hate relationship with social media. “Because social media is so powerful, it’s the exponential word of mouth.”

Vanderbilt student Larissa May says the seemingly perfect pictures you see are often just half the story.

“People post things on social media that are only 10% of their life. Like partying, socializing, going on vacation whatever. Recreation time is only 10% of your life.”

The Chicago native says we need to peel back the layers of our social media image. “We’re all vulnerable, but that doesn’t mean in a bad way, we’re vulnerable in a good way.”

She’s encouraging people to share authentic stories through an Instagram and hashtag campaign called #halfthestory.

“What we’re trying to do are challenge individuals to share the things that they’re actually passionate about and that actually connect them to other people.”

Giving a platform for people to be creative and sincere. “The people who are part of the community are creating it and that’s the best part of it. We’re promoting real human connection, crazy right?”

Larissa—better known as Lars— came up with the #half the story idea while juggling the stresses of school and a lifestyle blog she launched freshman year at Vanderbilt.

“I still post fashion photos, but i feel more honest in my captions.”

She’s also connecting school work with her budding business. “I came into Vanderbilt as an HOD major which was amazing, I loved it and learned a lot of fundamental ideas.”

When her “Livin like Larz” blog started gaining traction, she expanded her classes.

“I went and designed a major. Creative strategy and marketing and communications, which is a combination of arts, business, managerial econ and HOD.”

“Teachers were very open to it because they were so happy to see that i wasn’t waiting four years to use what they were teaching me. I was going to class and then going outside and using those tools.”
She even found ways to adapt her study abroad.

“I turned my abroad experience essentially into an international business trip. I made it a goal for that every city i went to or visited i would do work. For example, for Paris fashion week I covered street style for Look Book.”

Lars says sharing the hard work behind her juggle of school and work through #half the story keeps her grounded and connected. “Being able to feel like other people are finding purpose in this small movement is life-changing and it gives me life every day.”