‘Kate from TikTok’ Goes Viral: Marist Alum Finds Following, Shines Light on Eating Disorders

Trigger word(s): Eating disorder

With over 900K followers and 63.2M likes, Kate Norkeliunas ‘18 –– playfully dubbed by her followers as “Kate from TikTok” –– has become a social media star in her own right.

Norkeliunas has a deep family connection to Marist, her father an alumnus and her grandfather a past instructor at the college. She transferred to Marist in her junior year and graduated in 2018 with a B.F.A in Fashion Design. Norkeliunas made strides in and outside of the design lab, even being featured in a wedding dress design challenge on Good Morning America during her time at Marist. But Norkeliunas never saw a viral social media account in her future.

“Originally, I really did not want anybody to find my account,” Norkeliunas said. “I downloaded the app on a whim and named myself ‘Kate from TikTok’ as a joke.” 

Courtesy of @kate on TikTok.

What began as a fun way to pass time during quarantine turned into an opportunity to speak candidly with her followers about having an eating disorder. “During my time at Marist, I had developed an eating disorder, and I talk about this openly on my page to help followers by sharing my recovery experience and that if they are going through something or need advice, I am here for them,” Norkeliunas said.

Norkeliunas hopes that her videos make a personal connection with her audiences: “I know that people look at social media and really become intimidated by how perfect everybody seems, so I try to bring the imperfectly perfect aspects of my life to the surface and be my authentic self at all times.”

On her TikTok account, Norkeliunas shares content such as inviting her followers to enjoy a meal with her (known by the social media world as “mukbangs”), her love of Christmas baking tutorials and COVID-safe hijinks with her friends. Now, Norkeliunas is approaching one million followers. 

“Life is short, and I hope to convey to my followers that especially with everything going on in the world, we should celebrate the things that make us happy, whether that means having a drink, sharing a laugh or simply having your favorite meal,” Norkeliunas said.  

Anyone who follows Norkeliunas on TikTok knows that she frequents Mr. Wraps in Hoboken, New Jersey, even prompting the owner to name their signature buffalo chicken wrap, the “Kate from TikTok”, which has contributed to over 600 orders of the sandwich from her followers in what the owner calls a “slow week.” However, when asked to end the debate of the best sandwich joint in Poughkeepsie –– Lola’s, Rossi’s, or Red Fox Eatery –– Norkeliunas said: “Lola’s without question, you cannot beat their peanut noodles. But it is funny that Red Fox Eatery has the same menu signs as Mr. Wraps, I always think of Marist when I am in there.”

Norkeliunas and friends at Mr. Wraps in Hoboken, New Jersey. Credit: @katenorkeliunas on Instagram

Through this journey, Norkeliunas has been able to connect with other creators and build a community of dedicated followers. She has coined the phrase, “Big Daddy Bite” and has even created merchandise that features the slogan on sweatshirts, t-shirts and more. “I’ve met so many talented, funny and joyful people that I admire so much through this app and the fact that I am one of these people to others is truly mind boggling to me,” Norkeliunas said. “Sometimes I will get recognized and people ask for a picture and I say, ‘Are you sure?’” 

Most recently, Norkeliunas has developed a collaboration with fellow Marist alumna, Cara Benevenia ‘17, a luxury handbag designer that has gained popularity from her hand-weaved creations on social media. 

Through their “Cara Benevenia and Kate for Project Heal'' campaign, both alumni teamed up with Project Heal, a foundation dedicated to help those struggling through eating disorders by providing life-saving support when others fall short. Benevenia and Norkeliunas specifically hope to bring awareness to Project Heal’s LGBTQ+ Equity Treatment Initiative through their collaboration, which has set out to shine a light on the struggles that at risk LGBTQ+ identified people uniquely face in their struggles with eating disorders. Through the launch of Benevenia’s “Billie” handbag, and promotion on Norkeliunas’ page, they hope to raise money for Project Heal. To find out more information, viewers can tune in at Benevenia’s brand page, @carabenevenia, on Monday, Dec. 14 at 4 p.m. to see both alumni sharing information on the “Billie” handbag and their cause.

Norkeliunas is currently working on a podcast that features stories and advice she has learned about being a 20-something living with friends in Hoboken. “I truly just think that people want to hear from normal people about their everyday lives. I don’t consider myself to be an influencer at all, but I think sharing these normal stories about paying rent, fun nights out and more will really resonate with people,” Norkeliunas said. She also hopes to continue to make people laugh with her TikToks and collaborate with other creators on the app. 

You can follow along with Norkeliunas’ journey on her TikTok page.

Norkeliunas, featuring her merch collection. Credit: @katenorkeliunas on Instagram.