OHIO graduate remains committed to social justice personally and professionally

You may see Caroline Bresnahan strolling the streets of Athens, working in Nelsonville or while scrolling through your TikTok and Instagram feed. 

The 28-year-old OHIO alumna graduated in the winter of 2016 from the Patton College of Education with a degree in middle childhood education. Upon graduating, she floated around various jobs, working retail and living in places like Louisville, Cincinnati, and even as an au pair in Austria.

“I wanted to stay in Athens from the day I graduated,” Bresnahan explained. She told herself that she should leave for five years post-grad, though, and if she still felt the same, she would explore moving back to her college town. 

In September 2021, she returned to Athens with her partner.

“The things that drew me back are the small businesses. I love the vibe we have here,” Bresnahan said. “I love what feels like a commitment to sustainability, to knowing your community, the farmer’s market. I love the nature around here. I don’t think I ever felt more at home anywhere than I have here.”

Bresnahan’s professional life and social media presence are both rooted in social justice causes she is passionate about. 

She recalls listening to a podcast in 2020 about the innerworkings of a California prison and knew she wanted to volunteer with the prison population one day. Now, two years later through the OHIO Career Ready Campus, Bresnahan teaches classes four times a week mainly at the STAR Community Justice Center in Nelsonville. 

The program, which is funded through the Ohio Department of Education’s Aspire grant, is housed in OHIO’s Patton College of Education. Going on four years, the program aims to teach career readiness, life skills, job training, GED preparation, and more, free of charge in Athens and Hocking Counties, along with OHIO’s regional campus locations.

Bresnahan’s courses are offered as a part of the program’s correctional education partnerships. She instructs courses on career readiness and soft skills, while planning lessons and activities for students.

“It’s a steppingstone for people who are incarcerated but are about to be released into the population,” Bresnahan said. 

She explained that courses run through individuals’ 180-day stays at the justice center, but the time allows her to get to know and connect with them. 

“I’ve had a lot of gentlemen who have heavily impacted me,” she said.  “I think the most impactful moments come towards the end of the class for me. Usually that’s also close to when they’re about to be released. So, they’re really talking about who they’re going back to, who they’re excited to see. Oftentimes, that’s when they’re just getting comfortable enough with me to share.”

When Bresnahan is not teaching, she is likely dancing energetically in front of her phone creating videos for Instagram and TikTok. She describes this aspect of her life as: “a totally separate vibe, but also still rooted in social justice in a way.”

Her alternate persona fully took hold in 2018 after creating an Instagram page to share daily outfits. 

“I was just sending my mom pictures of my outfit every day. So, I started a little Instagram page called ‘Just Me and My Mirror’ because they were just mirror selfies – low quality, cropped weird, and just started posting them and was like whoever wants to be a part of this, be a part of it,” Bresnahan said.

As someone who loves styling clothes and putting together outfits, Bresnahan found an outlet through social media’s plus-size community. 

“Something that has always been a form of joy for me is putting together an outfit, looking cute and feeling confident," Bresnahan said. “I started putting together an outfit every day and taking pictures and posting them every single day and engaging specifically with the fat community on Instagram.”

As she continued to engage with this community, her page started gaining serious traction. Bresnahan described her follower count growing from 600 to 10,000 in six to eight months.

“It started getting more geared toward talking about the plus-size experience and learning about fat liberation and fat acceptance,” she said. “I think plus-size fashion has such a powerful niche on the internet. There are so many people who are so eager to be able to express themselves in a way that has not been accessible and is finally becoming accessible. Learning to find your style in an age where clothes are accessible, you need some guidance. I think I make outfit videos in a really fun, different way because they always include some dancing and energy and excitement.”

As the rise of the social media platform TikTok came about, Bresnahan’s content and energy translated to the app perfectly. Similar to her Instagram, her account began as a way to hop on the trend of making fun dances to songs. She described that once she made her first outfit video on the platform, her following grew there as well. 

Bresnahan now has 68.6K followers on Instagram, and 144.8K followers on TikTok.

“I honestly love it - I hate it, but I love it” Bresnahan said of TikTok. “It keeps me up way too late and makes my brain mush, but also is such a good form of community and education for me, and for myself to learn.”

She has many goals for the use of her platform, primarily reclaiming the word fat, educating others and advocating for fat liberation and fat acceptance, all while creating a positive space on social media. 

“When I’m talking about fat acceptance and fat liberation, and when people are talking about it, it’s about access,” Bresnahan explained. 

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“It’s not a bad word,” she said of the word fat. “It’s the same as tall, brunette, freckled – all other things that I am.”

She described many obstacles that plus-size individuals face in everyday life beyond finding adequate size options, such as getting sufficient healthcare, learning health in schools, experiencing bias in the workplace, and the ability to travel. 

“I would just love for kids to know that they’re fine as they are, and that they can trust their bodies," she explained. “I think that’s the biggest thing I’ve given myself back is the trust. My body will do what it needs to do, and it’s okay.”

As her social media presence continues to thrive, Bresnahan is exploring her influencer status. She recently hired an agent and has partnered with various clothing brands. 

“I'm trying to use my platform and my power right now, specifically with the people I come into contact with,” Bresnahan said. “When making a brand deal, I’m looking at their sizes, their representation on their pages – socials and their websites.” 

She described that if the brand’s sizing and representation do not meet her standards, she will point this out or choose not to represent the company. 

As her multi-faceted success continues, Bresnahan finds joy in giving back to the Athens community and reconnecting with the town. 

Though she has lived in many places, moved frequently and held many jobs throughout her life, Bresnahan described the feeling of finally not looking for what is next and being happy where she is. 

“It’s just been interesting to discover this town at a completely different page in my life,” she said of Athens. “This town is cooler than the other places I’ve been, and I just wanted to be a part of it. So, I’m happy to be here now, doing the thing.” 

Follow Caroline, @justmeandmymirror, on Instagram and TikTok..