A viral video showing the reunion of Stanford University‘s Class of 2004 has delighted viewers online with its lighthearted look at the surprising—and often extraordinary—paths taken by a group of college friends two decades after graduation.
The Instagram reel, posted October 29, 2024, by Ssonia Ong, has garnered more than 10 million views. Set against the backdrop of the Stanford reunion, the short video contrasts classmates’ yearbook photos with their current professions, ranging from Olympic athletes and surgeons to civil engineers, tech executives and creatives. Ong, a psychology graduate who later studied for a Master’s at Harvard, is now a content creator who documents family life online.
“In the video, I’m playfully hinting that being a TikToker is less important than the other roles and positions my classmates have earned,” Ong told Newsweek. “The discussion that followed was very sweet, with many people from my audience jumping in to defend that being a mom and sharing our life is equally as important.”
The post has been widely praised for its authenticity and variety. Among Ong’s classmates, one is now an Olympic gymnast and orthopedic surgeon, another is a VP at Meta, while others are a pediatrician, a partner at Snell & Wilmer, an Olympic pole-vaulter and emergency room physician, a civil engineer who moonlights as a comedian, and a film producer and director.
“It’s a fun, lighthearted video that highlights the amazing achievements of my friends,” Ong said. “The privilege and responsibility of speaking into the lives of so many people is not lost on me.
“I’m incredibly honored to do what I do and make an impact at scale,” she added.
Ong’s path into digital storytelling began under very different circumstances. She had worked as a trauma counselor before stepping away to raise her children. When the pandemic hit, her husband, a cardiologist, was assigned to a hospital COVID-19 unit, and Ong found herself managing a household in lockdown.
“I had been a stay-at-home mom for 10 years, but having everyone home 24/7 was another thing,” she said. “With all the stress and uncertainty around us, I decided to prioritize our mental wellness.”
What started as a coping strategy—making videos with her children—soon grew into a creative outlet and an unlikely career.
“We learned dance trends, lip-synched to Disney songs, cooked easy recipes and taste-tested new snacks,” Ong said. “I had no idea how our content would be received, but it didn’t matter because we were having fun.”
To her surprise, Ong’s audience quickly grew.
“I was once asked why I thought our content was appealing,” she said. “I realized that people yearn for the simple life.
“The world is a complicated place, but children live vibrant and joyful lives under the watchful protection of their parents; there is comfort and safety in that relationship, and our videos offer a reminder of what life once was or what could be.”
While the tone of the reunion video was deliberately humorous, its resonance went far deeper. Ong said she was heartened to see viewers push back against the idea that her role as a mother and online creator was somehow “lesser” than those of her high-achieving peers.
“It’s something I know, and I’m glad others saw it the same way,” Ong said.
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