So you want to be famous?

Northwestern is rife with bright young students brimming with anticipation for the future, wondering how their lives will unfold. Students dream both big and small, hoping to win that free Starbucks gift card from a Northwestern survey blast or aspiring to change the world. Will any of them join Northwestern’s list of celebrity alumni? I asked 10 Northwestern students if they want to be famous. Meet the next generation of A-listers –– and of perfectly happy nobodies.

Marisabel Aguilar, second-year Computer Engineering major (and aspiring celebrity): 

“I want to be famous, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen. If the paparazzi were following me, I would like it and I would pose. You know, like, put up some peace signs. I would try to seem like I’m living my best life and smile.” 

Aguilar clarifies that she’d prefer to be a famous CEO than an influencer or a pop star. Fitting, I suppose, for a McCormick celeb.

Marisabel Aguilar

Jack Lin, third-year Econ major:

“It is a certain reward to have your name cast in the history book, whether it is of world history, art history, et cetera, to know that you’re alive beyond your earthly body. I want to be famous for inspiration or changing the world, and for that I look up to people like John F. Kennedy or Selena Gomez,” Lin says. Quite the unlikely pair. But there is a wide range of things people can be famous for: campaigning politically, singing, dancing on TikTok, becoming a meme, wrestling alligators — the list goes on.

Reagan Dennison, second-year Computer Science major:

*Reagan could not be found by the paparazzi*

Dennison also has a desire for fame, but only “with certain conditions.” 

“I don’t want to constantly have paparazzi following me, but I would like to be famous for something positive,” Dennison says. “Ideally a C-list celebrity kind of famous.” 

She tells me that “The Vampire Diaries” actress Nina Dobrev represents her ideal level of fame. “I see her on Instagram looking happy with her Olympian boyfriend,” Dennison says. Just enough fame to date an Olympian, but without the media attention. Now that does sound nice. 

Dennison says one of the best parts of being famous is being able to interact with anybody, so I asked her who her celebrity friend group would be. “I’m thinking Zendaya,” she says. “I had a dream where I was best friends with Zendaya and Tom Holland and I remember waking up and feeling like I lost a good friendship because I woke up.”

Elizabeth Savin, first-year Manufacturing & Design Engineering major:

Unlike the first three students, Savin is straightforward in her desire not to be famous, at least not in the superstar sense.

“I don’t want to be famous,” she says. “I don’t think that level of public recognition would lead me to have an enjoyable life. I don’t like the constant criticism, photography, the analysis of every move I make. I just want to be able to live my own life and the money that comes along with being famous is not worth anything because at the end of the day, you're still tied to what other people are expecting from you. It’s not your own life to live.”

I asked her if she ever fantasized about the idea of fame, as all the glamor and money it entails can sometimes be hard to resist. “I’ve never been like ‘I want to be a Kardashian or something like that,’” she says. “Instead, I’d want to be like Elon Musk. Something where you're famous for something you created.” Yet another aspiring McCormick CEO. 

Maddie Southwell, second-year Journalism major:

“Being famous is my worst nightmare.” Southwell leaves it at that.

“Maddie hiding from paps*

Jeff Murichu, second-year Learning and Organizational Change major:

Being famous comes with its fair share of dangers, and Murichu fears what fame could mean for his safety.

“When everyone knows you, they get this kind of entitlement toward you and they feel like you owe them something,” he says. “I don’t want to constantly feel a threat. I like how if I walked out right now and went to Target I don’t have to call my entourage and my security detail and try to wear sunglasses and a cap to hide my face.”

However, he did desire fame as a child. “I guess when I was younger, I wanted to be Beyoncé –– I wanted to be famous famous. But then, when I was in high school and I was school president, I didn't deal well with the social pressure. Being in the public limelight is like being in the public court. And if you wear something it’s tea, if you say something it’s tea, if you do something it’s tea.” Far too much tea.

*Jeff, when he was young*

Rufina Everett, second-year Engineering major:

“Being famous would be a vibe. But I don’t want want to be famous, because I would be scared of people trying to murder me,” Everett says. She adds that if she had to be famous, she would want to be famous in the same sort of way as “Sound of Music” star Julie Andrews. “She’s well-respected and talented. Therefore, I would be Julie Andrews.” Will desire for esteem win out against fear of violence?

Caitlin Riley, second-year:

Caitlin Riley

When I spoke with Riley, she said she didn’t want to be pushed into the spotlight, but she’s open to being known for her achievements. 

“I’d love to be famous for being an author if I could write a book that people liked,” she says. “But I definitely would not want to be famous in the way that movie stars or the Kardashians are famous. I don’t need the whole world talking about my life.” 

She asked when this feature with her interview would be released. “Maybe I do want to be famous,” she realizes, “if I wanna see myself in this magazine.”

Ben Drysdale, first-year:

One of the many Bens at Northwestern, Drysdale is open to minor fame. “I like the idea of being famous for being good at something but not to the point where everybody would know who I was,” he says. “I wouldn’t want to go to a restaurant and everybody would be coming up to me.” It would be hard to enjoy a good meal that way. On the upside, it could make reservations a whole lot easier.

Sai Thirunagari, first-year Psychology major:

Sai also wants the type of fame that’s more limited in scope. “I would want to be famous for recognition but not as much as a celebrity. I would want to be famous within my field,” he says. Are we looking at the next Freud? 

Many students thought being famous in a particular field had some of the benefits of fame, without all of the drawbacks –– especially those relating to invasions of privacy. It’s fitting too, for people working in specific majors, looking to make an impact in the world they care about. But the world of celebrities isn’t for everyone. I can’t help but wonder which of my lovely classmates will one day be pushed into the limelight. Could you handle the fame?