A Journey of Unexpected Turns

From Georgia Southern’s Chemistry Labs to YouTube’s Global Stage

Javoris Hollingsworth’s (’07) story of internet stardom began in Jeffersonville, Georgia, about 20 miles from Macon.

“Jeffersonville is a very small town where everybody knows everybody else,” Hollingsworth said as he reminisced about growing up there, and the Sundays he spent in church with his grandmother. Those days in church inspired him to take piano and drum lessons, and later score gigs playing music in local churches. This early musical foundation would later play a pivotal role in his life. But before that, his academic journey led him to Georgia Southern University, where he majored in chemistry.

“Coming from Jeffersonville and moving to Statesboro was a jump up for me,” Hollingsworth said. “No one from my family had gone to college, but I was very blessed to get the Bill Gates Scholarship, and it funded all of my schooling from undergraduate at Georgia Southern, all the way to graduate school for my master’s and Ph.D. in chemistry.”

His initial plan was to become a research professor, but that changed when he spent a year as a visiting professor at a Florida college.

“That’s when it hit me that teaching is a lot of fun,” said Hollingsworth.

“Seeing students come in on day one not knowing a thing about the subject matter to be almost professionals by the end of the semester is cool.” He added, “Having a hand in that development is amazing. That’s when I knew teaching was a great avenue and I stuck with it from there.”

For nearly a decade, the scientist taught organic and environmental chemistry at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. However, life is full of unexpected turns. In 2020, communities went on lockdown during the global pandemic, forcing families to adapt and find ways to engage children in learning activities. Alongside his then 7-year-old daughter Graceyn, Hollingsworth launched “Gracie’s Corner” on YouTube. He started the project to provide representation for children of color.

“Everyone was at home all the time and it allowed me to learn more about my kids and the different content they consume,” he noted. “While watching some of it, I realized that my children didn’t see many characters or kids that looked like them. I wanted to try to change the narrative and create a channel featuring children of color.”

It didn’t take long for his platform of sing-along animated videos to become an online sensation. “If you had told me three years ago that this channel would be where it is now… I would laugh in your face,” Hollingsworth chuckled. Since its launch, the channel has gained nearly two-and-a-half million subscribers and racked up millions of views each month. The alumnus acknowledged how his academic background helped him get the project off the ground.

“Coming from science, I always pictured being in a classroom or lab, but I’ve integrated those skill sets into what I do as a YouTuber,” he explained. “I had to dive into research to learn how to make videos and set up a home studio. Much of what I learned at Georgia Southern still applies — critical thinking and turning concepts into reality. Many people struggle to move from ideas to execution, but my academic background made these tasks easier for me.”

“Gracie’s Corner” videos cover a wide array of subjects. They range from fundamental topics like the ABCs, numbers, counting and colors to broad subjects such as African American history. Hollingsworth draws on his musical background to generate content that he believes is not only engaging but also “culturally relevant.”

“I wanted to make music that adults would want to listen to with their kids, and that’s been the secret sauce for our success,” he emphasized. “It’s like a breath of fresh air for many to see children of color at the forefront. It’s a big piece of our success, too – families have been yearning for this representation.”

As a professor, Hollingsworth said he learned the significance of connecting with students and understanding diverse learning styles, including auditory and visual preferences. By combining music with compelling content, he found that crafting catchy songs and employing repetition helped to ingrain and convey information and concepts to his target audience.

“When we first started, we targeted preschoolers and ages up to 8 or 9, but we’ve managed to capture the whole spectrum from parents, grandparents and entire families dancing alongside their kids,” he noted. To highlight the universal appeal of the platform’s content, the Georgia native produces music that pulls in genres ranging from hiphop to Afrobeat, go-go, zydeco and more. While Hollingsworth writes and produces the script for each production, his young daughter, Graceyn, is the singer.

“She enjoys singing,” he shared. “Even when we’re not recording, she’s walking around the house, singing.”

With the channel making a global impact, Hollingsworth is considering ways to expand its reach. Under consideration — everything from retail collaborations to live tours. But to achieve the new goals, the tenured professor made a tough decision in May 2023.

“May of this year was my last year teaching at the University of St. Thomas,” he commented. “I reached a point where I had to decide whether to continue juggling the demanding role of a professor — exams, grading, emails, recommendations — alongside the booming channel, or let go of something. The channel’s growth made it almost impossible to juggle both. It was a tough call, as I enjoyed teaching and saw the impact that I had in the classroom.”

Still, the alumnus remains a teacher at heart because the content he creates is educational.

“In a sense,” he said, “I’m still teaching, but now my classroom looks completely different. I’m getting into the homes of families around the world now.”

Leaving his university job to concentrate on “Gracie’s Corner” has given Hollingsworth more time to engage in family events, and financially, it has been beneficial, too.

“It has helped us to climb out of debt and set aside funds for our kids to go college,” he said. “We’re blessed and in a position to bless others.”

Looking back at his undergraduate days, Hollingsworth says his Georgia Southern experience was about a lot more than lectures, labs and textbooks.

“Man, it was great,” he reminisced. “Honestly, it felt like the right move for me. Everyone was nice and welcoming, and most of my closest friends now are people that I met during the first year at Georgia Southern.”

Hollingsworth said the connections he made and the things he learned in both Statesboro and Jeffersonville show how life can bring big surprises. He’s an alumnus who has gone from a small town to a big worldwide stage.

“It feels great to represent a small town because a lot of times we’re overlooked,” he said. “People might think much doesn’t come from small places. But it’s been awesome to show that good things can come from a small place like my hometown.”

— Sandra Bennett