Summer Intern Goes Viral For Flying Weekly From Charleston to New Jersey For Internship Because It's 'Cheaper Than Rent' Sophia Celentano, a 21-year-old corporate marketing intern at Ogilvy Health who attends the University of Virginia, is going viral for showing viewers on TikTok how she commutes — by plane.
By Emily Rella
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
The rent in the New York area continues to climb, and one intern from South Carolina is proving just how bad it is with her over-the-top commute to avoid paying housing costs.
Sophia Celentano, a 21-year-old corporate marketing intern at Ogilvy Health who attends the University of Virginia, is going viral for showing viewers on TikTok how she commutes — by plane — from Charleston, South Carolina to Newark, New Jersey, one day a week when she's required to be in the office for her internship. She has received over 604,700 views for the video so far.
In the clip, her commuting day begins at 3 a.m. to get ready to cross state lines.
@sophiacelentano48 super commuting slay #corporateintern #marketingintern #nycintern #summerinternship #supercommuter #fyp #foryou ♬ original sound - Sophia Celentano
"I only have to be in the office one day a week," she explains. "Honestly, it's cheaper for me to stay at home in Charleston for the summer with my parents and just pay for plane tickets one day a week and then to live, like, in New York full time."
Celentano explains that on commuting days, she flies into Newark airport, Ubers to her office, where she works from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and then Ubers back to Newark before flying home that night.
Surprisingly, Celentano made it to her first day without any issues — and even got to her office early.
"I tried to go to bed early last night, but I wish so friggin nervous guys like it really nervous for things like this," she relatably told followers. "I obviously want to make like a good impression on everyone. I'm not the only intern which I'm really grateful for."
Many commenters called Celentano "insane" and "delusional," but the incoming college senior didn't seem to be phased.
"There is no amount of money you could pay me to wake up at 3 am to commute," one person said bluntly.
"This interruption to your routine and decrease in quality of life really doesn't seem worth it," another suggested.
In a follow-up video, the 21-year-old breaks down the cost analysis of how much weekly commuting costs her ($2,250 total with flights estimated around $100 round trip) versus paying rent near her office ($4,259 if she was "lucky").
@sophiacelentano48 Replying to @Maresa ♬ original sound - Sophia Celentano
The now-viral intern also penned a lengthy post to her LinkedIn account about the success she's found since beginning her position and how the commute is worth it.
"As I have begun to learn the ins and outs of this top-producing healthcare advertising agency over the past week and a half, I've felt utterly inspired with the work, people, and mission of Ogilvy," she wrote. "Beyond that, I have felt overwhelming support from my colleagues as I've recently taken on their new unofficial title of "'the celebrity intern.'"
Celentano did clarify in the comment on TikTok or LinkedIn if she is being paid for her internship.
