The Instagram page @fccmemes_ has become well-known locally for its inside jokes about Fullerton College campus life and Downtown Fullerton culture, and for highlighting the strange and spontaneous moments that only local students can understand.
The page’s owner had remained anonymous until recently, when the creator posted a face reveal as part of a deal with their audience for reaching 1,000 followers. On May 5, the meme mastermind revealed themselves to be Nicole Thach, a first-year film major at FC whose creative humor has created a rapidly growing community.
According to Thach, something that began as “just like a silly thing” quickly grew beyond her expectations. Thach created the account in August 2025 with no aspirations of reaching their now 1,000-plus follower count.
The account has a much longer history, though. Before Fullerton College, she had created meme pages for both Oxford Academy and Cypress High School. Thach said the account at Cypress became so popular that students began organizing real-life activities inspired by her page.
“On Fridays, we were usually expected to wear blue and orange because that was our school colors,” she said. “But one day, I was like– Oh– like, what if we just all wore black, so it was like Blackout Day? The whole school did it. And I was like, This is crazy.’”
The account’s popularity also drew attention from CHS administrators, who eventually forced her to delete the meme account.
“They always told me– they were like, ‘Nicole, you’re clearly very talented, but you should use that for good rather than bad,’” Thach said. “I’ve always thought I’ve been doing it for good.”
Thach said the goal for the FC page has never been to ridicule the campus or create negativity. Instead, she sees the page as a way to help students feel connected to both the school and the surrounding city.
“It’s never supposed to be like, hating on school. Recently, the Downtown Fullerton one got really popular, and that was more like, it’s kind of like giving love to Fullerton too,” said Thach.
Thach’s posts often turn everyday moments into jokes that students can laugh at together. Whether it is a campus-wide emergency email, a rabid bat sighting, or even the awkward realities of student life, she focuses her humor on shared experiences.
Humor has always been a defining part of her identity. In high school, she performed stand-up comedy during talent shows and attended open mic nights where she mixed poetry with comedic storytelling.
According to Thach, her comedic instinct appears naturally, with ideas simply coming to her in the moment. Still, she sometimes saves meme formats from online sites such as Pinterest and adds them to her list of ideas.
“I do have a board of if I see a meme and I’m like, Oh, I feel like I could apply that format to a scenario. So sometimes I have things like that where they’re just ready, but also I feel like I just be thinking,” she said with a laugh.
Outside of Instagram, Thach is a film major who is interested in screenwriting. She hopes to eventually work in film or television comedy, possibly writing jokes for shows like Saturday Night Live.
“I’ve always liked graphic design, and I feel like I’m a little bit just chronically online. So I think I naturally just like, found that I was good at the whole social media thing,” she said.
Thach’s interests stretch across multiple creative worlds. She collects CDs, enjoys buying secondhand, and she enjoys rock and punk music as well as techno and mainstream pop.
She spends her free time reading and writing, naming “The Importance of Being Earnest” as her favorite book because of its humor. She also adores older films like “The Sound of Music,” calling it her favorite movie, despite joking that it is “like a grandma movie.”
Thach explained how music became an unexpected part of the account’s identity. According to Thach, many of her followers connected with @fccmemes_ through the songs she paired with posts.
“A lot of people were drawn to the account because of the songs I was choosing specifically,” she said. “It’s kind of bringing all these people in.”
Before she revealed herself publicly, many followers assumed the account’s creator was a man. Which she publicly joked about on her page.
“I think this is more like an observation, but a lot of people usually think it’s a guy, which I get because I feel like it is a little bit masculine presenting,” Thach said, referring to a more cultivated “bro culture” due to the account’s profile photo.
Thach noted the differences in how followers interacted with the page before and after her reveal.
“Girls thought it was like, Oh, this is like, a really cool guy,” she said. “And guys, they saw it as like, Oh, this is a really cool guy. I want to be his friend.”
Despite her growing audience, Thach still sees herself primarily as a student trying to navigate college life like everyone else on campus. She admitted that making friends in college has been difficult, which is partly why she encourages students to approach her in person.
“I do think especially at school, especially at college, it’s hard to meet people or connect with people. And I think these meme pages–I always find them kind of form a community. I do think it’s that deep,” said Thach.
Thach’s openness heavily reflects the same sense of connection that made the account so successful in the first place. Students are not simply following the page for the memes; they feel seen as the posts reflect the environment they inhabit.
“Some people tell me they’re like, ‘Your memes are kind of making me feel better about school,” she said. “I was like, Oh, like, I’m glad I could make school better for you.”
According to Thach, when addressing more serious topics, such as controversial demonstrations on campus, she approaches posts carefully. She does not want the account to become overly political, but she still feels comfortable speaking on issues she personally cares about.
“If there’s something at the school that I don’t agree with, I am still going to post about it,” she said. “Not to make the account political or anything, but if I do personally believe something, I’m just gonna say it on there.”
As the @fccmemes_ account continues to grow, Thach hinted that future projects may branch beyond memes. After Thach’s Downtown Fullerton post showcasing its local coffee shops and thrift stores gained popularity, her followers have encouraged her to review more local coffee shops and foodie areas.
For now, the page remains what it has always been, one built on humor and connection. In many ways, the account reflects Thach’s personal creativity, slightly rebellious nature, and deep investment in the people around her.
“Honestly, like, running FCC Memes is just kind of healing in a way,” she said. “Seeing it kind of be uplifted now is kind of healing the way that it was treated in high school by the adults.”
