“Love Island USA” Season 7 had social media abuzz this summer. Beyond the drama, messy love triangles, and familiar displays of ignorance, one islander has continued to stand out long after the season wrapped: Olandria Carthen.
Whether you know her as one half of “Nicolandria,” Ola, the Bama Barbie, or simply the stunning dark-skinned woman who stole the show, chances are you’ve seen Carthen somewhere on your timeline. As one of only two Black women in the original cast of this season of “Love Island USA,” audiences– especially Black women– were immediately drawn to her grace, warmth, and effortless Southern charm.
“When I was on that show, I knew I was representing more than just myself,” Carthen reflected on a recent appearance on the Go, Off Sis podcast. “I’m representing Black women as a whole. So, going on there and knowing my self-worth, my value, and self-acceptance truly helped me navigate this space. Knowing I have so much support from my community, or just from all women, means the world to me.”
Olandria Carthen, a 27-year-old Decatur, Alabama native, is not just a face on a reality show; she’s a proud graduate of Tuskegee University, where she earned her degree in logistics, materials, and supply chain management in 2022. Her academic journey has given her an opportunity to emphasize the importance of education and the valuable impact of her HBCU experience.
Reflecting on her time at Tuskegee, Carthen shared during a livestream with HBCUBuzz:
“Literally the best five years of my life, literally. And a lot of people will ask, like, ‘Well, why would you choose to go to an HBCU?’ I’m like, ‘I have the rest of my life to be a minority.’ I wanted to see how it felt to be the majority when I walk around and wake up and everybody looks like me.”
Carthen credits her time at Tuskegee for shaping her confidence and her ability to remain calm under pressure. This strong foundation has aided her as she navigates both the highs of her reality TV fame and the lows, such as dealing with obsessive fandoms, subtle microaggressions, and outright racism from both online users and some former castmates. In an interview with ExtraTV, Carthen shared insights on maintaining her composure amid the social media frenzy.
“Honestly, even when I was younger, I always had way more to lose than people that I was kind of [getting] into it with. I had scholarships. I had awards, and I have all these things. So, I couldn’t really act out the way I wanted to because I had way more to lose than [they did],” she reflected. “So, it kind of started at an early age. Honestly, I’m so grateful for it because now it makes it way easier to be poised in those moments that I really want to say something.”
This level of poise is rare, and it’s a key aspect of what makes Carthen’s post-“Love Island” journey so distinct. Instead of rushing into content creation or daily influencer routines, she chose a more thoughtful approach, giving herself the space to strategically map out her next steps. Overwhelmed by the initial flood of attention, Carthen decided to prioritize intention over impulse.
“I think I took a different route. I didn’t really delve into the whole content-creating aspect. Not saying that it’s bad, but like I’m just that’s just not me,” she said. “I kind of wanted to be a little different, do more speaking engagements, talk about uplifting education, HBCUs, breaking out into the fashion industry, like trying to find different lanes. I didn’t want to be stuck in one box.”
This mindset has proven fruitful for Carthen. She’s collaborated with notable brands like Microsoft, NYX Cosmetics, Aveeno, Vaseline, and Sweetgreen, and made her New York Fashion Week runway debut with Sergio Hudson. Her evolving career is being shaped by grace, intention, and authenticity, allowing her to carve her own lane in a competitive industry.
Olandria Carthen’s journey is a testament to the idea that one can shine without conforming to a set mold. As her influence and visibility grow, she exemplifies the notion that she is, in fact, “bigger than the program,” reminding us all of the importance of authenticity and purpose in everything one does.