This month, I spent a lot of time working with a wonderful girl named Sara

, better known as Chiib, of the YouTube channel IAmChiib. Not only is Chiib a gamer with diverse taste, but she’s also one of the sweetest people I know!

Chiib hails from Florida, but currently lives in Kansas…pretty big change! I already mentioned that she runs a YouTube channel with Let’s Plays and vlogs, and offline, she’s a manger at a video game store.

1. What’s your favorite game of all time? What’s your favorite game of right now?

My favorite game of all time? That’s such a difficult question, because there are so many different genres to choose from and overall amazing games to play. However if I had to choose, it would be between Perfect Dark for the N64 and Resident Evil: Outbreak for the PS2. I logged so many hours into both of these games as a kid. They both hold a special place in my heart.

As for my current favorite game I don’t think I would be able to bring it down to just one title…maybe by genre?

• Horror: The Walking Dead
• RPG:Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
• MMORPG: Guild Wars 2
• MOBA: League of Legends
• Action: Dishonored
• Shooter: Borderlands 2

2. What inspired you to create a YouTube channel?

To be completely honest, I was just bored and lonely. At the time, I had just moved from Florida to Kansas, and I literally didn’t know anyone other than the people that I worked with and my family. The majority of the time, I would just work and then come home and browse YouTube for hours. After doing this for a few months, I decided to make my own channel to hopefully find a few online friends.

3. Which of your videos was your favorite one to make?

I would have to say The Walking Dead playthrough series has been my favorite to make so far. SO MANY FEELS. I tried my best not to, but I cried at the end like a big ol’ baby.

4. Has your gender ever been an issue in the gaming community? What do you think about the way women are treated in the community?

(Laughing) Yes. Even more so that I work at a video game store. I can’t tell you how many times someone will walk into the store and start off the conversation with “You probably don’t know this, but I’ll ask you anyway,” or, “Do you even play games?” and the whole time, I’m shouting in my head “WHY WOULD I WORK HERE IF I DIDN’T?” I swear, some people must think that women receive a negative stat adjustment to lore on gaming due to their gender.

However, that’s only one side of the problem. Some people will treat you completely differently if they find out that you are a girl who games: especially if you’re in-game. Some people will give you stuff, others will purposely try to kill your character – it’s gotten to the point where I don’t even want to use a mic. If anyone asks me, I usually say that I’m a 52-year-old man.

So yes, in my opinion, women are definitely treated differently due to their gender, which is unfortunate. I don’t want to be put up on a pedestal or have my knowledge belittled – I just want to play games (pretends to flip a table).

5. Do you have any inspirations?

I have many inspirations; on YouTube there is a channel called Danisnotonfire. I’ve been following his channel for almost two years, and with every video he releases, I feel inspired to make my content better. The scripts, humor, and quality of his videos show how much time and effort he puts into his channel. I want to be able to provide that for my viewers as well.

In real life, my older sister Melissa inspires me. We had a rather difficult life growing up, and she never really had the opportunity to be a child – she was more like a second mother in our family. It’s her strength and endurance that I admire. If she puts her mind to something, she won’t give up until its accomplished. There are also many games and books that I find inspiration from – the list would be indefinite.

6. What advice would you have for a young girl hoping to start her own gaming YouTube channel?

Be persistent. There are so many people trying to do the same thing on YouTube, as long as you work hard on your content and continue to release it, your channel will eventually grow. Also, don’t allow the comments to get to you. I have had a lot of harsh things said to and about me on YouTube. I even almost left from a nasty e-mail someone sent me. You have to remember that these people would most likely not say these things to your face. They’re hiding behind a computer screen, attempting to embed their misery into your life. The best thing to do is completely ignore them. If you don’t feed trolls, they will eventually go back to their bridge.

See what I mean? She’s so nice! And I completely agree with her advice for girls wanting to get into YouTube. Be sure to follow Chiib on Twitter, like her Facebook page and, of course, subscribe to her YouTube channel!