Helena Epstein sought support from her sister Emilia Epstein before her GRE exam, so, Emilia shared a motivating voicemail from a GRE testing site in Boston, where she had taken the exam years ago.
This voicemail went viral on TikTok, amassing 6 million views and prompting a search for Tameka Rooks, the voicemail’s inspiring speaker.
The voicemail started as a standard message about test details but became personal and encouraging, Washington Post noted.
The Prometric test center representative, a stranger to Emilia, urged her to come confident and well-prepared, highlighting the power of girl confidence and magic.
“Come confident and well prepared. Miss Emilia, this is what you studied for, this is what you worked hard for,” the woman on the voicemail said. “Bring your best girl confidence. Bring your best girl magic. It’s called girl power. Girl power is the best power, ain’t nothing better than that! So, put in your head that this is what you want. Don’t come nervous.”
“Because when you have to do something for work, you’re not nervous. But when we study for something, I just feel like people are more nervous when they study to get prepared than when you walk into work,” the voicemail continues. “Work is unpredictable, and you are ready for work, you know what I’m saying, Miss Emilia?”
“So just come the same way as if you were coming for work. And just tell yourself, ‘I worked hard for this.’ Other than that, honey, I will see you tomorrow in the afternoon. And come with a smile because I’ll have one already. Have a great evening.”
Emilia, now a project manager in San Francisco, recalls crying in 2021 after hearing the voicemail and wondering who the woman was who took the time to make her feel happy, prepared, and confident despite not knowing her.
Emilia saw Tameka at the test center on exam day, and Tameka greeted her with a smile.
She thanked Tameka in person for the voicemail but didn’t dwell on it afterward.
Emilia remembered a kind gesture for years, keeping the voicemail on her phone.
When Helena, her younger sister, felt anxious about her upcoming GRE on June 1, Emilia decided to share the voicemail with Helena, moving her to tears upon hearing it over FaceTime.
Helena, a consultant from Houston aiming for dual master’s programs in business and science, felt stressed about her test-taking abilities.
She found the voicemail very kind and comforting.
The next morning, Helena decided to share the voicemail on TikTok, hoping someone might recognize the woman who left it.
The video quickly gained popularity, reaching 6 million views and attracting over 14,000 comments.
It sparked a collaborative effort to locate Tameka Rooks, the voicemail’s sender.
After Helena’s TikTok video gained attention, a user confirmed Tameka had worked at a Boston test center and shared this with Helena.
Helena then asked the center to pass her contact details to Tameka.
Tameka, 43, in Boston, doubted a colleague’s news that someone sought her at her old workplace. Unaware of TikTok, she thought it was a prank by coworkers.
Upon watching the TikTok video, Tameka was amazed. She was surprised that so many had seen it before she did.
During their call, Helena told Tameka how her voice had touched many hearts and that thousands wanted to ensure she saw all the comments.
“A voicemail like this can really change people’s perspective on how they’re feeling about an exam, or how they’re feeling about an interview,” Helena said. “Everyone needs to hear nice words.”
Meanwhile, the voicemail Tameka left wasn’t unusual for her.
She was a contractor at a Prometric testing site near Boston University, where she handled various exams, including the GRE, law school entrance tests, and educational assessments for children.
During the pandemic, Tameka regularly called test-takers from her bedroom to remind them about their exams, leaving messages when they didn’t answer.
She didn’t follow a strict script but gave essential information and offered encouragement.
Tameka aimed to boost their confidence, knowing exams were expensive.
She hoped to inspire them, saying they might become doctors she’d rely on in the future.
Taking the GRE costs around $220, so Tameka, now managing another Prometric site, always tries to personalize her messages, believing in the power of acknowledgment and encouragement to uplift people’s spirits.
The Epstein sisters experienced firsthand how a stranger’s kindness can make a difference.
Meanwhile, Helena achieved her highest test score after receiving encouragement before her GRE exam.
Helena credited her success partly to the ‘girl power’ boost before her exam, as she mentioned.
She and Tameka have become friends and kept in touch during this period of public attention.
Tameka was even the first person Helena contacted after completing her exam.
Meanwhile, many commented on Helena’s TikTok, sharing they also received an uplifting voicemail from Tameka, recalling her kindness during tough times.
Emilia and Helena wonder how many of Tameka’s voicemails remain unheard in people’s mailboxes and how many miss out on hearing encouraging messages by not listening fully or hanging up early.
Tameka appreciates the global support for her voicemail message.
She wants people to know that while it’s nice if voicemail brings comfort, they should also recognize their inherent greatness without needing validation from others.
Listen to Tameka’s comforting voicemail through the TikTok video below:
@helenebobene #standardizedtest #test #helpmefindher #tiktokdoyourthing #tiktokdoyourmagic ♬ original sound – helena
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