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Gabi Gregg

SOUTH HADLEY - A 23-year-old woman with ties to Hampshire County won a monthlong contest Sunday to become MTV's first-ever "Twitter jockey."

Gabi Gregg, a Detroit native who graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 2008, will report on pop culture news using Twitter, Facebook, blogs and MTV's website.

The "TJ" job is an updated version of MTV's video jockey, or "VJ" position. Gregg won her new one-year job, with its $100,000 paycheck, Sunday night after a nationwide vote during a live finale on the network.

Attempts to reach her Monday were unsuccessful.

Lucas Wilson, professor of African American studies at Mount Holyoke, remembered Gregg as a student speaking of her dream to find work in the entertainment industry.

"I know that this is where she has wanted to be," Wilson said. "She had her mind set on getting into the entertainment industry."

Wilson said Gregg was a "very determined, very focused and obviously bright" student.

College spokeswoman Mary Jo Curtis said Monday she made sure to give Gregg a few plugs on the college's Twitter page, which Curtis manages.

"I would say that a lot of Mount Holyoke alums probably voted for her," Curtis said. "It's a pretty tight network."

Gregg has authored a fashion blog since 2008 called "Young, Fat & Fabulous," which caters to plus-size women.

Gregg wrote on the home page of her website that she is a "fun-loving girl who happens to have a flair for fashion. I'm just trying to change the world one fat girl at a time."

Gregg bested four other finalists out of the original 20 selected by the network. Contestants had to complete a series of social media-related challenges ranging from promoting a local band to interviewing celebrities, according to MTV.

Gregg lived in Chicago until recently but plans to move to New York City for her new position, she tweeted under her new Twitter user name, @MTVTJ.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.