He’s 16 years old with over 22 thousand followers on Twitter, and over 37 thousand fans on YouNow.  He travels almost weekly to shows and fan meet-ups throughout the U.S.  He gets mobbed by fans almost everywhere he goes. He can no longer attend traditional school, but instead attends online school.  Jonah Marais is not your typical teenager.

Marais did it through social media.  He posted videos of himself on the website YouNow, and was very surprised by the results.

“I remember going up to my dad and saying I was top ten trending on YouNow, and he didn’t know what to think of it,” said Marais.

Marais started out just like any other kid from Stillwater.

“I went to elementary school at Stonebridge, and went to Stillwater Junior High until seventh grade,” said Marais.

School has changed for Marais after realizing that he wanted to pursue his passion of singing.

“After seventh grade I transferred to Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis, and I got an opportunity with a social media tour and they wanted me to come along with them, and now I just started taking online school,” said Marais.

Online school was the only option for Marais due to his busy travel schedule.

Related to his travel schedule Marais said, “It depends sometimes every couple weeks, sometimes every weekend.”

Marais is in the tough position of balancing out two careers of being a singer, and being a social media star.

Marais said, “I’ve always been interested in singing, I was involved in choir, and it’s kinda in my blood, my father was also a musician.  With the social media, I was just bored one day so decided to try it and it kinda took off from there.”

These trips aren’t a vacation for Marais.

“I have a 15 minute set at every event, and I’m doing it with other people who are in involved with Vine.  There is also a meet and greet with fans after every event,” said Marais.

Traveling and being away from home makes finding and keeping friends difficult, but he is able to manage it.

“I’m starting to become friends with the people I’m on tour with, but around Minnesota I probably have a couple friends from school and kids I’ve grown up with,” said Marais.

Traveling around the country has perks for him.  Marais has met some of the most famous stars in today’s social media world.

Marais said, “Austin Mahone, I was just out in New York with Justin Bieber’s choreographer, I’ve met Nash Grier, Cameron Dallas, and I was invited to be backstage at Jingleball and I hope to meet some more artists there.”

The music he performs is something Marais hold close to him.

Marais said, “Primarily pop with a little hip-hop influence to it. I haven’t made any original music yet, I’ve just been doing covers, mostly pop, like the music you hear on the radio.”

Marais is not content with the level he is at right now, and has big plans for the future.

“Hopefully getting an original song out, and getting it on the radio. That would be the ultimate goal,” said Marais.

At the age of 16, Marais has set a solid base for a path to stardom, but is unsure of what is next for him.  22 thousand followers on Twitter and over 37 thousand fans on YouNow is a good start.

“I don’t know exactly where I want to go with it,” said Marais.  “I love music, so I will go with that how ever I can.”