I've been out of college and in the work force since 2011, so I haven't really had the opportunity to hang around people i would consider intelectuals (no offense to those individuals). Although the pandemic hit before i joined the program, so all of the events have neen via zoom, I can truly say that i've really enjoyed each opportunity i have to meet with everyone. From the Folio Cafès, to the Arts & Humanities events, down to the one 0n one conversations with mentors, adviors, sponsors, etcetera, i always look forward to the opportunity to congregate with like-minded individuals. So far, I think my favorite events has been the chance we had to meet in person! It was really cool to see people i haven't seen in awhile and to meet those people i've only ever met via zoom. I consider myself to be a pretty introverted individual...so, initially, I was nervous. I always feel like people expect me to be a certain way in person the first time based on prior interactions with me and someitmes I'm just not that guy *insert shrug emoji here*. But after a few minutes, those nerves went away and i really enjoyed myself. It was nice to be able to put faces with a few names and connect with people in real life. It really helped in my subtle evolution as i strive to be more social and stretch the boundaries of my comfort zones.