On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to attend the Rose Cafe talk with Christa Downey for a discussion on building a support crew, networking, and how to build constructive relationships here on Cornell’s campus.

While there were many points that stood out from this discussion here is a list that I strongly agreed with:

1. Identify what your interest is, and connect to as many people as I can within that interest during your free time. You never know how they could help you!

2. Make connections with your professors, and use office hours proactively.

3. Before you begin your search, identify who is currently in your network. If you do not have a good balance between adults and your peers, you may need to reach out to more adults. This is because even if you have many supportive friends, it may be more appropriate in a business situation to ask help to a more experienced adult.

As a Hotelie, I find myself often forming friendships within the Hotel School. While Hotelies are friendly and easy to approach, it may be interesting to broaden my network by going to more social events. It is always helpful to have a diverse group of supportive peers!

Overall, the advice I received during this talk was helpful, and I will try to broaden my network by contacting more people in areas outside of my interest.