This week, I was fortunate to be able to attend a talk with Rose House Fellows Mike Fontaine and Scott Miller. It was very interesting getting to know more about their professions, their personal lives, and what led them to their current careers. Professor Fontaine studies classics and is also the Associate Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education. I really enjoyed hearing about how he found his passion through classics through various courses and study abroad programs. Listening to him talk motivates me to take more classes in random subjects in the future because I never know what might fascinate me. I also wasn’t thinking about studying abroad before this talk, but Professor Fontaine’s experiences are making me more seriously consider studying abroad post-pandemic. Judge Miller is a Tompkins County Court judge who did his undergraduate and law degrees at Cornell. I was inspired by his story of why he chose to study law and eventually become a family court judge. Being one of only three judges to serve 120,000 residents is no small feat, and I hope to emulate his diligence in my life. He also talked about how the justice system has changed during the pandemic and how he needed to develop more patience during this time. Hearing him say that also makes me want to develop more patience so that I can better deal with the challenges of the pandemic. Professor Fontaine’s book tour was canceled due to COVID, as well, which was disappointing for him. I admire the tenacity of both fellows during these times.