A quick little note to our readers,
We would like to thank you for holding this little zine in your hands, and, with it, the stories of the people who’ve shaped our campus in quiet and extraordinary ways. This project began with a simple intention: to listen. What we uncovered in the process was something much deeper — moments of doubt, joy, heartbreak, clarity, and above all, growth.
To our interviewees: thank you for your honesty and growth. You’ve shown us that it’s okay not to have it all figured out, and that meaning is made in the messiness.
This place is far more than its buildings, clubs, or classes. It’s in the people. It’s in the stories.
Fromthe humans,
Alison Yau
Angela Wu
Emily Xi
Alex O’Connor
Erina Chowdhury
Jessica Wu
Bill Chen
If you could tell your freshman self anything, what would it be?
Fiona Wu
Being open to trying new things and diversifying your interests. I did many clubs that I had previously experienced in high school, and I wish I had diversified more by trying new opportunities outside of my comfort zone. Also, don’t be afraid to drop classes. During my freshman fall, I decided to take a harder math class. I went in with a mindset of not quitting regardless of what happened. I should have ju would’ve been a better decision.
How did
I was lucky bec extracurriculars were les interests at once. For examp when I was younger. engineering community wh enjoy design and I’m pass started as Marketing Chair
What’s your biggest piece advice?
Put yourself in as many opportunities as you can, and do accidentally cut off any points branches that may lead to the future. Even if you have an inkli to do something or are curious about it, research and try it out Keep as many options open for yourself.
What do you think is the best and worst piece of career advice you ’ve received?
The worst is how we frame networking now. With networking, when you frame it as wanting to hear other people's lives and making friends with them as opposed to doing something transactional, it makes the interactions more meaningful. I was afraid to reach out to people when I was younger because I thought they would think I was using them solely for professional motives. I don't want to do anything with false intentions or pre-intentions. If you are curious, it's easy on your side and also on the other side, because that intention will come through. For the best advice, I learned it during one of my internships. We had multiple managers, and the interns would sit on different teams. I asked one of the managers how they led employees to learn what made them good managers and leaders of others. The manager talked about taking good care of people as their boss, by asking employees what kind of work they wanted to do and providing updates on new projects coming in. It's not just about caring about their personal life, but also caring about the work that they do, and the growth that employees can gain It made me think about which places I wanted to work under, as well as in my own clubs the former Chair and currently on Class
Any relationship adv
Relationships are reciprocal. You have to w a plant to keep it alive. If you thin relationships like plants, you have to give t care to grow and thrive. Also, don tensions linger. Having conversations a them is important. I feel like roma relationships actually do happen when y not looking for it or not expectin
Springfield, Missouri
Steo By Step
Kenta Dedachi
Lex Gilbert Rural Virginia
If you could tell your freshman self anything, what would it be?
Oh man, if I could tell her anything. I think if you feel like you don't have time to use the bathroom, then maybe you ' ve taken on too many things
You founded the Disability coalition. What was it like to create that?
It was an adventure. Our board started off with 3 people. We now have seven people on board, we have 470 followers on Instagram. There's also been a learning curve as like students on this campus are afraid to identify as disabled. So you ' re fighting on behalf of people who are who don't even want to identify as disabled. Anyways, I would say what it was like was just a lot of unknowns that I just walked right into.
What's the most spontaneous thing you ' ve ever done in college?
Over the past summer, I did GRIP. I was in New Zealand and I met someone I really liked. We had a bunch of cute dates. Right before I left, I shipped them a bag of cute things and a hoodie they had worn when they were over at my apartment.
As you soak up your final days as a senior, what are some of your current favorite things to rage about?
That’s so True by Gracie Abrams, Good News by Shaboozey, and American Money by BORNS. For places in Philly: Brunch fan! I love Sabrina’s. I also looove Vintage (a wine bar). And I enjoy hiking and long walks through the city.
What do you think is the best and worst piece of career advice you ’ve received?
I think networking is the worst and the best piece of career advice I've received. It depends on if you interpret it correctly or not. It’s important to put yourself in the way of people who are very successful and further along in a specific career than you. However, you need to be genuinely interested in people when you ' re networking. I think if you ' re just going around, knowing everyone ' s names and hoping that they know yours, that's not gonna lead you anywhere and it's just gonna take a away from your energy and time, and your conversion rate is very, very low. You can, though, skyrocket that conversion rate by simply being interested in people. There's so many people out there that are successful. Just narrow it down to the ones that you actually want to listen to and talk to. And then you ' re more likely to actually benefit from it, because naturally, you ' re interested and you ' re gonna go above and beyond and they'll see that.
How did you meet your closest friends?
I say most of my closest friends are in the Brazilian bubble. I got here, and then people figured out I was Brazilian and I was immediately added to a group chat. Because there's like 15 Brazilians per class at Penn(?) It's like a solid group of 60 Brazilians at any giv ti h d lik everybody knows each other. A good example boyfriend. His apartment was always open. Somet without him. And it felt like family, which was surp Chile I didn't have close Brazil either my parents' age or my littl to my home country when I cam Ge
Unserious relationship advice?
Hannah Liu
Illinois
What is one piece of advice you would give to your freshman self?
Change is totally okay. I feel so much more fulfilled than if I went down the path that freshman me had planned out. Coming into Penn, I was not into computer science at all. Now, I can officially say I am going to get my masters in AI, and I am so excited. If I didn’t embrace change, I wouldn’t have this amazing opportunity I do now and figure out what I like truly loved to do, right?
What are some moments you felt genuinely happy at Penn?
Moments of spontaneity. From 2 am Wawa runs to being a Pennacle leader I realized a lot of times it’s the small things. It’s the moments where you really see that people are looking out for you, or the moments of vulnerability when you don’t expect it. Like when you see one of your friends studying that you haven’t seen in a while, and then having a vulnerable conversation because you want to know how they’re doing. Or when I walked to Center City by myself getting out of the Penn bubble. I learned to be alone, but not lonely in these moments, I realized that there’s a lot of power in being comfortable doing things by yourself.
Describe your Penn experience in three words. One crazy ride.
When
do you walk away from a relationship?
It’s taken me a long time to walk away from something. Even if I walk away, it doesn’t guarantee that I won’t walk back, right? I think the moment I walk away is when I’m just tired, when I have fought hard to meet that effort isn’t mutua recognized myself the cord. I think i have an honest co hard, and do wha
What are some of your biggest failures at Penn?
I remember sitting in Towne calling my mom, just bawling over the phone after having to do a late withdrawal from CIS 1600 my junior fall. I thought to myself, if I can’t get mathematical foundations of computer science straight, I’m not cut out for this. I felt like a failure. Now, I am going to get my masters in AI, and if anybody is ever going through something like this and is like I can never get into my dream program, let me be the first person to tell you that you absolutely can.
What is a misconception you feel like is important to talk about?
Some incredible people at this university never receive recognition for the amazing work they do, and that really hurts my heart. While awards and honors are important, they often leave people out, whether it’s through senior societies, academic awards, or fellowships. Just because someone doesn’t receive these accolades doesn’t mean they aren’t making a significant impact or aren’t leaders. I encourage everyone to look beyond these recognitions and appreciate those who may not seek or receive public acknowledgment. It’s essential to remember that doing meaningful work isn’t always about being celebrated.
