It’s August, and I can’t believe a year has flown by since I first moved to Chicago. I am reminded of all the preparation, apartment hunting, and job searching. But the memory that sticks out the most is the day my life changed forever—Graduate Orientation.

As a new graduate student at Columbia College Chicago, students are required to attend this big event called Graduate Orientation. The air is filled with excitement and artists meeting each other for the first time. It is filled with openness, creativity, and a supportive energy. More importantly, it is filled with amazing and diverse people looking to continue their education. Oh! And they give you your ID.  This year students had the choice of sending in a picture ahead of time, but last year we had to take our ID photos at Orientation.  A smart person would have their outfit all picked out, but I wasn’t forewarned and ended up with a cigarette behind one ear and this slightly unkempt beard. Say Cheese!

A smart person might practice in front of the mirror like this.

Or just be yourself, because that’s sort of our unspoken motto here—“Be yourself, love your art, and grow into community.” Which reminds me; at this big orientation students meet their entire cohort for the first time. Almost every session I attended, a faculty member would talk about the importance of community. If you’re anything like me, you might be thinking, “that’s cool, but I’m here for my art,” which is great, because as I found out so was everyone else.

I quickly learned how important community is to the survival of my art and how much fun it is to be a part of such a thriving atmosphere. I didn’t realize how much time my cohort and I would spend together, how we would become this family, whacky at times, but a family that shares their education, their art, and their friendship.

I was reminded of this power the other night when our cohort threw a surprise birthday party for one of our fellow poets. It was the middle of the summer, everyone was checked out and doing their own thing, yet everyone still found the time to come celebrate. It was also at an amazing Japanaese Hibachi grill in Lincoln Park with drinks, cake, and friendship. Who wouldn’t show up!?

I am reminded of other events throughout the school year, such as the chocolate picnic hosted at Montrose Beach. It was the middle of April, still coat and hat weather, but it was chocolate and the beach! Writers from across the genres came out to celebrate spring.

There was also our cohort reading series where we gathered and read our work.

As a cohort we are always collaborating and building together.

And now I’m starting my final year, and I can’t believe I have had such luck, such fortune to be surrounded by supportive artists—such amazing family.