Upon starting my job at Capital One, I didn’t know anyone. Amazingly, the first person I talked to was also an APO alum from University of Michigan! We connected over our favorite community service projects and fellowships. It’s been a huge boost for professional networking and forming friendships.
As a freshman at Cornell, I felt there was never enough time for extracurriculars. But as my friend Jason became the pledgemaster our sophomore year, I slowly saw all I stood to gain by pledging APO: the friendship, personal growth, and community impact! I think I hold the record for being the last to pledge in my class—and I’m so glad I did. It was the best decision I made at Cornell, hands down.
My favorite fellowship was definitely Winnie Ho and I’s Royals Jousting Tournament on the Arts Quad. It was in the works for 3 years. And I won, which made it even sweeter. When you’re pledging, go to as many events as possible to discover what you like. I found out about the Cayuga Heights Afterschool Program, my favorite service project, way too late in my APO career. Additionally, I’ve made friends through APO that will stay some of my best friends forever. Find those people and spend as much with them as possible!
