Denis’s Journey in the Bay Area
I landed in SFO just over a week ago, on September 5th. Coming from Eastern Europe (where I spent the majority of my summer break), the temperature was nice and warm. I have never been in the Bay Area before, and in fact the only place I’ve visited on the west side was LA when I went with my family 5 years ago.
The day after landing, I was met with an unexpected 3 days of 100 degree weather. I have been told to bring many sweatshirts as it gets fairly chilly. But that wasn’t the case. I even ordered a cooling fan which is likely no longer necessary as the temperatures have climbed down significantly.
After the heat wave, the bright orange sky followed. Waking up at 7:30 am and barely seeing anything outside but a dark orange sky was shocking. I felt like I must have forgotten about a daylight saving time, and tried to go back to sleep. After a little while, I realized it wasn’t some type of massive sunrise but the wildfires causing the sky to turn orange. The whole day was like that with no sun to be seen. The next few days followed with ash storms, ascending like snow on cars, roofs, and streets all over the Bay. It was truly unexpected and unfamiliar to where I come from, but what else is new in 2020?
At the program orientation on Tuesday, September 8th, our program finally kicked off. I got to meet the faculty, some in person and others virtually. It was great hearing from them about what they have accomplished as well as the updated core curriculum for the program, and individual classes.
In addition to the professors and faculty, I made some great connections with other students in the program. We bonded pretty fast, and have gone on to even take some trips like the one to Santa Cruz the other day. It was the best escape from the filthy wildfire air that flooded SF.
Online classes were a big surprise with the announcement coming just days before the program start date. Honestly I wouldn’t have come to the Bay Area, paid expensive housing and shipped my car if I knew that the courses were to be held online. Even if it’s temporary, I could have negotiated a 2–3 month lease in SF and saved some money. I am a big supporter of in-person education and that was my only concern at the Q&A which was held early in the summer. I believe learning in-person allows us to stay more focused, persuades participation, and encourages motivation as the result of self-actualization.
Despite the unprecedented switch in the program, the classes and faculty have been very helpful, and inspiring. I am very eager to excel in this program, and make great connections with people in such an innovative environment. I look forward to the variety of class/program guest speakers, other program events around the Bay Area (like visiting Alcatraz), and an overall productive entrepreneurial semester in San Francisco. Hopefully the whole SSF team will soon be at WeWork, and we can carry on the exceptionally well designed program!
