When Sophie Snyder was ten years old, her Christmas list did not include a new phone, a bike, or the latest sneakers. She asked for a KitchenAid stand mixer. “I still cannot believe my mom got it for me,” she laughs now at the investment piece. That mixer wasn’t just a cute kid phase—it was the first real tool in what has become a growing baking business, a campus incubator venture, and the beginning of a career that blends creativity, grit, and serious entrepreneurial chops.

Lula Comer on being raised by strong women and learning to carry it forward. Many people might respond with “it’s just in my blood” when asked about their successful careers or athletic achievements, but this is Lula Comer’s response when asked about her desire to do good for oth-ers. Growing up surrounded by strong women, Lula was raised with an understanding of the importance of finding her strength and using it to serve others. Lula is the granddaughter of Jane Comer, the

Ironically enough, I was never the kid who loved reading growing up. Everyone around me was flying through Hunger Games and Harry Potter , parting their hair into a side braid and pretending to cast spells, while I was just trying to read enough to meet my accelerated reading goal. I always thought reading was boring, like it was a necessary part of learning, not something I could actually find fun, let alone fulfilling. That changed during my senior year of high school and

Ella Ryann Cottrell on Becoming Her Most Honest Self On a crowded week night in Athens, long after most students have closed their laptops and called it quits, Ella Ryann Cottrell is just getting started. The lights in the bar are low, the soundcheck hums in the background, and there’s that familiar hush she always feels right before she steps up to the mic, a kind of stillness she describes as “a quietness in my mind.” It’s funny, she’ll tell you, because stage fright was ne

Growing up, I spent many of my summers and time out of school in the small town of Munds Park, Arizona. My brother and I grew up hiking, rock-hopping in rivers, and playing with worms more than actually fishing with them. I think that’s where I found a love for simple, slow living. It’s probably why I’ve never felt drawn to the fast-paced hustle of city life. Spending time off grid, taking family trips to the property my aunt built, made me realize how much joy I found in sim

At 22, the idea of being lost still terrifies me. Lost as in, “I have no idea what I’m doing after graduation,” to “I’m standing in the middle of a foreign city and can’t figure out where I am.” The first feels daunting, but I’ve discovered the second can open doors you never knew were closed. When I was 16, I decided it was necessary to make a bucket list of places to visit before I turned 30. If you’re into astrology, you might understand why. I’m a December baby, and as a

Luisa Hernandez Arboleda on passion, purpose, and the power of classical architecture. For Luisa Hernandez Arboleda, the spaces we in-habit are more than shelter—they are the silent wit-nesses to our growth, the backdrop for our fondest memories, and symbols of care and intention. As a senior at the University of Miami, Luisa stands ready to join the renowned architecture firm Robert A.M.Stern Architects (RAMSA) in New York City, carving her own path in the world of classical