Columbia College Chicago’s annual “New Student Convocation” offers an opportunity for freshmen and new transfer students to meet others, connect with student organizations and services, and experience the vibrant Columbia community. Senior Music Business major Ayu Eini and Senior Arts Management major Cam Mather first met as freshmen at this event. Three years later, they’ve transformed their fast friendship into a budding organization, set to host its first event on September 15th.
For both Ayu and Cam, the connection was immediate. Ayu recalls, “We both saw each other for the first time at the Business and Entrepreneurship Department Freshman Meetup, following after breaking the ice with the other students, we walked together to Columbia College Chicago's Annual New Student Convocation. For both of us, it was our first time in a new city, embarking on a new experience with people we had yet to meet. The feeling was mutual, nervous, anxious and somewhat excited for the unknown.”
Cam was immediately struck by Ayu’s approachable personality. “I gravitated towards Ayu because I can be shy and timid in new situations- and Ayu is one of the most outgoing people I know. She ended up introducing me to so many clubs, students, and faculty because she's bold enough to talk to anyone.”
Remaining friends throughout the years, Ayu and Cam have recently found numerous opportunities to spend time together and develop what has now become a fledgling organization. According to Cam, “I knew from the beginning that we had similar goals of pursuing entrepreneurship through the arts- but it really took until these past few months for me to realize that we should work together. I didn't think that I would be creating a business this early in life, but Ayu has a lot of audacity. She pushed me to not overthink things too much- and just do it.”
In addition to being mentored by faculty and staff throughout their time at Columbia, both Ayu and Cam have had internships that provided them with "real-world" experience, setting the stage for creating an event as significant as "The Real Convocation." According to the pair, “The Event is all about highlighting the Columbia Creative community in all aspects of artistic expression. From, Art, DJS, Music artists and Small business entrepreneurs, this event will be highlighted as the Real Convocation. The name given was set out to highlight the story of Cam and I....Where we met, who we met back then and what we were being immersed by, the art and culture of Chicago.”
As Ayu and Cam finalized the event details, they focused on what participants could gain from attending. “Everyone that identifies and is a supporter of the arts can gain more sense of belonging to the creative community to help create more meaningful collaborations and connections. We envision this more than an events company. This is a creative community/collective of individuals that identify with new and innovative ideas, beliefs and concepts that stem from the real art we create.”
More information and tickets available at the following link.
Comments