When I first started this program I thought I would learn about business, make connections, and then find a job. However, four months in, I’ve realized that that will only be a small portion of what I will get out of this program. It has given me a second family that teaches me new things everyday.

At the beginning of the program, MM students were 49 small branches of a tree, all looking for guidance, strength, and security. During my first week, it never crossed my mind that the people who will give me the support and the security I need are sitting right next to me in this classroom.

There are, of course, highs and lows in our shared journey. In a fast-paced and intense program like the MM, sometimes we frustrate or challenge each other as we all learn and grow how to navigate this experience. Despite these moments, we also always support, empower, and cheer each other up. If someone is absent in the class, we message that person to ensure he/she is ok.  If someone goes through a break up, we take him or her out for a great night to let him or her know that they aren’t alone. If someone starts a new commitment, such as working out we all support the person to ensure he/she doesn’t quit. If we have a problem in our lives, we know that there is always someone in our class to listen and truly care. We never hesitate to approach our MM family to ask for help or a favor. I have to admit, I have learned lessons from just being a member of this family that I would never have learned from class lectures. We are 49 people with different life stories, cultures, thought-processes, personalities, ideas, and opinions. It is fascinating and mysterious how we have created this family and we “never eat alone.” Most importantly, we all have individual roles in this family that nobody else can replace.

It is an exciting but also gloomy thought that, when the program is over in four months, the branches of our tree will be off and growing in their own directions again. However, what we’ve shared will no doubt keep us connected for a lifetime.

– Samin Saadat