By Mia Paz
Escape Room & Happy Photo with Elliot
Each day of the program we are paired with a different classmate for a “happy photo.” It is a small but meaningful way to make sure we’re all getting to know each other beyond our immediate friend groups. This week’s pairing brought Elliot and me to an escape room, a program-sponsored bonding experience that turned out to be one of the highlights of the week. There’s something about having to problem-solve together under pressure that fast-tracks getting to know someone!
Google’s Original Garage
This is the garage where it all started. Larry Page and the early Google team rented this space in Menlo Park in 1998, long before the company became what it is today. Visiting this spot was one of the most grounding moments of the week. For me, it was a tangible reminder that some of the most consequential companies in history began with very little, which felt especially resonant given everything we’ve been exploring entrepreneurship and what it takes to build something from the ground up.
Oracle Data Center: DSV First Company Visit
Our first official company visit of the program took us inside Oracle’s data center for a look at the infrastructure behind enterprise technology at scale. Walking through rows of Exadata servers, I think it became clear how much goes into supporting the systems that modern businesses run on. It was a great way to open up our company visit series by grounding a lot of what we have been discussing in something concrete and real.
Golden Gate Bridge
This is our cohort at the Golden Gate Bridge! It was one of those quintessential SF moments we made sure to fit in. A big part of this first week has been exploring the city itself: its history, its culture, and its deep ties to innovation and entrepreneurship. Getting out and experiencing San Francisco together has been just as valuable as the structured programming!
Pier 39
This depicts some of our group taking in the waterfront at Pier 39 during a bit of downtime between programming. After our first week of visits and group sessions, it was a welcome chance to explore the city more casually and continue getting to know each other outside of a structured setting.
Mia is a rising junior from Miami, Florida who is studying Public Policy, Tech Policy, and pursuing the certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Mia is a singer-songwriter and released her debut album Mia’s World in high school. During her freshman year at Duke, she was signed by Duke’s Small Town Records, leading to the release of her sophomore album Back To Life and performances at campus events including Heatwaves and Welcome Back Bash. Beyond her music career, Mia is deeply engaged in campus leadership. She served as President of East Campus Council freshman year and currently holds the position of Quad Traditions Chair on Few Quad Council. This past summer, Mia participated in DukeEngage in Chicago, working at the Chicago Hip Hop Heritage Museum and conducting research at the University of Illinois exploring the powerful intersections between community activism and hip-hop culture.
