Passion Projects
During the hardship of the pandemic, many people turned toward reflection, creativity and invention to cope. Here are 10 students who made the most of those impulses, launching projects that spoke deeply to their identities and passions.
The Pursuit Podcast
Economics graduate Adam Melamed launched The Pursuit, just as the U.S. entered lockdown in March of 2020. A student mentor, he said he “wanted to continue leaving a positive impact on society.” The main focus of his content? An exploration of how the pathway to success is not linear. “It’s all about the pursuit — the highs, the lows, the wins and the shortcomings.”
Third Farm Bakery
In a true on-trend pandemic mindset, marketing graduate Niklas Sjogren teamed up with art and design student Sierra Brill and computer software engineering student Will Fuchs (who has been baking since the age of 8) to launch the Third Farm Bakery, with homemade bread at the center of their efforts. In a true business mindset, they also started selling it. The end result included a hand-built backyard oven, 600 pounds of organic rolled oats and about 1,000 loaves of bread that went way beyond your standard sourdough starter kit.
Versatility Podcast
Business administration graduate Daniel Macavei and construction management student Dante De Mayo built Versatility from the framework of Macavei’s senior project. It’s a podcast exploring the LGBTQ community and the hosts’ identities — with a focus on bringing as many viewpoints and listeners to the discussion as possible. “It’s for everyone, and whatever you identify as,” says Macavei. “We’re here for it, we’re supportive, we’re inclusive, we love each other.”
Daniela Sebastian
Daniela Sebastian is an art and design senior and a photographer for The Wire, the publication of Cal Poly’s Women in Business Association. Over the past year, her portrait, landscape and mixed media projects for both The Wire and her personal portfolio have focused on pandemic-driven themes, empowerment, surrealism and the passions that drive others.
Fun Sh*t Blog
Written by business administration graduate Stephanie Still, the Fun Sh*t Blog is a chronicle of Still’s journey through sobriety. With posts that include empowering observations about addiction, rehabilitation, wellness and self-care — plus content that covers everything from how to support a friend who may also be struggling, to free counseling hotlines — it’s part journal and part resource guide. “I want to encourage others to see the value in taking care of themselves mentally and physically,” Still writes. “I want to inspire others to be their best selves in every aspect of their lives.”
The First Few Podcast
The First Few shines a light on the personal stories of young people of color as they reach major milestones — working hard to earn a scholarship, learning English as a second language, sharing their art with the world or leading their campus and community. “The overall idea really came from the fact that people of color are not necessarily represented in media,” says entrepreneurship student Juan Perez, who launched the podcast. “Those kinds of success stories were what I was missing when I was growing up.”
Sap Music
In addition to his studies, business administration student Spencer Cade Edelman spent time last year exploring his love for music, producing and releasing several tracks on SoundCloud and researching how to expand his interest in the music industry. The tagline for his project, Sap Music, is a call for basic human connection: “The exploration of the human spirit may very well be a never-ending journey,” it reads, “but at least we can explore together.”