Over the summer (coming into fall), a lot has happened: Taylor Swift made history as the inaugural recipient of a new MTV VMA award, the Artist Director Honors Award; she also broke the tie for the most decorated solo artist in VMA history, which she had shared with Beyoncé before receiving the honor. During this period, we lost author and feminist icon Gloria Steinem. And, more comically, society continued its debate over iced coffee’s place in a job interview. During this period, after a 16-year drought, we celebrated Spain’s win in this year’s World Cup. However exciting, the most culturally defining win of the summer, especially if you are a sports fan living in the city, was the New York Knicks’. I had the pleasure of joining the fandom on Avenue A the night of June 13th, experiencing an endless night of celebration. They are right: New York, the city that (indeed) never sleeps.

In this time, I have been furtively celebrating some of my own exciting milestones, too.

In the same summer, I turned thirty and became a permanent resident of the U.S., I had the chance to collaborate with Abraham Lule, someone whom in a short period of time—I have come to regard—from a giant talent in the industry to a mentor, for his “Make Quality Tangible” talk at Typographics ’26, hosted at The Cooper Union. For me, this was about two years in the making.

During a trip to the city in October 2024, I had written to Abraham to introduce myself—shooting a shot I thought would not bear fruit. To my surprise and utmost glee, he replied, and we compared schedules. I must have been so nervous because my memory—as I am trying hard now to replay that studio visit (other than grabbing a coffee at Devoción)—has obstructed me from remembering much of it; I wonder if this is it: if this is indeed the effect of aging.

What my mind cannot remember, my body does: the physical symptoms of anxiety—palms slick with sweat and an unusually fast-beating heart. To this day, I chide at our subsequent correspondences in preparation for the event as a glitch, saying:

“...I thought you got hacked…”

What I had meant to express was my gratitude for having this experience with someone whom I considered an idol; but now, a mentor.

“I am proud of you for being brave and going out there,” my partner comforted me afterward.

Mustering courage takes courage; but to remain courageous, that takes practice (of course, having thicker skin helps).

Practice makes perfect, as the saying goes. And so, I am following through and honoring that practice through the many opportunities I have had to speak and collaborate with peers in the industry, while also interviewing with hiring managers here in the city. I am carving out and pivoting into my next chapter by leveraging my experience across brand, design, and content to pursue opportunities in communications, brand strategy, and strategic counsel.

However that will look, this past summer has taught me that when you believe in something really deeply, you must get out there, practice courage, and try; wondrous things happen.

What This Summer Taught Me About Courage

How a Bodega-Inspired Typeface Got Zohran Mamdani Elected.