Simple advice, right? I thought about it, though, and it’s true. Well, at least I think so. This was something Mark Zuckerberg (or, “Zuck,” as his colleagues called him) said when he came to visit campus on Monday, November 7. The Office of Career Services (OCS) and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) sponsored the event, entitled “Facebook Q&A,” with Mark, as well as two of his colleagues, including Vice President of Engineering Mike Schroepfer. The talk was capped at 200 students, who all had to apply by submitting a resume to the OCS website. I couldn’t have been more excited when I opened my email and read: “Congratulations! You have been accepted to attend the Facebook Q&A session with CEO Mark Zuckerberg and VP of Engineering Mike Schroepfer.”

We were all encouraged to submit questions days beforehand, which were then compiled by the moderator, my CS50 professor David Malan. Mark said he didn’t start Facebook for money (today, his personal wealth amounts to $17.5 billion), nor did he think the website would become what it is today. He said his impetus for Facebook was simply because he thought it was cool. Despite reading about Mark being an unpleasant person in interviews, I found him to be a laid back guy. Who knows? He very well might be unfriendly in day-to-day life. However, he seemed affable and gave candid responses to everything Professor Malan asked him.

I left Farkas Hall inspired. It was 6:30 PM, and my face must have been beaming as I walked out because a reporter from the local news on NBC decided to pull me aside. Not that I didn’t enjoy the event, but I’m pretty sure I looked so happy because I was looking forward to dinner. Regardless, she was one of the most enthusiastic human beings I’ve encountered in my lifetime, and she asked me some questions about the event. My mom was especially excited that I would have my 5 seconds of fame on the local news.

It’s surreal to think about how Mark Zuckerberg was just one of us. I don’t want to put him on this giant pedestal because yes, I guess he is just like anyone else. He wears plain, (what appears to be) Hanes t-shirts (one of my favorite things) and your everyday athletic sneakers. See Mark looking like a typical human being below.

Mark Zuckerberg at Harvard for "Facebook Q&A"

But…what he’s accomplished is actually amazing. Today, Forbes Magazine cites him as the #9 Most Powerful Person in the World at the age of 27. It’s interesting to think that someone I walk by on any given day could very well be the next Mark. I think that’s pretty special. It’s one of the reasons why I love meeting new people here because everyone is so passionate and driven that you never know who will end up where. I feel just as fortunate as I do excited to be able to say I went to school with all of these people.

Be Sociable, Share!

• 
•