BEN GRADUATED!

It's been about a month since I ~finally~ graduated from Stanford University! Like many students during the pandemic, I wound up on an unplanned five year plan, taking a gap year to focus on anything but online school.

During my time away from school, where I studied Public Policy, I began to focus heavily on this little art side-hustle I had going! I started bringing my things out to the Dallas Farmers Markets on the weekends, learning what did and didn't work, and figuring out how to talk about my art in a way that made other people as excited as I was! Turns out, I find painting and retail wayyyyyy more enjoyable than the intricacies of political division (shocker, I know). 

For graduation, we celebrated BIG. My Godfathers, Walton & Mitch, drove out (From Texas to California!) all the supplies for an epic party! Friends and Family flew in from all over the country to join in the weekend festivities! Even some of our company's friends made the trip, including Mario + Associates, our dear friends and sales reps, and our very first employee! If there was any barometer of the party, we went through 18 bottles of Veuve Clicquot in one night!

The next day, after a particularly difficult morning, I lined up for the actual graduation ceremony with my first and one of my best friends! 

Finally, after receiving my diploma, we began the drive home back to Texas! With at least a few too many plants in the backseat! :)