Coworker Coffee is just what I needed  🙂 

I used to feel deeply connected to Cornell and its people, having spent 34 years at the university across a variety of roles.

However, the landscape shifted dramatically following the advent of the COVID pandemic.

An increase in early retirements, along with the widespread adoption of remote work left me feeling uneasy and disconnected.

As someone with a passion for hospitality, I found myself in the challenging situation where I lacked the human connection I rely on for fuel.

So when I learnt about Coworker Coffee, I was immediately drawn in by my love of great coffee and interesting conversation.

I decided to sign up and got my first connection through the program and immediately we arranged to meet.

Having a regular opportunity to build relationships and learn new things about different lines of work has been really interesting.

The process of joining the dots between colleagues and mutual friends has added a fun layer to regaining that sense of connection.

A recent coffee match went so far as to describe Coworker Coffee as being "hygge" - it's a real word I promise, look it up!

Ultimately, we're created for community, I highly recommend you join too!

At first I was apprehensive about joining Coworker Coffee, yet I wanted to get out of my comfort zone.

So I gave it a try and am thrilled that I did!

Chatting and interacting with my matches has been great and I am enjoying getting to know them.

Coworker Coffee has been fun for learning what activities colleagues like to do outside of work.

It's also been great to see how new employees have been finding their experience at Cornell.

As a university, I think we should continue to help our staff members tap into different areas of Cornell and the Ithaca region. I sincerely believe Coworker Coffee will help do so and is one way to easily enhance a sense of belonging among divisions at Cornell.