Kellogg is its People
By: Caroline Muggia
When I saw the opportunity to write a goodbye letter to Kellogg, I hesitated because I haven’t wanted to acknowledge that it’s coming to an end. It’s a weird thing that this two-year experience I worked so hard for, and waited so many years for, is now almost over. As I reflect on these two years, I’m brought back to arriving at Kellogg on a hot, late summer day in 2024.
I pulled up to E2 with my mom who was helping me move in, and I remember the expectations and hopes I had bubbling up inside as I looked for any form of certainty that what I expected Kellogg to be was in fact reality. What’s interesting is Kellogg was not what I expected in a lot of ways.
Before business school, I heard the classic tropes we all hear: “it’s the best two years of your life,” “you’ll make your best friends,” “you’ll meet your life partner”… well, two of these are true, and maybe the last thanks to Danny Goldenberg 😊, but it was actually nothing like I expected—it was everything I needed.
Kellogg has been the biggest challenge and adventure of my life in every facet —socially, emotionally, professionally, academically, spiritually, you name it—I feel like I’ve felt it or experienced it here. I always say about Kellogg, it’s high highs and low lows. It’s a place where you can’t experience the incredible highs without some challenging lows. It’s in those highs (and luckily most of it was, in fact, highs) where I felt a transformation within myself—an inexplicable joy to meet new parts of myself found through new friends who unlocked parts of me I hadn’t fully expressed or explored, during trips to faraway places and cultures that immersed me in things I never knew I’d love, and getting lost in hallway conversations and startup dreams that I could flow in and out of throughout my time here.
And it was in the low times, the challenging ones, where I had to face that putting yourself out there in small community means co-existing with others even when dealing with your own pain and challenges. While I found this uncomfortable at first, there’s a beauty in others being witness to your challenges and letting them in to support you.
For me, Kellogg comes down to the people. There is something extremely powerful about a physically close-knit community, living in proximity to the people you see daily at the hub, live next to in E2, and travel with. These people experience this version of you for these two years and bear witness to your growth, your joy, and your ups and downs. Through this vulnerability, you grow a more intimate connection to yourself, the world, and those around you.
Kellogg is a place where I feel like childhood joy can exist again. You’ll hear things at Kellogg that just wouldn’t make sense anywhere else. “Are you going to the soup trial at lunch or the roast Thursday?” “When is Danny’s dog, Charlie’s, birthday party?” At Kellogg, you can host an event for legitimately anything. There’s always a reason to celebrate. Got a new haircut? Partiful. Is it your quarter birthday? Partiful. Is your twice removed cousin coming to visit? Duh. Partiful.
At Kellogg, everyone is an entrepreneur. Starting a bagel business? Absolutely. Want to be an influencer? Done. Do you believe in unicorns? We have a club for you. What I’m trying to say is: you can be anyone and do anything here, and there’s people who will support you in that. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to try on different versions of yourself and what you want to do with your life with absolutely no judgment (believe me I’ve tried it manyyy times). In fact, people will cheer you on! Kellogg has been so special for me because I met people and places who know and love this version of who I am. We’re all always evolving, but it is special to know we’ll always share these two years.
I’ve never laughed harder, I’ve never smiled wider, I’ve never wondered more, I’ve never cared more, I’ve never cried more (lol), and it’s all part of this wild and wonderful ride that started on a late August day in 2024.
I will truly miss this place, and the people, who really are
this place, more than anything. I feel so lucky this experience will always be with me thanks to the memories shared with the class of 2026 and 2027.
If I can impart any wisdom to the class of 2027, it’s to lean into every part of this experience. There are times when I wanted to retreat or escape, but there is so much epic life to be lived here. It’s rare to live so presently and fully nowadays so take this opportunity to show up fully and dive in with the most incredible people. Keep drinking matcha and believing in unicorns!
Read Parting Notes from the Class of 2026:
