When I saw that Lilly Scholars Network was hosting a social at the Indiana State Fair, I knew I wanted to go–and I knew exactly who I wanted to bring along: my dad.
It was actually our idea to make a morning of it–my dad and I went to Café Patachou for breakfast before heading over to the fairgrounds for the LSN social. The event itself wasn’t held at the café, but starting the day with a quiet breakfast gave us time to catch up before the excitement of the fair.
Once we arrived, I jumped into my intern role, capturing story content for the event on LSN’s Instagram. It was such a fun way to document the day and connect with Scholars as they arrived. Getting to play a small part in capturing those shared moments reminded me how special in-person connections can be. 
After the social wrapped up, my dad and I took the chance to explore the fair. We stopped to see the cows (a must-do), then made our way to the Dairy Bar, where I tried their featured Key Lime milkshake. It was bright, creamy, and refreshingly different from the usual fair food. Later, we rode the Ball State Skyline ride, which gave us an amazing view of the fairgrounds from above, and wrapped up our adventure with a full loop on the fair trolley–an underrated way to take in the entire fair without walking in the August heat!
Even with all the fun of the fair, the highlight of my day was reconnecting in person with fellow Scholars. I got to chat with Sarah Summers and Micahlyn White, two Scholars I had connected with over coffee earlier this summer. Seeing them at the fair felt like returning to an ongoing conversation, with familiar laughs and quick catch-ups that made it feel like no time had passed. I also caught up with Destiny McManus, who was my cabin leader at Launch in 2024 (which I wrote about in my last blog post!). I had last spoken with her at Collegiate Connect, so seeing her again felt like reconnecting with a mentor and friend all at once. There’s something special about carrying those one-on-one conversations into a shared LSN space–suddenly, it’s not just catching up, it’s being part of something bigger together.
These moments–whether they happen over a coffee, a conversation on a fair ride, or through shared memories at LSN events–are exactly what the Lilly Scholars Network is designed to foster.
