Juan David Campolargo

Alex Wang

I used to consider myself an introvert, and in some ways I’m still quite shy. But over the course of college, I’ve realized just how much I love being around people.

Not to say I avoided people in the past. I have good friends from my childhood and high school who I still meet up with today. It’s just that before college, I wasn’t ever fully myself around others. I felt limited, maybe because I cared about others’ judgment of me (I think that’s most likely), or it could’ve been something else, or a combination of multiple reasons, but either way, I don’t want to take the time to think about why nor do I care. Because to me, what matters is that since then, I’ve learned to get out of my shell, breaking free from the chains that held me back, chains that were self-imposed.

In other words, I’ve learned to fucking be myself. It is so liberating. I had a talk with a good friend of mine–Jolim–on what exactly it means to be yourself, because at first, I was like, being yourself means to not give a fuck. But that definition didn’t feel quite right, because if you don’t give a fuck about anything then you could be a fucking menace to society. Over the course of our convo, we finally got down to the nitty gritties: To be yourself is to not be afraid to do what feels right or what you think is the right thing in each and every moment of your life. It’s all subjective: whatever feels comfortable/right to you. Don’t let your thoughts or actions be determined by those around you. But of course, if you think those around you provide a positive influence in your life, then by all means feel free to let them into your life.But in the end, the way you act and the way you think should be the way you want to act and the way you want to think, otherwise, in my opinion, you aren’t really living your life.

Okay this has gotten to be too much of a philosophical tangent. I don’t even like philosophy. Alright we’re done with this philosophy shit.

—Alex Wang, _year-end letter to friends

What you just read was a note Alex wrote to everyone he formed deeper connections with throughout 2023. It's wholesome and genuine, words that also happen to capture Alex in ways my own words never could.

I met Alex during my junior year; he was a sophomore. Funnily enough, our paths would never have crossed if I hadn't already known his roommate, Jolim, who I'd met through another friend.

As fate would have it, we ended up living on the same floor of the same residence hall. I was the RA (Resident Advisor) for most of the floor, though not for certain rooms, including Alex’s and Jolim’s.

One Sunday night, I'm having dinner at the famous Illinois Street Residence (ISR) dining hall, and I saw Jolim sitting with Alex. Alex was super shy at first, quiet in a way that screamed he wanted to talk to more people but just couldn't bring himself to do it.

I suggested, "Just turn around and talk to someone." When he hesitated, I went first. I turned around and asked the group sitting next to us, “Do you think people are inherently evil or inherently good?” It was random, but it worked. A real conversation followed. Alex watched and realized it could be that easy.

Then, Alex did it, not once, not twice, but five times in one night. He talked to five new people that same night. And just like that, meeting new people became easy, second nature. But soon, even that wasn't enough. Alex wanted more of a challenge. His next challenge was talking to a girl and asking her out.

It took about three hours of pacing around the building, mustering courage, but he finally did it. To his surprise, she said yes. They went on one date, and yeah, it was awkward. No second date happened, and sure, Alex spiraled a bit, running about 10 miles that night, but that's beside the point. The real victory was that Alex learned to talk to anyone without fear.

After all, as he would say, “It’s just people.”

And from then on, he was unstoppable.

A few months later, he followed through on something he’d talked about for years: starting a calisthenics club on campus. Instead, he invited people directly. He made a Discord group chat with a QR code and spent days standing at the gym entrance, enthusiastically getting everyone to join. And slowly, the club exploded. Today, it's one of the biggest clubs on campus, consistently getting over 30 people, sometimes even 60 people showing up every Saturday.

Alex thrives on kindness, always supporting and loving everyone he meets. His lifelong dream is to one day take his friends on an all-expenses-paid trip, maybe on a boat, maybe to another country, just celebrating life together for a month. He dreams about it constantly. And trust me, he’ll make it happen.

Now, Alex knows so many people on campus, it’s wild. He's happier, freer, and it all started with breaking through that first barrier, talking to that one person in the dining hall. From there, the rest is history.

Alex’s Motto: Spread Love, No Cap.

“Finding the joy in meeting people because every human is a potential connection.”

Things You Can Learn from Alex:

  • Talk first, think later. Conversations become easy once you push past your hesitation. Don't overthink, just introduce yourself.
  • Build connections around your passions. Love something? Start a club or a casual meetup. It's easier than you think, and it brings people together.
  • Being yourself is powerful. Trust your instincts and act authentically. Your real self is far more interesting than anything you're pretending to be.
  • People aren't scary. Everyone you meet could become a great friend or a meaningful connection, just start with a simple "hello."

Learn more

His joy has been captured in a number of ways:

Front cover for The Jailbroken Guide to the University
Use the appendixThe back of the book is part of the book.

The appendix keeps the examples, guides, profiles, and source trails close. The book gives them sequence, context, and a way to turn curiosity into action.