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Welcome to the East Coast hub of all things Facebook, where the ideas flow and the magic happens. And, no — we aren’t talking about Mark Zuckerburg’s old college dorm room — we’re talking about the multi-million dollar New York City headquarters that JWU students got the chance to tour.

Last week, 12 students headed to the Big Apple to tour Facebook's impressive headquarters. JWU alum Zane Comer ’16, now a creative director for Facebook, served as their tour guide. The trip was organized by JWU Providence Career Services as part of a conference.

As they toured the building, students marveled at the set-up of the work spaces. “It wasn’t filled with cubicles, but rather an open space that allowed people from every department and every level to communicate with each other, sort of eradicating the tier system that you see in most businesses,” noted Emily Towne ’19.

Students also noted that the overall appearance of the spaces mimicked the actual Facebook platform, with bright, white walls that featured photos of employees, local artwork and events. They were also able to see the new East Coast headquarters of Instagram, which Facebook owns. All of the spaces were filled with beautiful custom art work, food stations, quiet spaces and other amenities that catered to employees’ comfort and creativity. “I think that’s their main concern — which is important for all businesses today,” said Towne. “They make sure their employees are content and surrounded with the tools they need to succeed.”

"The atmosphere, the work space and even the people transferred an energy of creativity."

Overall, the students were blown away by the experience. “It was nothing I expected — I mean that in the best way possible,” said Ismery Carrosco Bera ’20. “The visit surpassed my expectations. The atmosphere, the work space and even the people transferred an energy of creativity.”

STUDENTS LEFT A SUBTLE HINT ON FACEBOOK'S "WHATS ON YOUR MIND?" WALL.

And, as if getting to walk the halls of Facebook wasn’t inspiring enough, they were led by a JWU alum who shared his path to success with them. “Getting to talk to someone who not only works for one of the most successful companies in the world, but also came from the same school as us was reassuring and really exciting,” said Towne. “His main message was that it doesn’t matter where you come from, it only matters where you end up and what steps you took to get there.”

"There are truly no limits to creativity. This visit motivated me to continue thinking outside the box."

This attitude seemed to be the biggest takeaway for students, who left the headquarters with a new sense of what could lay ahead for them after college. “It gave me new insight and a new perspective on what it’s like to work for such an important company,” said Carrosca Bera. “There are truly no limits to creativity. This visit motivated me to continue thinking outside the box.”