Navigating life post-college graduation can be trying for many people in their early 20s, as emerging adults face a whole new set of challenges — acclimating to a new city, starting a career and creating a community.

Social media influencer Arjun Manjunath is using his platform to create a space where recent college graduates can connect.

“I feel like it is so hard to go meet new people,” Manjunath said in his TikTok. “I want to network, I want to get out of my college circle, I just want to explore post-grad life better.”

The 21-year-old Pittsburgh transplant has 50,000 followers for his TikTok series “Romanticize Pittsburgh,” showing different restaurants and activities. He held his first networking and community event Thursday evening at The Dog Penn on Penn Avenue in the city’s Strip District.

@arjunmanjunath_ haven’t been here in 6 years, love the National Aviary ???????? #romanticizepittsburgh #pittsburgh #pitt #412 #birds #aviary #zoo #nationalaviary #penguin #owl #flamingo #eagle ♬ เสียงต้นฉบับ - JOHN (SONGS STATION) - สุขภาพดีกับเภเบิร์ด

The bar and dog park was filled with recent college graduates from the Pittsburgh region.

Karolyne Rodriguez, 21, graduated from the University of Tampa before moving back to her hometown, Squirrel Hill, to open CAS Studios — a photography and marketing business.

As a young entrepreneur, Rodriguez has been looking for new ways to push her business forward and meet people. She said Manjunath’s event seemed like the perfect place.

“I love meeting people. I love socializing. I love networking. So coming here, you meet people who align with your values and your skills, because everyone here kind of has the same purpose,” she said.

Matthew Fraijo, 25, and Avi Moses, 24, are the founding members of PGH Social Club, a community club for 20-somethings in Pittsburgh. Both, originally from Texas, said having a community post-graduation is really important.

“I think in my experience job finding is all about networking,” Fraijo said. “As young people, we can come together and help each other out, because … it’s a hard thing to do and it’s so disconnected these days.”

Adapting to a new home

Manjunath, like many of the event’s attendees, said he has struggled adapting to a new environment and large life changes.

He moved away from Delaware County in 2021 to attend University of Pittsburgh. Initially, Manjuanth didn’t really like it here.

“I thought, ‘Let’s go romanticize the city,’ because look outside the window, it’s literally pouring and I’m miserable,” he said.

After a few of his videos blew up on social media, Manjunath began making more content in addition to going to school for marketing. His view of Pittsburgh started to turn positive and he decided to stay here.

Now that he has graduated, Manjunath plans to continue holding “Romanticize Pittsburgh” events.

Thursday’s gathering, announced less than a week earlier, sold out of all 150 tickets within the first 48 hours. The $5 ticket entry included music from local DJ Logan Williamson and a photobooth from Oh Snap PGH. The Dog Penn’s drink menu featured a watermelon margarita, based on a watermelon in one of Manjunath’s videos, as the night’s signature cocktail.

Ten percent of the event last week’s ticket sales were donated to Trevor Project, a nonprofit focused on suicide prevention for the LGBTQIA+ community.

@arjunmanjunath_ my second Romanticize Pittsburgh event is this Wednesday????✨ link to tix r in my bio???????? #romanticizepittsburgh #pittsburgh #pitt #networking #postgrad #412 #pittsburghevents #dog ♬ original sound - CatsInBlazers

Life after college

Colletta Ozbey, 23, of Robinson Township and recent graduate of Saint Francis University, and Bri Kessler, 23, of Scott Township and recent Gannon University graduate, came to the event to make new friends.

“I am still living with my parents at home,” Ozbey said. “I only have two friends from high school from the area, so it’s kind of hard moving back home after school.”

Ozbey and Kessler both said that meeting new people post-graduation requires them to intentionally put themselves out there.

“I’ve never gone out to an event like this,” Ozbey said. “I wanted to go somewhere where a bunch of 20-year-olds are because I always go out and I feel like I’m either in an older crowd or too much of a younger crowd.”

Jack Resek, 22, of Fox Chapel, helped hand out wristbands during the event. While Resek said he remains enrolled at Pitt for neuroscience, he is happy to see Manjunath, whom he has known for two years, create a space for people his age to turn to after they graduate.

“It’s like everybody’s gone. You’re on your own. So there’s a space we could keep this going where you’re not as out of the loop, and bring other people who might be in a similar spot together,” he said.

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