Social professional events are opportunities to advance your career, acquire collaborators, or get a job. Three students from Columbia Nursing attended the New York Black Nurses Association (NYBNA) Annual Dinner Dance and Scholarship Gala and found it invaluable to both their academic and professional development. Columbia Nursing believes that attending professional events are critical to a student’s holistic development. In this post, the three students write about how the gala helped them to build networks, connect with nurse leaders, and feel fully inspired.