Brandon Stanton started Humans of New York during the summer of 2010 and it quickly became one of the most popular photo blogs that shares the stories and experiences of New York inhabitants. Since it's launch, HONY has taken many forms, inspiring people everywhere to share there stories. With nearly 14,000 students on Indiana University of Pennsylvania's campus, it's safe to say that there are many stories to tell. Follow the journeys of five IUP students: Marc Colon, Ciara Irwin, Mike Mann, Nick Gati, and Ali Tappe as they share their stories as Humans of IUP.

"Graduating from college was always in the back of my mind growing up. However, in my hometown, attending college was never really the trending topic of discussion for most, much less was graduating from a four-year institution. I'm sure many thought about it, and some were probably more informed than others...we just didn't discuss it. I couldn't be entirely certain of what college was or what it really meant to matriculate. All I knew was that I had to do it and I had to do it well. Yes, I had to do college. Here I am a couple of months away from graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and a minor in Economics. Time really flew by...I have yet to have much time to reflect on all that I have accomplished here and assess whether or not it was enough to deem it a successful undergraduate academic career beyond "just" graduating as I set out to learn and grow as both a person and an aspiring professional. Luckily for me, the learning and growing doesn't stop. I'm most grateful for the experiences and individuals that I have come to cross paths with. I undoubtedly have been touched and influenced by many individuals in ways that I didn't expect. I have yet to close this chapter of my life yet I already miss college."

-Marc

"Why waste a day? Why wake up in the morning feeling anything but grateful? My purpose in life is not to stress or doubt or feel defeated. I'm here to embrace God's gifts of love and friendship and life. Every day I find something to make me happy; a cup of coffee, yoga, a country song. There is always hope in a new day. As the song in Les Miserables goes, "even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise."

-Ciara

"I didn't have a direction when I came to college. I was an accounting major because I wanted to make money, not because I was passionate about it. When I joined the Agency, it felt like I had finally found my strengths. Being put in a position of leadership has pushed me to grow as a person and a professional. Over the past two years, I have developed a sense of pride in my skills, work ethic, and creative direction. Not only do I appreciate the business professional I have become, but the man. So, If I can leave one piece of advice, it's to always FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS. With dreams come experiences that come in all shapes and forms. Whether it's from reading a book, to internships, to the classes we're taking or the many different hardships we all go through. Each experience teaches us the lessons to get us further in life and is a stepping stone to molding us into the people that we are. We all have dreams, some even multiple, but only one life to live and you should be proud of every challenge you overcome."

-Mike

“Well I really like music a lot -- it’s one of my favorite things in terms of materialist things as opposed to conceptual things or idealistic things like feelings or fantasies -- I don’t know if that’s conceptual or idealistic, it could be a mix of both. So, the thing about music is that it’s really nice to experience and understand. Like music with meaningful lyrics is a really important part of my life because listening to other people’s feelings and experiences that I can empathize with makes me feel connected to the world around me in a very unique way. Creating music, for me, has always been an emotional and therapeutic experience because I -- I don’t have a good way to phrase this -- I enthusiastically admire many musicians whom I’ve had the privilege of listening to. So it makes me feel great to act like one of them...to emulate their amazingness.”

-Nick

"Last year I studied abroad in Worcester, England for six months, a semester which changed my perceptive on life. While abroad, I had the opportunity to travel to eight different countries, where I was able to meet so many amazing people, each with their own story. Each person was so laid back and worried about so little. One person I met had decided that they wanted to travel the world and so he had quit his job, sold his car, and rented out his apartment. At first, I thought he was crazy for doing all that, but then I realized, life is short and shouldn't be wasted doing anything you don't want to do. When I came back to America and started my semester, I realized that I was different. The things that I once stressed over became less important. Take, for example, school. While I still keep up with my studies, I know that it's more important to go out for lunch, watch a movie, or grab a cup of coffee with a friend than stress over a little bit of homework. It amazes me how my friends will get worked up about guys, school work, or drama that will won't even be remembered a week from now, rather than living in the now and enjoying your current company. Does it matter how many likes you have on an Instagram picture? No. What matters is the moment in which you captured: a Friday night out with friends, laughing over a drink."

-Ali