Farewell from Maria
By Maria Gorre
Published November 16, 2020
Memory is a fickle thing. As time passes, our memories become more and more blurry until only fragments remain. What’s left is the heart of the experience: a feeling, a color, the sound of someone’s voice. I cling to these small moments like sacred stories that remind me that I am, like you, a human being. It’s hard to remember what times were like before the rollercoaster of 2020. But I remember the feelings that eventually grew into I Heart ROC: pride in my hometown, the city of Rochester, and a burning desire to bring people together by showcasing what makes us human.
But first, I had to pass my web design class. The year was 2012, and I was a senior at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Our final project for Intro to Web Design was to design and develop an original website concept. The quarter system was extremely taxing, so like a good RIT student, I learned to cope by endlessly perusing the Internet. One of my favorite websites was Humans of New York, a collection of stories from everyday people on the streets of New York City. I loved the honesty of the stories, and how they showcased real people. I kept wishing we had something like that in Rochester, a place to share the positive things happening in the area, and to discover everything it had to offer.
I used I Heart ROC for my final project, and hoped to make it a real website someday. In the spring of 2015, after I had made the decision to move to San Francisco, I knew it was time. Launching I Heart ROC would be my way of saying goodbye. I started with a simple Instagram page and an open call for interviewees. I would meet them at a location of their choice and buy them a drink in return. In the early days, it was just me, my iPhone, and a friend who I had coerced into doing an interview, usually at their favorite local bar. We would talk casually over the din of TVs and other raucous bar patrons and reminisce over beers. I took photos with an old DSLR, and used my rusty web design skills to build the website. In May of 2015, I launched I Heart ROC with our first interview, my good friend Julie Adner at the Genesee Brew House.
Over the last five years, I’ve watched this personal project grow into more than I could have ever imagined. After I moved across the country, I Heart ROC quickly grew an active social media following with the talented Emily leading the charge. We’ve hosted a summer party, conducted scavenger hunts, and featured Rochester leaders and businesses. I Heart ROC has gone from a college project to a positive platform for the Rochester community, which is more than I could have ever hoped for. It’s been a privilege to be able to share these stories with all of you over the last five years. The spirit of I Heart ROC will live on, and the stories you’ve all shared will continue to live as memories, near and dear to my heart.
Maria Gorre is the original founder of I Heart ROC. You can keep up with her artistic projects on Instagram.
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