For Forever Buff Andrew Patra, returning to the University of Colorado Boulder became a chance to pivot and explore new creative possibilities, discovering the impact of interactive experiences. 

After graduating from CU Boulder in 2020 with a degree in advertising, Patra moved into social media and influencer marketing. Seeking new opportunities, he wanted to bring ideas to life. 

This realization prompted Patra to reconsider his career path, and he returned to CU Boulder, where he now works as an accounting and procurement coordinator at the Leeds School of Business while pursuing a master’s degree in creative technology and design (CTD) through the ATLAS Institute. For Patra, the program offered an opportunity to combine design, technology and hands-on building, all interests that drew him to advertising in the first place. 

“I got a chance to build. That was the biggest draw for me,” Patra said. “Honestly, getting into CTD was a result of me failing and then learning. I had to really reevaluate my career and figure out what I want to do and how I learn from that experience.” 

His willingness to rethink his career path at CU Boulder has also led to new collaborations, including celebrating the 25th anniversary of the naming of the Leeds School of Business. 

Working with the Leeds marketing and advancement teams, Patra created an interactive installation that gave alumni, donors and other guests a new way to engage with the school’s history. The project brought together people and departments that might otherwise work separately, reflecting the collaborative spirit behind the Leeds family’s philanthropic investment in the school. 

The Leeds staff gave him the opportunity to experiment with an interactive experience that could complement the anniversary celebration. 

The response exceeded his expectations. 

“I think I underestimated how excited people would be about something just slightly different,” he said. 

The experience reinforced his interest in designing installations and interactions that invite people to participate rather than simply observe.  

That philosophy is shaping how he approaches design. Rather than always creating something intended to headline an event, Patra is interested in what he calls “micro-experiences” — small, memorable interactions that fit naturally into a larger setting. 

At the Leeds anniversary celebration, the event itself brought people together to recognize the school’s history and philanthropic support. Patra’s installation gave guests another way to connect, offering something hands-on to remember without pulling them away from the people and conversations around them. 

“I’ve really been enjoying creating experiences that can fit into the background a little bit,” he said. “It’s not what brings people; it’s the space, but it is the thing they’ll remember.” 

For Patra, the project also demonstrated the value of collaboration across disciplines.  

The project also gave him a chance to take what he had been learning in the classroom and apply it in front of a real audience. The experience strengthened his confidence in pursuing experiential design and confirmed that people want more engaging ways to connect with spaces, stories and one another. 

His time in the CTD program has also challenged his assumptions about his own abilities. When he first chose advertising’s media design track, Patra said he was interested in the field but also unsure whether he could succeed in other disciplines. 

Now, he is pursuing an engineering-focused degree that involves coding, problem-solving and 3D printing, all skills he might not have imagined himself developing. 

“One of the biggest things I learned in this program was not to doubt your own ability,” he said. “Just realizing that you’re capable of more if you’re willing to push yourself was a really rewarding experience.” 

He credits the supportive CTD community of professors and fellow students with helping foster that growth, particularly through the program’s hands-on, collaborative approach to learning. 

Patra’s return to CU Boulder has also given him a new perspective on history and innovation. As the university celebrates its 150th anniversary and Leeds marks 25 years under its name, he sees value in reflection, celebration and an opportunity to move forward with greater understanding. 

“Recognizing your past as an influence rather than something that holds you back is really important,” he said. 

That lesson applies to his career, too. Reflecting on what did not work in advertising helped him identify what he wanted to pursue next. Rather than treating that experience as a dead end, he used it to guide a new direction. 

He hopes other Forever Buffs will carry that perspective into their own work and lives. Meaningful impact, he believes, does not always come from the biggest project or the most ambitious plan. 

“There’s importance in little things,” Patra said. “We can easily get lost in big pictures. We think a lot about what happens in the next 10 years or what’s the splashiest way that I can make an impact at work and maybe realize that the moments in between, the smaller creations, can be just as impactful and sometimes more.” 

As he continues exploring new ways to bring people together through design and technology, Patra is open to collaborating on a wide range of projects, from interactive installations to creative uses of physical space. 

His message is simple: Stay curious, be willing to try something new and do not underestimate what a small idea can make possible. 

Explore the Leeds 25th anniversary project

This Day in School History: Learn more about Leeds naming anniversary here.