Growing up in a Middle Eastern home, the heart of our family was always the kitchen. My dad, who passed down so many of our traditions through food, taught me how to cook not just for nourishment but as a way to connect and care for others. That love for food and community stuck with me, and when I came to Virginia Tech, I wanted to create a space that felt like home. That’s how Bites That Bond was born — a cookbook club where students gather for family-style dinners, each bringing a dish inspired by a shared cookbook. At every dinner, the standout dish wins a copy of the book, but the real win is in the laughter, the stories, and the sense of belonging we build around the table. It is more than food. It is connection.