New to real estate; Building connections (STL)

[Marcos Walters]

I am new to real estate, but have dipped into the idea of having a rental property, house hacking, and wholesaling for a few months. I recently graduated with a bachelors of science in nursing and started my career in the St. Louis area, so I decided to live small and use the income from my job to kickstart me into my real estate journey. 

My main question is, how did you start building connections within the real estate community? Has it been more difficult being new to real estate with COVID-19 restrictions to build connections and find mentors? I would love to speak to those who have "been there and done that" to find a bit of guidance, so I am open to any and all advice. Thank you and I'm looking forward to being a part of the community!