Walking across the so called “stage” on graduation day, which just happened to be the same day we were all supposed to be worshiping our mothers, one might expect to be beaming with pride and a sense of accomplishment. It may have been that I hadn’t gotten enough sleep the night before or maybe the celebratory glass of champagne I had downed at 8 O’clock that morning but I didn’t have that feeling of success. Waiting in the large line behind thousands of people waiting patiently to get my diploma, many images and memories of my four years as a Husky flew through my head. In these past four years I thought, I have learned more about myself than the molecular composition of proteins or alpha-beta transmitters. I had a desire to be more spontaneous and less rigid and to be more individualistic rather than relying on others to control my every move.
When it was finally my turn to receive the destined document of academia some stranger handed me a certificate that said “Attended Commencement”. This did not help my feeling of great accomplishment in the slightest. As I was herded towards even more people I didn’t know to take pictures, I decided to jump out of line. I had spotted my academic advisor sitting in the center of the giant basketball stadium and bee-lined it for him. In front of thousands of people he jumped up, we shook hands, and both of us turned and waved ridiculously at my parents making enough of a scene that our faces became plastered on the JumboTron for all to see. I made my way back to my seat, leaned back with my legs reclined on the chair ahead of me, and thought, just another day come and gone.
Ever since high school I have felt restricted by my academics. It was as if I was just another product from the factory of pubescence placed in a giant recycled cardboard box and shipped off to continue to be shaped and molded by higher education. I needed to be out in the world exploring and applying what I was learning rather than basing my intelligence off the 25% chance I answered the multiple choice question correctly on my last science exam. Prepared with the ambition to study my ass off and play later, I entered college as the normal confused yet confident freshman that thought I had my life planned out for the next 12 years. Slowly I began to realize that it was the out-of classroom experiences I was having that truly allowed me to take full advantage of my college education.
After my first two years I had learned that rather than stressing about every exam and slaving away in the library until the wee hours of the morning I learned to get out and educate myself through experience. Now I’m not advocating a textbook burning, or skipping out on classes; far from it! What I am advocating for is experiential learning in the classroom to enhance student’s academic understanding and application. The feeling of applying what you have learned in every day life situations is as invigorating as putting 20 fireballs in your mouth at once. It electrifies every sense in your body that you start to sweat out passion.
In the next 30 days I will be documenting my own educational, travel-based adventure!
The Mission: To discover the root causes of urban poverty in the United States through service-learning experiences across the US.
The Method: Completing service projects in 11 cities of the US that each explores one of the root causes of urban poverty in America.
The Outcome: To create an educational dialogue that provides citizens across the US with the tools on how they can contribute the little time they have to helping their own communities come together and problem solve for a better tomorrow.
I will demonstrate that impulse is the precursor to curiosity. Impress upon you that the five senses can teach you much more than a top university professor. To confirm that the true tests of life come from getting your hands dirty and the answers come from the constant interaction with people that may put us so far outside our comfort zone that our palms start to sweat. I hope to discover the spice of life, to find purpose and perspective, a career path that suits me, and a passion that is so unmistakable that I don’t just feel it, I act on it.
I invite you to open your mind and join me on my journey! I request a simple $5 donation for my travels to help offset food and transportation costs and at the end I will donate half of what is raised to a charity! So please support the cause and my travels and get ready to explore with me.
And remember, those that let their minds soar, fly JetBlue!
When it was finally my turn to receive the destined document of academia some stranger handed me a certificate that said “Attended Commencement”. This did not help my feeling of great accomplishment in the slightest. As I was herded towards even more people I didn’t know to take pictures, I decided to jump out of line. I had spotted my academic advisor sitting in the center of the giant basketball stadium and bee-lined it for him. In front of thousands of people he jumped up, we shook hands, and both of us turned and waved ridiculously at my parents making enough of a scene that our faces became plastered on the JumboTron for all to see. I made my way back to my seat, leaned back with my legs reclined on the chair ahead of me, and thought, just another day come and gone.
Ever since high school I have felt restricted by my academics. It was as if I was just another product from the factory of pubescence placed in a giant recycled cardboard box and shipped off to continue to be shaped and molded by higher education. I needed to be out in the world exploring and applying what I was learning rather than basing my intelligence off the 25% chance I answered the multiple choice question correctly on my last science exam. Prepared with the ambition to study my ass off and play later, I entered college as the normal confused yet confident freshman that thought I had my life planned out for the next 12 years. Slowly I began to realize that it was the out-of classroom experiences I was having that truly allowed me to take full advantage of my college education.
After my first two years I had learned that rather than stressing about every exam and slaving away in the library until the wee hours of the morning I learned to get out and educate myself through experience. Now I’m not advocating a textbook burning, or skipping out on classes; far from it! What I am advocating for is experiential learning in the classroom to enhance student’s academic understanding and application. The feeling of applying what you have learned in every day life situations is as invigorating as putting 20 fireballs in your mouth at once. It electrifies every sense in your body that you start to sweat out passion.
In the next 30 days I will be documenting my own educational, travel-based adventure!
The Mission: To discover the root causes of urban poverty in the United States through service-learning experiences across the US.
The Method: Completing service projects in 11 cities of the US that each explores one of the root causes of urban poverty in America.
The Outcome: To create an educational dialogue that provides citizens across the US with the tools on how they can contribute the little time they have to helping their own communities come together and problem solve for a better tomorrow.
I will demonstrate that impulse is the precursor to curiosity. Impress upon you that the five senses can teach you much more than a top university professor. To confirm that the true tests of life come from getting your hands dirty and the answers come from the constant interaction with people that may put us so far outside our comfort zone that our palms start to sweat. I hope to discover the spice of life, to find purpose and perspective, a career path that suits me, and a passion that is so unmistakable that I don’t just feel it, I act on it.
I invite you to open your mind and join me on my journey! I request a simple $5 donation for my travels to help offset food and transportation costs and at the end I will donate half of what is raised to a charity! So please support the cause and my travels and get ready to explore with me.
And remember, those that let their minds soar, fly JetBlue!
