Why did you decide to study abroad with Experience Institute?
Dane: I’d been researching grad programs focused on intercultural studies and creative writing. Since college, I’ve done a great deal of traveling and have learned much through navigating foreign environments. The idea of spending over $50k on a grad program in order to learn more about the world, cultures, and refining my writings skills seemed ridiculous. Why not take that money and simply go travel?
However, it was important for me to find some form of accountability to create a framework for me to accomplish the goals I have as a writer and an explorer. Experience Institute offered a flexible framework to study and work in a variety of fields, while also surrounding its students with a strong network of support and accountability. Plus, it’s a fraction of the cost of a traditional grad program. The decision was simple.
Do you think your program changed you as a person?
Dane: Ei has made me more confident in the skills I can offer up to a company or individual. Through Ei, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with writers and thought leaders from a number of different industries and from various parts of the world. These relationships have given me a lot of guidance and courage as I am learning how to own my talents and find best ways to make them helpful for others. Ei gives its students a confidence in their ability to creatively solve problems and present solutions in a way that is collaborative and holistic in scope.
Describe your program socially and academically.
Dane: Academically speaking, Ei links students up with mentors within companies or projects and empowers them to apply their skills in collaboration with these people. The portfolio of work created throughout the year acts as our own version of a dissertation and/or coursework. We report back to the school, and our greater online community, through bi-monthly blog posts – these posts act as our homework. To keep on course with the goals we’ve set we meet weekly for a call online, as well as continue dialoging throughout the week with our mentors and Ei faculty as needed.
Socially speaking, Ei functions in the real world, so our opportunities to interact with others in our field of study is only limited by our willingness to reach out. On an intimate level, however, my cohort of fellow students have become like family to me throughout this year. Since we’re all founding students prototyping this experience-based model for higher education, we’ve had to lean on each other during the rough patches encountered when negotiating apprenticeships and settling in new places.
Describe your most meaningful souvenir and why you love it?
Dane: After each completed term and apprenticeship (three total throughout the year), Ei’s founder, Victor Saad, has gifted me with a letter to sum up the ways he’s seen me grow both personally and professionally. These thoughtful letters have served to confirm growth I’ve experienced in myself, while also providing language with which to communicate to others what I’m learning. These souvenirs from the year will be documents that I’ll hold dear for the rest of my life, as they serve both to be tools for reflection, as well as encouragement when chasing down new pursuits in the years to come.