Ok, so this is a misnomer…by stating ‘Select Your Destination’, I am giving you the impression that YOU get to select your destination, when in fact, as your professor, we will work together to do that. 

Your initial thought might be that your destination to the land of the #degreed at some point during #gradszn….I beg to differ, though. I think those are only stops along the way to you making some significant impact over the course of your life. 

To prepare for this lifelong journey, we need to do some pre-work to make sure that you develop a solid foundation to help you really connect with all that you will be learning. Visit this website and let’s unpack what The Learning Scientists have seen to be among the best ways for students to learn. 

The image above is what I like to call my Identity Treasure Map. It gives you the 30,000 foot-view of the journey that I have taken over the course of my life and as you take this virtual walkabout with me, I’ll share the up close and personal view of who I am. You really get to Meet Professor White :). 

Using a sheet of paper in your Student Success Journal, follow the brief instructions on the Center for Creative Leadership Social Identity Map, take a moment to jot down how you see yourself. You will be provided with some prompts and follow-up questions to round out this exercise. With this perspective, you should be able to filter through the questions, relationships, people and commitments that you would normally allow to usurp your energy.

Professor White worked with Carlos Wilder of CTWBC, Inc. to translate her own identity map into the branded graphic above. 

Now having been exposed to the ground-level view of the multiple layers of the concept of identity, it is time to make some connections between your own lived experiences and how that has shaped your view of the world and the lens through which you see it.

In a document file, use one of the four main writing styles to show and share who you are. This submission should be free from fatal errors and should both define and describe what YOUR given, chosen and core identity elements are.

It must also include a critical interpretation of your map using the questions that were posed in a previous discussion about how to deeply interpret your map.

Incorporate the three things that you feel are most important to you, making sure to unpack why those things are important and what you ultimately hope they will result in. Another way to look at this is to describe the three biggest goals you have for your life and why you chose those.

The writing should build a bridge between the elements of your identity and the goals you described. Reflect on the goals you stated- how do they align with who you are at your core, if at all? How are your goals a reflection of your highest potential, if at all? Or do you need to stretch more and set bigger life goals? What would those stretch goals be?

Finally, as you conclude, use your writing to teach a 5-year old the steps you need to take to accomplish those goals, making sure that teach how the different aspects of your identity will be used as the tool(s) to do so.

By the stated deadline, be sure to upload your document file to this Google Form.

Hopefully, by now I have done a good job communicating to you and sharing with you why travel is so important to me. In the event that there is still some room for improvement on my part, the long and short of it all is that, to me at least, travel transforms you.

Likewise, the pursuit of your goals should transform you.

Based on the feedback that you have been given (or still need to get), use this Google Form to document the transformation you anticipate experiencing in pursuit of three different goals- professional, personal and financial.