The Fall 2023 Alumni Life Design Experience will run four weeks with virtual instruction on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:00PM – 8:30PM (ET) beginning October 30th – November 29th.
Note: There will be no classes the week of November 20th in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Week 1: Monday, October 30 and Wednesday, November 1
Be Curious and Reflect on Your Values
We believe that life is all about growth. Growth can lead to new and different paths, experiences and chapters. To discover our next chapter or path, we must first reflect on who we are and what we value. This curiosity may just allow you to learn something new about yourself! Identifying what we value acts like a “North Star” guiding us on our quest. This Alumni Life Design Experience is an investment in yourself and encourages you to be BOLD, FEARLESS, CURIOUS and CREATIVE as you design your next life. This is just the beginning of an incredible process toward designing a life you love. Let’s go!
Week 2: Monday, November 6 and Wednesday, November 8
Imagine Three Impossible Lives
As individuals, we are all interesting and unique in our own ways. Because there are many facets to us, we want to challenge you to imagine multiple ways you could launch the next chapter of your life. We encourage you to design THREE lives with reckless abandon! Dream BIG or create a slight variation – and everything in between. This exercise will build off of your curiosity and the values you hold dear. It will allow you to consider alternative ways to live, grow and thrive. Remember, you are not alone. Tap into your friends, family, and fellow Life Designers for inspiration, motivation and support.
Week 3: Monday, November 13 and Wednesday, November 15
Build Connections
Now it is time to involve others! Move the needle in your quest for a more fulfilling life and allow others to uplift, inspire and encourage you. This part of the experience is ACTION oriented. We encourage you to spark conversations with people in your field of interest, spend the day with someone you would like to emulate, set up a small in-house experience to allow you to better understand a possible next life. Identify your Stakeholders.
Week of November 20 (Thanksgiving Week) – no classes
Participant Reflection/Assignment
Week 4: Monday, November 27 and Wednesday, November 29
Craft and Tell Your Story and Celebrate the Alumni Life Design Experience
It’s time to do a little bragging! Well, it’s actually time to create meaningful resumes for the three lives you have designed. These documents will serve as your calling cards – snapshots into who you are and the value you bring. Each version of your resume can spark excitement and inspire action as you look toward that more fulfilling life.
Course Registration for Fall 2023 is now open. Contact odyssey@jhu.edu with questions or for more information.
Hear from alumni who have taken the course:
Whether you have a fresh Hopkins degree or whether you would like to refresh your thinking about the design of your life … the Alumni Life Design Experience (ALDE) is right on time. The ALDE course is a chance to arrive as your authentic self, engage in experiential activities with your cohort, and set up the conditions that once again widen your field of vision about what your life path can include. I feel like I have new tools in my life kit and rich new connections as I keep designing my life – and following my curiosity.
Regina Cronin, SAIS ’99
ALDE helped expand my thinking and gave me a design framework to use in planning the next steps on my life path. Connecting with other alumni facing similar questions about what we want to do with our lives, while exploring questions about ourselves as individuals was the highlight of this course for me, making it an unforgettable experience.
Amara Jade Mitchell, A&S ’12
When I signed up, I had no idea what to expect. The course was ultimately immensely beneficial and enjoyable. It is so easy to go through life “accidentally.” Inevitably, life will take us to unexpected places. Even though my life will not end up like my life boards, having a vision, any vision – planned in pencil – ensures that dreams won’t completely disappear. When the options inevitably slim out, I’ll at least know that I was in the driver’s seat. Immense gratitude for your ears, facilitation, and motivation!
Michael Ronald Korn, A&S ’17