TJ Kimball: Found-Family and the Pursuit of Meaning

Zhi Zhi wanted to be a lawyer her whole life, until she discovered art history and literature. She is a full-time Arts and Humanities major, a part-time art gallery assistant, and a weekend content creator. Growing up in Malaysia, she would never have imagined falling in love with the art world.

24 Jan 40min

Dilan likes living as if she is constantly breaking the fourth wall in a movie. If you were watching her life you would see a control freak who is mostly overcaffeinated, maybe slightly tipsy but most certainly full of passion and humor. What is the point of it, after all, if you cannot turn life into a story?

19 Jan 38min

Nick is a writer, educator, and explorer of complexity in law and politics. He grew up moving up and down the East Coast of the United States but today considers himself a die-hard New Englander and Boston sports fan. He loves reading, running, and learning from students and his career has taken him to London, Belfast, Dublin, and Jerusalem, studying conflict and diplomacy. Recently, he has taken up flying and hopes to get his pilot's license someday. He lives with his family outside of Boston and cannot wait for fall to start each year. References discussed: Documentary When We Were Kings Ezra Klein podcast episode featuring Lynn Vavreck and John Sides, where they discuss their concepts of calcification and parity in understanding early 21st-century American election outcomes.

22 Nov 202450min

Rayyan (Master's) considers himself a professional couch surfer. Having grown up and traveled the world, he’s learned to appreciate the beauty in our global diversity. He’s super biased toward innovative institutions, attending both Quest University and Minerva. He’s now exploring how AI can impact decision-making sustainability; he’s often found debating life over a long meal or napping in an airport.

9 Nov 202444min

Bentley (M24) is a Chinese Canadian who spent his teenage years getting lost in the sauce of hustle culture. After experiencing a quarter-life crisis accelerated by COVID-19, he chose to leave behind his safe career path at his old university to join Minerva.

3 Nov 202436min

In this episode, we explore the power of transformational experiences with **Hannah Newman** and **Mike Wang**. Hannah has devoted her career to creating life-changing experiences, from leading international education programs and shaping Minerva’s first-year student experience to developing innovative healthcare education systems at Guild. For her, working at Minerva was a rare opportunity to align her personal mission with her work. Mike, a designer focused on fostering connection and belonging, was part of the founding teams at both Minerva and ASU and is now building a "home for the magically weird" at the venture fund Long Journey. He lives in Oakland with his wife, two dog-like cats (Luna and Neo), and a baby daughter on the way. Together, Hannah and Mike share their journeys in building meaningful communities, blending personal values with professional life, and creating spaces that inspire growth and connection.

25 Okt 20241h 3min

Mandy Nguyen is a Bay Area-born artist and the daughter of Vietnamese refugees. She's currently a podcast producer and science journalist at Vox but feels most herself when she is dancing, gardening, and exploring the great outdoors.

19 Okt 202444min

Robert Karl, a historian with a passion for foraging—whether it's for wild food or hidden stories—specializes in modern Latin America and the Caribbean. His book “Forgotten Peace” is a debate starter on Colombia’s peace process, both in the US and Colombia. When a Minerva student first met him in person, they immediately said, “You’re just as tall as I imagined!” (6’1" inches/210 cm)

4 Okt 202447min