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?

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

As a multi-cultural, forever curious, dog and book-loving person, Daria loves to spend her time in the clouds. There she tends to find inspiration for a future painting or short story. When with people or dogs she loves a good hike, bookshop stroll, or museum trip.

Levy Odera was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya. He enjoys equipping youth with knowledge, skills, and experiences for doing meaningful development work that improves human wellbeing. He does so at Minerva University and in an organization that he founded known as Systems Acumen for Youth-Led Development Solutions (SAYDS). He loves spending time with his family, playing soccer, and coaching children soccer.

Hanaka claims herself as a M22 when she wants to be that cool kid and M23 when she wants to give off wholesome vibes. She's a Japanese girl who's currently stuck in San Jose, pursuing her best grandma life with no IG, no clubbing, and no makeup. Find her on Messenger OR [email protected]