Why Nova Lab? (Again)

The 20/21 school will year will be my second year in Nova Lab. Now when I emailed my counselor two weeks after the deadline to submit my course recommendations, I was asking myself why I was taking the same course again? What about this class drew me in so tight I cant seem to let it go?

Walking in with fresh eyes, I thought I would feel sure and confident, my experience from last year guiding my path to new successes. But once more, I am thrown into the clutter of Nova Lab. I am completely lost; the syllabus we had last year (which was a mind map to begin with) has been thrown out the window and community building over zoom can be a bit confusing. But I also realize that this is exactly what I signed up for. I signed up for a class full of innovation and creating, where we, the students, guide the class so we don’t really need a syllabus.

This is why I choose Nova Lab. I’ve always been a good student, I can ace any test put in front of me and can pick up facts like that. In the eyes of the school system, I am the perfect student, yet I feel so limited. This is why I choose Nova Lab. This is a place where tests don’t exist and answers aren’t definite. It is a place of innovation and exploration, where purpose and impact are the motivators.

Even when it feels odd, useless or perfect in any sense of the word, it all has meaning, which is what makes this class different. This silly activities, such as designing trading cards or building towers, all have purpose that will help s on our journeys as we navigate this class.

I have a lot of expectations for myself this year, they’re not definitive because I don’t know what my situation will be with school or my ability to collaborate in a virtual setting. But I have strong base for with Make It 100 and am brainstorming another.

Education isn’t supposed to be about fitting a standard or a mold set by somebody else. It is about taking advantage of all the opportunities to learn and grow that fall your way. Education is about restless inquiry, constant progression for yourself and others. Even after I leave Nova Lab, my restless inquiry will not stop and Nova Lab will give me the tools to ensure this.

This year is going to be interesting, an experiment for sure. I don’t know what it will be like but nobody does. I do know that I’ll continue to push myself and continue to grow. My work will create impact in my community and I can’t wait to see when it does.