I didn’t really think about this title much until I met with my good friend, a local of New York. She laughed a little; at first I was confused, I didn’t think it was funny but as she explained I understood the humor. Calling a class the “New York EXPERIENCE” makes it feel like we are traipsing into this glittery land of dreams and touristy intentions. After listening to my schedule, she pointed out that this is way more of a business trip than a city tour. This isn’t a field-trip, it’s about real life. Experience makes sense in the context of how we are learning: we are doing, we are talking, we are listening. It’s not about the Brooklyn Bridge or Central Park or the Statue of Liberty– that’s just what you see on our Instagram’s. The answers we get here are the kinds you can’t find in text books because they are personal. For every person in this cohort, this trip represents a contribution to better understanding their life direction.

Paige DePaepe

#uonyc2017