Recap: Create Your Path with Darin Eich, Ph.D., Founder of InnovationLearning.org

The Rockefeller Center's new "Create Your Path" program offers students a guided opportunity to step back and reflect on their first two years at Dartmouth, and develop a strategy to organize themselves at a higher level. For more information about the program, click here.

Naming our interests and strengths can be difficult. Do we even know what we are capable of? And if we don’t know ourselves, how can others know what we are capable of?

As busy college students, it is difficult to simply reflect. Darin Eich, Ph.D., Founder of InnovationLearning.org, has developed a program for Dartmouth students to reflect and take action. During winter break, students participated in virtual workshops. Online videos guided them through a series of activities, such as listing key moments to defining specific strengths and passions. Participants were advised not to judge their responses and write whatever came to mind. Throughout the exercise, Eich shared his own responses to the prompts, which showed the specificity and variety of possible interests, strengths, and passions.

Through these workshops, I realized that there is so much of myself that I do not know. How can I best utilize my strengths to pursue my interests? I signed up for this workshop because I wanted to learn how to be successful in a passion that I have had, but have been hesitant in admitting—food.

At the live workshop, Eich reinforced the lessons but emphasized that every moment was an opportunity. So the next time you’re waiting for the lights to change at the intersection of Main Street and Wheelock Street, have a sidewalk talk. Don’t just chit-chat but actually learn about what people are doing. How can you help out? How can they help you? What’s your life map for the future and how can you make it a reality? 

--Written by Victoria Li ’16, MLDP Winter 2014 Participant