Dylan Westrand pursued an Associate's degree in Liberal Arts to explore different fields without a specific career path in mind. Through this experience, Dylan has grown academically by developing research and writing skills, producing papers of 12+ pages on philosophy and Native American history. Dylan has also grown personally by learning to appreciate insights and deeper meaning, as well as cultural experiences outside of career preparation. While Dylan's path after this degree remains uncertain, the liberal arts education has equipped Dylan with a variety of skills and perspectives to succeed in whatever future is chosen.

1. My Liberal Arts Experience
The Experience of:
Dylan Westrand

2. To Begin
I decided to pursue an Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts because I did not have
a good idea of what specific field I would wish to engage in.
From discussing possibilities with people I learned that a Liberal Arts degree
would provide a wide view of a variety of subjects, so I was hoping to meet
something I truly loved along the necessary two year path.
In the following slides I will answer four questions that include as follows: what
I’ve enjoyed greatest fromm my education experience, how I have grown
academically, how I have developed personally, and how my education has prepared
me for my future.

3. What I Have Enjoyed the Most
I have appreciated my relatively newfound ability to have deep insights and find
deeper meaning in life.
I have also enjoyed getting to see how much more there is in the world.
Philosophy course helped me practice in this way.
On the next slide is an excerpt from my final paper for Philosophy; the paper
centers around if allowing private schooling would make all education improve.

4. Philosophy Final Essay Excerpt
“In favor of privatizing education is the argument that the average quality of
schools would improve with a greater amount of private schools. This argument is formed
bearing in mind that if people believe private schooling to be a better alternative to public
schooling then they would quickly switch their children to the alternative. To counteract
this, the public education system would be forced to improve or the student numbers
would remain decreased. As with any form of competition, the more competitors there are
the better the service or good.”

5. How I Have Grown Academically
I have grown academically by developing my ability to research and organize a
large amount of concepts and evidence into an advanced research essay.
Throughout my college career I have written two essays at the length of at least
12 pages.
My most recent large essay I wrote for Native Peoples of North America. On
the next slide is an excerpt from the conclusion of that essay where I showed the
effect Europeans had on a tribe called the Gros Ventre.

6. Native Peoples Final Essay Excerpt
“The exposure of European trade to the Gros Ventre and surrounding cultures
signified a time of great unfortunate shift for the Gros Ventre. Prior to the arrival of
European trading posts in 1778, the Gros Ventre interacted peacefully with their
neighboring native cultures, but following European exposure the Gros Ventre
began having violent confrontations with both the Europeans and other indigenous
peoples. European arrival had immense impact on the four points of the Barrel
Model for the Gros Ventre culture.”

7. How I Have Grown Personally
I now have the realization that not everything I have to do requires me to be
preparing for the future.
I can enjoy reading about ideas and enjoy the forms of art instead of constantly
focusing on setting myself up for what is coming.
To exemplify how I have progressed in my personal pursuits, here is a link to a
song I created that is a little less than a minute and a half long:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMuq4w7lMw4

8. How I am Now Prepared for the Future
I now have great strength at completing tasks that require an assortment of
different uses of my mind.
My Intro to Shakespeare class I took this spring semester is the best
representation of how great a variety of mental engagements I am able to perform
well with.
First, I would have to read the plays of Shakespeare and understand the ideas
he portrayed throughout the many ways he was able to weave meaning into his
stories. Then, every week I would have to define my interpretations in varying ways.
Assignments alternated between including discussion boards, journals, and
production analyses, and for every play I would write a short analysis.

9. In Conclusion
My original reason for choosing a Liberal Arts degree was to find what I truly
wanted to do in life.
Even though I have been introduced to so many intriguing subjects, I am still not
certain where I wish to go next.
The Liberal Arts have prepared me to succeed anywhere I decide to go as well
as they have taught me how to enjoy and find purpose in the present.