Over the next three months, I’m trying something new: a personal curriculum. Think of it like building your own college semester — but instead of midterms and grades, it’s about designing a learning plan that actually excites you.
My curriculum mixes advocacy, creativity, personal growth, and balance. Some of the “courses” are tied directly to my work in prison reform and digital storytelling — like learning how to turn numbers into narratives or experimenting with graphics and video. Others are more personal, like practicing patience in my relationship and carving out time for balance through small adventures.
Each course comes with its own objectives, readings, and deliverables, but the real goal is simple: growth that feels intentional. This isn’t about hustling harder or adding more to my plate. It’s about choosing to learn in a way that’s meaningful — blending curiosity, advocacy, and personal renewal into one semester of life.
Turning Numbers Into Narratives
October 2025 | Personal Curriculum Project
Course Description
This course explores how to transform complex justice reform data into compelling advocacy stories. Through readings, podcasts, and nonprofit case studies, you will practice breaking down statistics into plain-language narratives designed for broad audiences. The goal is to blend data-driven credibility with emotional resonance, creating content that educates and engages — particularly on platforms like TikTok.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, you will:
- Understand key principles of sticky storytelling (clarity, emotion, memorability).
- Translate at least one prison reform statistic into an accessible, human-centered story.
- Experiment with narrative structures for short-form video content.
- Produce and publish one polished advocacy TikTok.
- Reflect on audience engagement and refine your storytelling strategy.
Required Texts & Media
- Book: Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip & Dan Heath.
- Blog:
- Tell Me a Story – Eight Tips for Creating Powerful Narratives (Stanford Social Innovation Review).
- A Story Within a Story (Stanford Social Innovation Review)
- How to Tell Real Stories About Impact (Stanford Social Innovation review)
- Podcasts: The Science of Storytelling —
- “One in Ten”
- “The Moth“
Course Structure (4 Weeks)
Week 1: Foundations of Storytelling
- Reading: Made to Stick, Ch. 1–3 (SUCCES model).
- Activity: Choose one justice-related data point (e.g., parole denial rates). Draft 3 potential TikTok hooks using SUCCES.
Week 2: Conflict & Narrative Arcs
- Listening: “One in Ten” podcast episode.
- Reading: SSIR “Tell Me a Story” article.
- Activity: Draft a 1-minute narrative combining your chosen data point with human impact.
Week 3: Visualizing Advocacy
- Reading: SSIR “Using Story to Change Systems.”
- Listening: “The Moth” podcast episode
- Activity: Mock up visuals for your narrative (graphic, slideshow, or storyboard).
Week 4: Publishing & Reflection
- Review: Made to Stick conclusion.
- Activity: Publish your advocacy TikTok.
- Deliverable: Write a short reflection on what worked, what confused viewers, and how you’d improve.
Deliverables
- 1 TikTok advocacy video combining data + narrative.
- 1 reflection post (250–300 words).
Evaluation (Self-Assessment)
- Engagement with weekly readings/listening.
- Completion of hook drafts, narrative, visuals, and published video.
- Quality of reflection and willingness to adapt.
Creative Lab: Graphics & Video Fluency
October 2025 | Personal Curriculum Project
Course Description
This course focuses on leveling up creative and technical skills in visual storytelling. By exploring tools like Canva, CapCut, and AI-based design platforms, you will practice creating graphics and videos that capture attention and communicate with clarity. The emphasis is on hands-on experimentation — trying new formats, replicating trends, and building fluency with visual tools that strengthen both advocacy and personal branding.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, you will:
- Develop a working knowledge of Canva, CapCut, and AI-based creative tools.
- Reproduce at least one trending video/graphic format to understand pacing and design.
- Create original short-form content (graphics or videos) that aligns with advocacy and personal growth themes.
- Build confidence in designing and editing visuals that enhance storytelling.
Required Tools & Media
- Tools: Canva (Pro), CapCut, TikTok Creative Studio (optional).
- Tutorials: Canva AI graphics tutorials, CapCut template guides, YouTube/creator tips.
- Inspiration Accounts: 2–3 TikTok creators known for clean, engaging visuals (to be identified and tracked).
Course Structure (4 Weeks)
Week 1: Tool Immersion
- Activity: Complete 1–2 tutorials in Canva + CapCut.
- Deliverable: Recreate a simple trending overlay video or carousel in Canva.
Week 2: Trend Replication
- Activity: Select one trending TikTok style. Replicate it using your own topic (advocacy fact, personal story, or prison slang).
- Deliverable: Post one “trend replication” video.
Week 3: Creative Experimentation
- Activity: Use Canva AI or CapCut advanced tools (motion text, transitions, filters) to create an original graphic or short-form video.
- Deliverable: Share draft with notes on what you liked and what didn’t.
Week 4: Polished Output
- Activity: Create a final polished piece (graphic or TikTok) combining techniques learned.
- Deliverable: Post 1 polished advocacy or personal growth video/graphic.
Deliverables
- 2 published TikToks or graphics (trend replication + polished original).
- 1 creative reflection journal entry (What tools clicked? What felt hard? What will I keep using?).
Evaluation (Self-Assessment)
- Engagement with tutorials and inspiration accounts.
- Completion of 2 published outputs.
- Honest reflection on strengths and areas for growth.
Waiting Well: Practicing Patience & Presence
October–December 2025 | Personal Curriculum Project
Course Description
This course focuses on the art of waiting well — building patience, resilience, and presence while navigating the unique challenges of a prison relationship. Through journaling, intentional exercises, and reflection, you’ll learn to reframe waiting as an act of strength and connection rather than frustration. The goal is to grow in self-awareness and relational stability, even amid chaos and uncertainty.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, you will:
- Develop strategies for practicing patience in stressful or unpredictable situations.
- Reframe waiting from passive endurance to active growth.
- Strengthen communication and self-regulation habits.
- Produce a final reflection on how practicing patience has shaped your relationship.
Required Texts & Media
- Book: The Power of Patience by M.J. Ryan.
- Articles: Psychology Today – “How Patience Shapes Relationships.”
- Podcast: Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel (episodes on navigating conflict and long-distance connection).
Course Structure (12 Weeks)
October: Awareness
- Reading: The Power of Patience, Ch. 1–3.
- Activity: Weekly journaling on triggers of impatience.
- Reflection Prompt: “What situations test me most?”
November: Practice
- Listening: 1 Esther Perel episode.
- Activity: Implement 1 weekly practice (deep breathing before calls, reframing unknowns, journaling before responding).
- Reflection Prompt: “What shifted when I slowed down?”
December: Integration
- Reading: Finish The Power of Patience.
- Activity: Share “wins” with your partner, discuss together.
- Deliverable: Write or record a reflection: “What Waiting Well taught me.”
Deliverables
- Weekly journaling (private).
- Final reflection essay or 3–5 min video (December).
Evaluation (Self-Assessment)
- Consistency with practices.
- Depth of reflection.
- Ability to articulate growth in patience and presence.
Building Better Brands: Nonprofit Engagement, Storytelling & Sustainability
November 2025 | Personal Curriculum Project
Course Description
This course introduces the core principles of nonprofit branding, storytelling, and sustainability strategies. You’ll study how advocacy organizations build visibility, inspire action, and sustain their mission through consistent branding, audience engagement, fundraising, and grant writing. The course blends theory with practice, culminating in a personal “Brand & Engagement Toolkit” you can adapt for multiple nonprofit or advocacy contexts.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, you will:
- Understand how branding, voice, and visual identity influence nonprofit impact.
- Analyze nonprofit case studies across advocacy and reform movements.
- Explore best practices in fundraising messaging and donor engagement.
- Understand the basics of grant writing and aligning proposals with mission.
- Develop a personal Brand & Engagement Toolkit to use in advocacy work.
Required Texts & Media
- Book: Brandraising: How Nonprofits Raise Visibility and Money Through Smart Communications by Sarah Durham.
- Book (Fundraising): Storytelling Can Change the World: How Nonprofit Storytellers Can Captivate Donors, Volunteers, and Fundraisers by Ken Burnett.
- Articles:
- Nonprofit Tech for Good – “10 Nonprofit Branding Best Practices.”
- Candid.org – “Grant Writing 101.”
- Case Studies: ACLU, Equal Justice Initiative, The Bail Project, Worth Rises.
Course Structure (4 Weeks)
Week 1: Foundations of Branding
- Reading: Brandraising, Intro + Ch. 1–3.
- Activity: Identify 3 nonprofits with strong branding. Write notes on their colors, tone, and audience approach.
Week 2: Voice & Storytelling for Fundraising
- Reading: Storytelling Can Change the World, Ch. 1–4.
- Activity: Draft a short donor appeal (email or social media copy) using story-first fundraising techniques.
Week 3: Grant Writing Basics
- Reading: Candid.org “Grant Writing 101.”
- Activity: Outline a mock grant proposal with mission, need, and outcomes.
Week 4: Toolkit Creation
- Activity: Compile notes into a personal Brand & Engagement Toolkit that includes:
- Brand Voice Profile
- Fundraising Messaging Template
- Grant Proposal Outline
- Deliverable: 2–3 page toolkit, adaptable across nonprofits.
Deliverables
- Draft donor appeal message.
- Mock grant proposal outline.
- Personal Brand & Engagement Toolkit.
Evaluation (Self-Assessment)
- Completion of weekly assignments.
- Depth of analysis in case studies.
- Clarity and adaptability of final toolkit.
The Balance Project: Exploring Wholeness Through Small Adventures
December 2025 | Personal Curriculum Project
Course Description
This course emphasizes the importance of balance by creating intentional space for exploration, rest, and joy outside of daily obligations. Through four small but meaningful “adventures,” you will practice stepping beyond routines, embracing new experiences, and cultivating resilience through renewal. The Balance Project is designed as a personal commitment to living fully, even while navigating long-term uncertainty.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, you will:
- Practice creating intentional moments of balance through small, meaningful experiences.
- Reflect on the relationship between self-care, joy, and resilience.
- Develop a habit of documenting experiences to recognize growth.
- Identify personal strategies for maintaining balance beyond the course.
Required Texts & Media
- Book: The Art of Stillness: Adventures in Going Nowhere by Pico Iyer.
- Article: Greater Good Science Center – “The Science of Micro-Adventures.”
- Optional Media: TED Talk by Pico Iyer, The Art of Stillness.
Course Structure (4 Weeks)
Week 1: Awareness
- Reading: The Art of Stillness, Ch. 1–2.
- Activity: Identify one small adventure close to home (new café, park, library).
- Reflection Prompt: “What does balance mean to me right now?”
Week 2: Exploration
- Reading: Greater Good Science Center article on micro-adventures.
- Activity: Plan and complete a second adventure (e.g., museum visit, short day trip).
- Reflection Prompt: “What did I learn about myself by stepping out?”
Week 3: Connection
- Reading: The Art of Stillness, Ch. 3–4.
- Activity: Do something outside that connects you to people or place (e.g., volunteer event, community class).
- Reflection Prompt: “How do shared experiences affect my balance?”
Week 4: Integration
- Reading: The Art of Stillness, Conclusion.
- Activity: Final adventure — something that feels like a reset (holiday event, nature walk, personal retreat).
- Deliverable: Final reflection essay or short journal entry: “What The Balance Project taught me.”
Deliverables
- 4 photo or journal entries (one per adventure).
- Final reflection essay or video (3–5 minutes).
Evaluation (Self-Assessment)
- Completion of all four adventures.
- Depth of reflection.
- Clarity in identifying strategies for balance moving forward.
Chapters and Chains 
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