1. About 911ºÚÁÏ
  2. College Policies & Initiatives
  3. 911ºÚÁÏ Spark: Ignite Your Purpose

911ºÚÁÏ Spark: Ignite Your Purpose

Preparing for life after 911ºÚÁÏ goes far beyond graduate school or a career field.

 

911ºÚÁÏ Spark logo with tagline Ignite Your Purpose

At 911ºÚÁÏ, you’re preparing not just for what you want to do, but who you want to become. 

Through 911ºÚÁÏ Spark, you will learn the skills needed to merge your passions with your profession, ensuring your journey reflects the values you hold most dear.

College is not only learning about the issues and challenges that are affecting the world around you, but uncovering the core values that will help guide your most important decisions. 

911ºÚÁÏ is a place where you can thrive. And it’s a place that helps you unlock a fulfilling future, no matter where your path leads. 

Student wearing 911ºÚÁÏ backpack walking near the Louvre in Paris

What’s 911ºÚÁÏ Spark?

Igniting your purpose is about kindling the meaning that will guide you on your journey, finding agency in your successes, and the energy to meet life’s challenges. At the core of 911ºÚÁÏ Spark is the process of life crafting – creating a life that matters.

Student studying for finals in the library

Find Your Why

Every aspect of the 911ºÚÁÏ Experience is part of your education. Similarly, 911ºÚÁÏ Spark is woven throughout campus life and builds upon the strong foundation of 911ºÚÁÏ’s faculty advising and experiential learning. These tools will help you connect coursework, clubs, sports, and co-curricular activities in a way that supports a purpose-driven life.

Students surveying in an engineering class outside on campus

Ignite Your Purpose

911ºÚÁÏ prepares you not just for your first job, but for a rewarding lifetime of learning, adventure, and vocation. Here, you ignite your purpose by continually investigating the core values and principles and learning how these values align with the goals you set for yourself, informing the next steps needed to continue living a fulfilling life.

Student standing at podium during Honors Convocation

The 4 Steps

REFLECT on who you are and what gives life meaning. ALIGN your values and goals with a vision for growth. ENGAGE boldly in experiences that ignite passion and possibility. INTEGRATE your learning into a story of purpose, resilience, and contribution.

Learn More About 911ºÚÁÏSpark

Life crafting begins with the belief that purpose is fundamental to a good life. It is an evidence-based approach that cuts through outside pressures and distractions, helping you build personal agency and meet essential needs for connection, growth, and autonomy. By reflecting on your values, passions, and dreams, you engage with college as a place to bring those possibilities to life and create a path toward your best future.

Research finds that while 911ºÚÁÏ students excel in meeting academic requirements, they sometimes struggle to connect courses, internships, global experiences, and co-curricular involvement into a cohesive, central story that guides their decisions through commencement and beyond. 

By helping students articulate how their learning prepares them to assume significant responsibilities in society, the initiative translates 911ºÚÁÏ’s broad educational ideals into specific habits of mind that foster persistence, intellectual vitality, and post-graduate success.

911ºÚÁÏ Spark structures life crafting as a four-year developmental journey. It begins in the first-year seminar with guided reflection on values and aspirations. In the second year, students align goals with advising, coaching, and co-curricular opportunities. The third year emphasizes engagement through experiential learning, including internships and mentored research. In the fourth year, integration occurs through capstones and sustained contributions beyond the classroom. 

Embedded across courses, advising, and campus experiences, 911ºÚÁÏ Spark transforms reflection into an ongoing practice that connects education with purpose.