NDSU Nice Leap

At NDSU, opportunities surround us constantly and we need only be willing to take the leap to try. The NDSU Nice center Nice Leap is a prime example of this clever word play. In this program, they strive to help students find their mission(not major). This speaks to me personally, because a major is a temporary goal, but a mission is a lifelong drive to betterness. My mission is to become a small business owner, while also working on entrepreneurial ventures in environmental and efficiency issues. In a specific manner, I want to find way of reusing non-biodegradable materials so less of these materials end in places harmful to the environment. While doing this, I would also like to explore efficient ways in creating self-sufficient living to the masses.

Another aspect of The Nice Leap is learning through actions. Instead of assigning homework, we have found it is much more effective to give more real life problems to try and solve. Learning through actions is the best way to learn in a fast-paced setting. Getting your hands to work helps to better identify want works the best and what could possibly need changing. This is true whether learning from your own actions, or the actions of others.

The Nice Leap also strives to build a community. We recognize that great ideas take not only time and effort, but the support and motivation of peers. A community of entrepreneurial minds brings a lot of power onto the ideas and makes for a passion driven environment.

In order for me to participate in the Nice Leap, I plan on attending the following events:

User Research Workshop: Friday, September 4, 10am-noon (virtual)

Prototyping Workshop: Monday, September 21, 6–8pm (virtual)

Storytelling Workshop: Monday, October 26 (virtual)

Nice Leap Showcase: Thursday, November 19, 3–5pm

I look forward to taking my next “leap” at NDSU.