From text to trails: ASU students chart new directions through classical works

During this year's fall break at Arizona State University, from October 10–14, 17 intrepid students ventured to Prescott, Arizona, for an immersive experiential course focused on one of life’s most profound questions: How do I lead a life of meaning?

Over a total of seven days (including a weekend in Tempe), participants engaged deeply with thinkers ranging from Aristotle, Plutarch and Cicero to Viktor Frankl, Toni Morrison and Wendell Berry — exploring concepts of love, friendship, work, community and identity and connecting these ideas to their own life experiences.

The course went beyond traditional classroom learning. In addition to five-plus hours of Socratic seminars and meals together each day, students participated in a service project, yoga and film viewings, fostering both personal growth and a vibrant intellectual community.

Valentina Veynberg, a sophomore majoring in history, described the experience as “excellent — there was something remarkable about sitting in a quiet cabin, windows wide open to the fresh pine air and the sound of birds, reading and discussing Aristotle and others with people who were not only curious, but truly thoughtful and well-informed.”

Students studied philosophers, poets and essayists from a range of intellectual and cultural traditions to gain insight into their own lives.

Leslie Valle Ramirez, a junior majoring in civic and economic thought and leadership, described the transformative impact of liberal education: “From Plato, I learned to question my reality; from Aristotle, to act with virtue; and from Frankl, to find meaning even in struggle. This course teaches that the best kind of education doesn’t just inform the mind — it transforms who you are.”

Professor Susan Carrese, who developed the course seven years ago and now teaches it twice a year with her husband, Professor Paul Carrese, highlighted the program’s unique approach:

“In over 30 years of teaching, I’ve seen students increasingly lonely and confused about both the way forward and the role of the past in their young lives. In this course, we focus on ‘big’ questions through texts and methods fundamental to the liberal arts; we engage in focused dialogue stemming from close reading of classical and contemporary philosophical, literary and religious texts — all this is in a retreat setting, sans phones and computers, which really makes it special for everyone.”

This experiential program also fulfills the gold humanities, arts and design requirement, giving students the opportunity to integrate academic study with meaningful, real-world experiences.

Sophia Wastchak, a sophomore majoring in civic and economic thought and leadership, noted, “Something that really stuck with me throughout this course was realizing how much of what we call ‘modern problems’ are actually ancient ones. The vocabulary we learned — eudaimonia, telos, philia, schole, and the difference between 'needs' and 'wants' — might sound like old, dusty philosophy terms, but they explain a lot about the confusion people feel today. … Understanding these words gives language to what's missing in so much of contemporary American life.”

The lead professor, Susan Carrese, emphasized the daily structure and experiential elements of the course: “We address one question each day: Why am I here? Who should I love? What will I do? Where is home? And provide students with a new vocabulary, for thinking and talking about meaning. Students, quite wonderfully, find this new lexicon compelling. They return home with a renewed commitment to learning, the 'polis,' and meaningfully leading what American poet Mary Oliver calls ‘your one wild and precious life.’”

For students interested in this program, the next experiential course will take place March 8–13, 2026. The School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership subsidizes the course, reducing the cost for the student to only a fee of $150. Learn more and apply.