Grand Challenge First-Year Seminar: Becoming Resilient in Challenging Times

Course Number: 66-136

What does it mean to be resilient—emotionally, personally, and collectively—in the face of disruption, uncertainty, or change? In this course, we define resilience as an intersectional capacity of individuals, communities, and systems to adapt, recover, and grow in response to adversity, disruption, or change—drawing on psychological, social, ecological, and artistic resources to sustain well-being and support transformation. We’ll explore these layers through the lens of graphic storytelling, using comics and visual narratives to examine stories of wellness, identity, trauma, and individual/ collective recovery across cultural contexts.

Drawing from works originally written in English or Spanish (all readings available in English), we’ll explore how artists use color, composition, symbolism, and visual form to surface what is often left unsaid in conversations about health and healing. Students will analyze how visual techniques express resilience across race, geography, and sociocultural systems—and will experiment to create their own graphic narratives using comic-making tools and artistic strategies. Emphasis will be placed on storytelling as both personal reflection and public advocacy.

The course includes hands-on projects and community-facing components: students will collaborate to design community-engaged projects—such as school visits, public showcases, or partnerships with local organizations—to share and expand the impact of their work. Through reading, making, and sharing stories, students will develop artistic, critical, and civic tools for imagining a more connected and compassionate future.

Academic Year: 2025-2026
Semester(s): Fall