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

Course Number: 66-136

What does it mean to be resilient — emotionally, relationally 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.

Time commitment: Requires one or two weekend sessions on campus per semester in community-based service work in addition to two regular class meetings a week.

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