College is a massive learning experience. Students are immersed in rigorous courses every day, enjoy a booming social setting, and navigate a new way of life without any direct supervision for the first time. Everyone is discovering exactly who they are, what they like, and how to best prepare for the future they seek.

These times of adjusting to new responsibilities coincide with self-discovery as a young adult, making college years incredibly crucial in personal development. At the University of Michigan, there is a heavy “work hard, play hard” culture, which pushes us to excel in the classroom and make the most of every opportunity. This is a place where many students know exactly what they want to do, and how they plan to achieve it. This is a place that builds fiercely intelligent, qualified, and high-achieving professionals. But, what does that look like on an individual level? 

For me, these four years have been a trial by fire. Many days I negotiate against myself or stretch far too thin to meet my own expectations. I say yes to everything and I soak up every minute to the best of my ability, as I’m beginning to understand what adults mean when they say that time flies. 

Every choice I make feels a bit too life-altering, and each birthday celebrates an age that sounds far too old to really be mine. I’m surrounded by so many other people my exact age, but we are going through this, by nature, individually. This has been my experience of becoming an adult.

As I prepare to enter life postgrad, each year I develop new personal insight and learn what balance looks and feels like. U-M has instilled a sense of educational confidence in me, but I've always wondered how much everyone else feels like these years are a territory of taking a shot and hoping for the best.

Throughout my time at Michigan, I have asked myself many reflective questions: What am I meant to do? What am I most passionate about? What career trajectory makes the most sense for me? Which internship choice will move me in the right direction for my future? Every day as a Wolverine, these questions loom over me. Some days I feel confident in myself, my contribution to the world, and what lies in the years ahead, while others I am caught up in this existential questioning. What is my purpose?

I share these doubts with close friends, but as I walk through the Diag, I wonder: Is it just me?  Or does everyone else wrestle with these same questions? This project was my chance to explore that curiosity.

Faces of the Diag was born out of my hope not only to amplify student voices, not just to listen intently and connect with others genuinely, but to create a platform that helps remind students of the community we all share here at Michigan.

Throughout the semester, I approached many individuals on the Diag and found 12 who agreed to a deep, intentional conversation with a stranger to support this vision. I conducted research on the practice of the street interview, ethics of citizen journalism, accessible interview practices, and trauma-informed journalistic approaches. I wanted to ensure this project was handled with care.

I drew inspiration from Brandon Stanton's profound and sensational Humans of New York, which has created a global platform stage for a [the] human['s] story. His mission helped [me] guide me toward my own, with a [specific] [perhaps instead: focus on] scope of students at Michigan.

I drew inspiration from Brandon Stanton's profound and sensational Humans of New York, which has created a global platform stage for an individual's story. His mission helped guide me toward my own, with a focus on students at Michigan. 

With each interviewee, I made clear that the space was theirs to share their story, perspective, and experiences however they wished. No time requirement, no word count,——just a blank slate for whatever they wanted to share. This project quickly became a labor of love, built on selfless participation, vulnerability, human connection, and trust.

This site contains a glimpse into the stories of those we pass each day and dives deeply into the questions that I will never stop asking myself.

Each person I met through this project shared how they are also in the process of discovering what's truly important to them, while negotiating their own boundaries, values, and beliefs. Everyone is adjusting to adulthood at their own pace, but the process is ongoing for us all. Through these 12 conversations, this project has helped reinforced my own personal mantra: we’re all just learning. 

So, what did I learn? What drives us: our passions, curiosity, connections with others, purpose, self development, hope, and faith. For most of us, these years are a transitionary and uncertain navigation of our selves and our culture. We are all making our best guess, deep in the process of perfecting our approach to this phase of life. 

I have learned I am not alone in the deep questions I continue to ask myself. As Faces of the Diag has proven, we are all working on answering these questions to some degree. I hope this page reminds you that you are not alone in your journey either.