My class and I recently went on an exciting trip to Alberta. However before that, we read “Banner in the Sky” in our humanities class to learn about perseverance. In our Maker class, we practiced our social skills and video making techniques by interviewing our classmates to uncover their unique stories.

(Insert video)

We travelled to Alberta in hopes to answer the question, “How do we become the best version of ourselves?” We would ask strangers about life advice during our hikes and if possible film the as well. However, we approached this challenge uniquely: we had to create ten questions that reflected what we believed were the ten essentials of life, connecting them to the ten essentials of hiking. Later we would gather all the clips and make a video answering the driving question. 

(Insert video) 

Throughout the trip, I learned something valuable from everyone who was willing to talk to us. Some of the main ideas that really stood out to me included the importance of education, the pursuit of happiness, and the value of family and friendship. The advice I received  was both practical and inspiring. People told me to “Live life to the fullest,” “ Remember that we grow from our mistakes,” “Set goals,” “Get into nature,” “Plan ahead,” and “Life only gets better.” 

Even though I didn’t find a straightforward answer to our original question, I gained  some helpful tips and guidelines for personal growth. This experience taught me that self-improvement is a lifelong journey, and there’s always room for growth. I realized that being the best version of myself is about learning from others and continuously working to become better.

We didn’t just travel to Alberta to answer our driving question; we also went to improve our core competencies in personal and social responsible learning and questioning. I showed responsible learning during our hikes by being careful and attentive, especially since the teachers weren’t always nearby. I demonstrated purposeful questioning during my interviews by following up on my initial questions and really listening to what the person said. I made sure to ask relevant follow-up questions based on their answers to keep the conversation going.