13. Commencement
My time as a Harvard student has come to an end.
Like any closing chapter, it's a mix of emotions. I'm deeply grateful for my MDE cohort, the incredible mentors, and the friends and family who've been with me through the highs and lows of this grad school journey.
I'm also pretty burned out. It's the kind of exhaustion that can amplify heavier feelings—regret, disappointment, and frustration, to name a few. But I'm also feeling anger and fear in light of the political threats facing international students, anti-genocide activists, and higher ed more broadly.
And yet, even with all that swirling around, I feel hopeful. Yes, we're living through a tough (and frankly, frightening) moment in American history, and the road ahead won't be easy. But I've seen remarkable resilience and initiative from my classmates, family, and university. That gives me faith. Together, we will overcome and create something better.
Photos from graduation with friends, family, and classmates.
Next Steps
Fortunately, every ending is also a new beginning. So...what's next?
In the short term, I'm taking a much-needed break to rest and recharge. Al and I are living in the foothills of the Beartooth Mountains in southern Montana, and I'm already feeling more grounded and refreshed. And, in the spirit of continuing to focus on rest and recovery, I don't plan to post again until late August and will spend as much time outdoors hiking and camping as possible.
I'll also be using this summer to flesh out the plan for my next big leap: launching Cartograph + my own product studio this fall! I have ambitions of creating a design practice that is playful, collaborative, and impact-oriented, but I need time to figure out how all the pieces fit together. So, the next time you hear from me (toward the end of August), it will be a big announcement, complete with a new website, updates about the Cartgraph launch, and a roadmap for creating change through my design work now and in the future.
So, until then, I hope you have a lovely summer. You won't be getting any emails from me over the next two months, but I would still love to hear from you! Feel free to reach out via text, phone, or email, and let's catch up.
With a full heart,
- Max
