For students wondering what to do with their lives, a road trip could help provide the answers. On Nov. 1, Roadtrip Nation, a national movement empowering college students to hit the road and research careers, will visit the University of Denver to tell students about the grants and opportunities available.
Roadtrip Nation founders Mike Marriner, Nathan Gebhard and Brian McAllister graduated from Pepperdine University in 2001. Uncertain of what to do with their degrees and feeling pressure to follow conventional job paths, the trio took to the road in hopes of finding their true passions.
“You should be a lawyer, a doctor, an accountant, a consultant, blah, blah, blah,” writes Marriner on the Roadtrip Nation Web site, www.roadtripnation.com. “Everywhere you turn people try to tell you who to be and what to do with your life. We call that noise. Block it. Leave it for the conformists. As a generation, we need to get back to focusing on individuality.”
The students took to the highway in a lime green 1985 RV to interview some of the nation’s most renowned business people. Along the way, they crossed paths with the CEOs of Starbucks and Dell, famous fashion designers, mechanics, lobstermen and even former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.
Upon returning from their adventures, Roadtrip Nation partnered with PBS to air the student documentary. Since 2001, Roadtrip Nation has established student chapters at more than 100 college campuses nationwide, including DU. Roadtrip Nation grants encourage students to take road trips and record their experiences.
Roadtrip Nation’s RV will be parked near the Shwayder Art Building from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. on Nov. 1 and representatives will be available to talk to students. At 6 p.m. a presentation of clips from the PBS series will air at Lindsay Auditorium in Sturm Hall. The evening event will include pizza and soda and attendees will each receive a free CD.
DU Career Services and the DU Programs Board partnered to bring the Roadtrip Nation presentation to campus. For more information, visit www.pbs.org/wnet/roadtripnation/.