Student Success & Life Design

Whether you're brainstorming with peers, collaborating on cross-disciplinary projects, or diving into hands-on experiences, we support you every step of the way.

Our dedicated team of advisors, mentors, and faculty are here to guide you in finding your path, pushing boundaries, and reaching new heights. Plus, with access to exciting opportunities like internships, global learning, life design, and career workshops, you’ll be prepared to take on the world, both inside and outside the classroom. Ready to level up? Let’s make your vision of success a reality!

Meet Our Advising Team

Mary-Chris Escobar
Director of Student Success & Life Design
The Academy for Interdisciplinary Innovation at University College

escobarmc@vcu.edu

Christina Davis
Academic Advisor
Interdisciplinary Studies
The Academy for Interdisciplinary Innovation at University College

daviscl7@vcu.edu

A woman wearing a black blazer with a white graphic T-Shirt that reads: Strong, Resilent, Indigenous

Audrina Farrar
Academic Advisor
Interdisciplinary Studies
The Academy for Interdisciplinary Innovation at University College

farraral@vcu.edu

A woman wearing a fark-blue denim jacket with a brown shirt and gold earrings.

Richard Quarshie
Senior Advisor
Interdisciplinary Studies
The Academy for Interdisciplinary Innovation at University College

quarshier2@vcu.edu

Life Design at VCU

Life Design empowers students to explore who they are, what they value, and how they want to shape their future. Rooted in design thinking, this approach helps students navigate college and career with purpose—connecting their interests, strengths, and experiences to meaningful opportunities. Through workshops, courses, and one-on-one coaching, Life Design equips students to craft a life that's intentional, adaptable, and uniquely their own.

Interested in learning more contact Mary-Chris Escobar escobarmc@vcu.edu.

Students doing a design thinking exercise.

What Students are Saying About Life Design

I really enjoyed this course. It was a fun way to play with the [Design Thinking] concepts we are learning about in a way that makes it applicable to anything. Honestly, I found this class hard. Not due to assignments or work load but from the amount of self assessment, self actualization needed. I found myself in a place where I lost who I was, my motivation, my why. This course tested and pushed me to go looking for it again. I can not say at this time I have found it but I now know the right questions to ask; how to check in with myself on a thought, feeling, or action. There are life long skills I am very thankful to have been taught.

Designing Your Life Classes

Design-thinking is particularly useful in tackling big, thorny, questions that don’t have one right answer. Questions like-- what should I do next in life? These courses provide you with an overview of the design-thinking process and gives you a framework and tools to help you design your way forward through your studies and beyond.

Designing Your VCU
INNO 291 / UNIV 291 (1 credit)

Designing Your VCU is about getting more out of, rather than cramming more into your college experience. You’ll learn about design-thinking and use this framework to craft academic, career, and life experiences that align with who you are, what you value, and what you want to do in life. Expect to tap into your sense of play as you explore these topics: we’ll use Lego bricks, art supplies and lots of group activities in class. Whether you aren’t exactly sure what you want to do in college or you already feel overwhelmed by ALL the things you want to do-- this is the class for you. Open to all new first-year students.

Designing Your Life
INNO 591 (1 credit)

This course provides you with an overview of the design-thinking process and gives you a framework and tools to help you design your way forward. We’ll work together as a community of peers and mentors to help each other discover our next best steps through assigned readings, personal reflections, and in-class exercises. Open to all juniors, seniors, and graduate students from any program.

Have Questions?

Curious about how Life Design can help you shape your future? Reach out to Mary-Chris Escobar to explore how this innovative approach can guide you in aligning your passions, values, and goals with meaningful opportunities at VCU.

Contact Mary-Chris