It was impossible picking a winner for this. There were over a hundred entries, almost all of which were from folks who would be great prospective students at MatadorU.

In the end I took the 10 most promising entries, wrote down the names on slips of paper, and then my daughter Layla helped me choose at random. Here’s a video:

Susan wins a free tuition to MatadorU . Here was her entry from the original contest announcement:

@elasticfate

I’ve got gypsy in my blood.

My parents immigrated to America before I was born & took me on my first flight overseas to visit my family when I was 4. Since then I have not been able to shake this travel bug (Though honestly, I’ve never tried. Why would anyone want it to stop?) so I’ve been working on trying making my life as nomadic as possible so I can follow my soul’s desire to experience cultures all over the world.

I’m a photographer & blogger have been traveling across the US since February conducting what’s been the most incredible experience of my life so far:

http://rawtransformations.blogspot.com/2009/02/raw-vagabonding-community-building.html

and though I used to write a lot in the past, it’s only recently that I’ve become nomadic & began writing about my travels. The response from people has been really encouraging & since I already take photographs, I’d like to learn how to blend the two together better. It’s also been a really long time since I wrote for anyone but myself, so I feel I could really benefit from the input of professionals who know the ins & outs and could help me craft my pieces in a more cohesive manner. I’d also like to learn how (and where) to market them.

I’m already living an untraditional lifestyle, but would really like to make it more financially sustainable & pursue my passion for sharing my experiences with others.

Congratulations again Susan!

Community Connection

For those interested in learning more about the U, please visit the school here, or listen to this podcast, which really gets into the background of the school itself, the vision behind it, and who the teachers are.