Alternative MBA (Sorta)Application - Tiara Shafiq

Tiara Shafiq is a young cosmopolitan passionate about bring people of diverse interests, cultures, and visions together to create greater change within themselves and their world. Her extensive background in the creative industries, youth engagement, and intercultural integration combine with her interest in alternatives - from alternative education to alternative spiritualty - to inspire others to look beyond "the usual" in their lives.

She writes and manages EducateDeviate, a leading Malaysian blog empowering youth to learn their own way. She's just completed a Bachelor's Degree in Creative Industries (Interdisciplinary) from Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia, and is currently working on a research project with QUT to develop the Disability Resources Wiki. She is also an avid volunteer, reader, social media user, and traveller.

Tiara is looking out for opportunities to combine creativity, personal development and support, holistic help, and social change together in fun and unusual ways.

• QUT Vacation Research Experience - doing literature reviews and sourcing content for the Disability Resource Wiki. It's an ongoing project and this year the focus is on arts and wellbeing (such as arts therapy). I wanted to see how postgrad life is like, and I wanted to do something with a practical purpose, so this seems pretty useful.


• Working on EducateDeviate - I started the blog in 2006 after being completely inspired by my Up with People trip but not being able to find other resources for alternative education in Malaysia. I'd talked to my school juniors about it and they loved it, but they also had no idea where to look. Now it's become a key resource for young Malaysians looking for encouragement to take unusual paths in life.


• Writing content for TiaraShafiq.com - I've had the domain for a few months and was working on some content (basically expansions of my CV) but many changes happened in my life and the project went on hiatus. I've now reoutlined the content and am hoping to get the site ready by the New Year. This application is actually helping, because a lot of the content works both for the app and for the site.


• Looking for something to do - I've just finished uni, am waiting to graduate (in March), and need something to do for at least the next few months or years. I'm happiest when fully engaged and busy with something fun. I'm planning to apply to the Sauve Scholars, a one-year residency in Montreal to work on a personal project (mine being youth engagement through personal and peer development). There's also this Alternative MBA. I'm open to suggestions!


• Rehearsing for The Vagina Monologues - another factor into this being a (non)app! I've wanted to do this for ages and the chance has come up. Rehearsals start soon, and I'll be performing "The Woman Who Loved To Make Vaginas Happy" (a.k.a. the sex worker story with all the moaning). Should be fun, if somewhat challenging!


• Waiting to graduate - I've just completed my Bachelor's Degree in Creative Industries (Interdisciplinary), submajoring in CI Management and Creative Writing. I'm meant to graduate in March. My grades are "unfinalised" for 3 out of the 4 subjects (I did all work placements; I think they're waiting for an industry partner evaluation) but I should be done and set to graduate soon!

Other than that, I'm just hanging out with friends, spending time with my boyfriend, going online, reading stacks of books, checking out what's happening in the city, travelling around, and chilling out. This is pretty quiet compared to my usual life, but it's good so far.

I've gained a lot from my experiences, studies, and relationships, but there are still a few more skills I would like to pick up:

• Human psychology - how do people interact with each other? Why do they feel what they feel? How can we relate to people better? Having some idea of how the psyche works in different situations can give me a better insight into people and society, helping us help each other more.


• Creative and holistic therapies - I'm particularly interested in art, music, and dance therapy. I personally use writing as a form of therapy and I feel there's a lot of value to healing through creativity.


• Community organising - How do you get the people in your community together to speak up for their rights, or even just be good neighbours? How do you logistically hold a gathering or a meeting? I know people (including myself) who are very passionate about issues, but have trouble getting others on board. Some skills on that would be useful.


• Persuasion - I personally find this a little bit icky, as I've developed connotations of exploitation and manipulation with that word. However, I do see another side - communicating your views better while linking it up to the values and principles of your listeners. It's less about tricking people and more about fitting puzzle pieces of understanding together.


• The practical side of administrating a venture, especially financials - I am very much a big-picture, vision person. I can do admin work if directed, but some things still stymie me. I've read books on starting and running ventures, but some sections - especially anything to do with money or business plans - are confusing! Hands-on personal guidance through these sections would be VERY helpful.


• Moving your idea into action - this links to the one above. I have tons of ideas, but am often not sure how to get them in action. Aside from the logistics, I'll also like to know how to get over the hump of getting started, and developing greater self-motivation.


• Practical skills - Aside from all those soft skills, I'd like to know more about event and stage management, non-skeezy networking, art and performance (including circus and dance), financial planning, organising, languages, cooking, and anything else interesting or related.

I'm pretty open to suggestion and love learning most things anyway. I'm sure there are other things that I'd like to or need to learn that I haven't identified yet!

This is a small portion of my ever-growing list: I come up with ideas every few seconds!

• Help other young people with their lives and passions through creativity, holistic health, and personal coaching


• Create festivals and gatherings that celebrate diversity and the creative spirit


• Work with an experiential education program, particularly one that deals with gap years


• Collect stories of why people do what they do with their lives


• Learn about the mysteries of the world with holy people in their communities


• Speak at conferences and events about finding your own path in life


• Live with a master for a year and be mentored in their art


• Form alternative schools (using systems like Steiner or Sudbury) in Malaysia


• Brainstorm ideas and strategies for people who know vaguely what they want to do but don't know where to go next


• Mentor a young person seeking support where traditional life can't help them

The best experiences I've had were things I could not have imagined, so this is by no means an exhaustive list. But it gives a good idea of the direction I'd like to head towards - supporting others to support themselves.

Alternative education · Youth engagement/youth culture · Creativity · Performance · Books · Music · Dance · Writing · Public speaking · Poetry slams · Bats · Expressions of sexuality · Inclusivity & diversity · Human rights · The Internet · Travel & international cultures · Hot chocolate · Food · Baking and cooking · Choreography · Experiential spirituality · Social entrepreneurship · Folklore · Mythology · Volunteering · Mail & letters · Festivals · Surprises · Relationships & friendships · Community development · Activism · Media · Anxiety/stress in young people · Giftedness & talent · Dressing up · Glamour/costume photography · Conferences · Fun · Host family living · Parodies · Musicals · Everyday stories · Museums · Mental challenges · Magic · Ideas · Application forms · Sexuality & sensuality · Faeries · Libraries · Subcultures · Tea · Technology · Social change · Windy days · Cute animals · LOLCats · Randomness · Drumming · Acting · Swings

Favourite Music: Darren Hayes, Savage Garden, Aqua, Lene Nystrom, Clay Aiken, Up with People, Audiotraffice, parodies, musicals, mash-ups, Finnish(ish) folk music, chill-out music, meditative music, poetry + music (e.g. Ghostboy & Golden Virtues), James Bond themes, bellydance/Arabic music, dancepop

Favourite Books: Harry Potter series, His Dark Materials, Looking-Glass Wars, JK Rowling, Phillip Pullman, Neil Gaiman, Frank Beddor, SARK, Paulo Coelho, inspirational, unusual, non-fiction about interesting topics, Malcolm Gladwell, Freakonomics-type books - I'd read just about anything! (n.b. I haven't had a chance to read any of Seth's books yet.)

Favourite People: Darren Hayes, Asha Gill, Oprah Winfrey, Richard Branson, Ken Robinson, anyone that does good and is a lovely person

Personally I believe that we all change the world just by existing - every action of ours affects everyone else. That said, here's an experience that had a greater direct impact than I imagined.

The Malaysian school system prized grades and exam scores, at the cost of student welfare and sanity. We constantly had seminars on "How To Score In X Exam" but nothing about how to live after school, how to take care of yourself, how to find what you're interested in. If you're not interested in the status quo (get straight As, be a doctor/accountant, get a good job) you don't matter.

When I was in Form 5 (Year 11) I asked my teacher why we didn't have a "Life After School" seminar. He laughed at me.

A few years passed since I left school. By this point I've had a gap year, done a little bit of university, and was preparing to embark on the trip of a lifetime with Up with People. I was at home resting and being bored. Then the idea came to me...

Me: *goes to old high school*
HeadMistress: Hey Tiara! Welcome back! What brings you here?
Me: I've got an idea. Could I borrow some of the seniors for a day? I want to give a talk about how life was like after school.
HeadMistress: Oh yeah, sure. Just come by this Saturday and we'll slot you in after the extra-curriculars.
Me: Cool, thanks!

I didn't really prepare a speech, though I did ask for suggestions; I figured I'd be in a small classroom and we'd just have a little chat. When I went to school that Saturday, I was surprised to see our hall packed with three years' worth of students, and a group of teachers sitting in the corner. Gulp.

I sat at the edge of the stage and rambled about what I was up to when I left school. My gap year, my small stint at uni, the activist work I did, the trip I was going on. I decided to solicit questions and build from there. One girl (whom I knew quite well at school) gave me a list along the lines of "Which subjects are best to take for this career path?". That wasn't really my expertise, and besides, I had a better story to tell.

Girls! Guess what? Don't stress about your exams too much. IT DOESN'T MATTER! You're not a failure if you don't get straight As or if you don't go to university straight away. You're not a loser if you don't want to be a doctor or an accountant. The world is full of opportunity; there's something for everyone if you look hard enough! Your life is wide open - relax and have a great time! Do what you want, not what society tells you to!

The students CHEERED. This was the first time they've ever had someone tell them that it was OK not to score straight As, that their life didn't depend on their exams. The teachers at the corner were glowering - I'm undoing everything they've indoctrinated into these girls. Their reaction wasn't my concern; I'd seen too many of my peers messed up by the system, and I wanted to make change.

I gave them ideas for how to figure out what to do (my sister had suggested keeping a box of articles and brochures that look interesting, for sifting through eventually). I got them fired up by saying that just because they're female doesn't mean they're weaker, regardless of what people think. I encouraged them to look beyond the norm, to enjoy their life, to feel free to take as much time as they need.

In my schooling years I had not seen as strong a response to any guest speaker (normally we'd be chatting amongst ourselves or goofing off). Here, I had everyone's attention, people were cheering and smiling...the energy was intense.

After I was done I was mobbed by juniors asking for photos, autographs, and contact details, and plenty asking for specific advice on things. I did get quite a number of emails and calls afterwards from some of them asking for direction.

My Up with People trip, and this speech, showed me how powerful alternatives to traditional education can be, and why it's important to inform my peers about how they can get involved. They were the impetus for EducateDeviate, which has spent two years providing resources and opportunities for young people tired by traditional mindsets.

I've helped students who felt stuck in a rut by expectations - I've even had suicidal students who see me as their only hope (it's sad that they've been pushed into such a situation, but an honour to be able to assist them in getting better). Some of my juniors have moved on to more interesting paths - one of them told me that because of my speech, she was inspired to explore journalism, and is now a stringer at a major paper!

If you wished for something, and your wish was granted, please pass it on. You won't be the only person wishing for it for sure.

Dips aren't a new thing in my life. Indeed, they're often a strong recurring feature. I've been "dipped" in racism, exclusion, failed attempts, heartbreaks, anxiety, depression, disappointment...heck, for a long while I believed I should never think positive in anything because that'd only lead to failure. (I'm working past it but it still comes from time to time.)

However. Let me introduce you to a very public retelling of a major recent dip. From the end of 2007, I had attempted to enter the KaosPilots, a set of European social enterprise schools that combined creativity with social change. It sounded like the perfect school for me and I deeply wanted to get in.

3 attempts, 2 flights to on-spec interviews, tons of letters and cash, constant hassling and networking, and many tears later...

I didn't get in.

I retired my KaosPilots aspiration after my 3rd rejection, from KaosPilots Netherlands. I was no longer willing to expend all the energy, effort, time, and money onto something that wasn't going anywhere.

I started my blog, Wanna Be A KP, to get support and assistance with my venture (particularly with financing). I became a celebrity amongst the KP circles, and garnered quite a bit of Internet attention. Not enough, however, to get me into the school proper.

Ah well.

At least I tried.

Before I was an ex-university student, I was a university student. That in itself is astonishing, because I'm totally not the traditional-education type and the the fact that I started - and FINISHED! - takes me by total surprise.

That's more out-of-character than astonishing though.

The most astonishing, amazing, crazy, bewildering, out-there, awesome, brilliant, difficult, topsy turvy thing I did, before I did what I do now, was travel around the world with Up with People, a global education nonprofit org based in Denver that brings groups of young people around the world to put on a performance about peace, work in local communities, and interact with other cultures.

I was in my first university and was already itching to get out. I'd tried other avenues (mainly auditions) but wasn't getting anywhere. I had a long-held dream of being an exchange student, and I wanted to do something really unusual and out-there.

A random comment on Livejournal pointed me to Up with People, which had been renamed WorldSmart at the time. It looked interesting, so I signed up. And got really excited about it. It was the only thing I thought about for months.

To my utter surprise, I got in. But couldn't pay (US$14,500 is a lot). I started my round of fundraising, but no one took me seriously enough. Eventually my Dad took pity on me and paid for me.

It was the best time of my life.

I travelled with about 54 people from all over the world - almost every continent.
We had atheists, UUs, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Shintos, and every flavour of Christian (and possibly some other combos).
We had a filmmaker (who went everywhere with a high-end camera), a violinist, a bunch of businessmen who'd never be caught dead on stage, a bunch of performers who'd likely never worn a business suit, a few engaged folk, two girls just out of high school.
We had people who studied finance, psychology, politics, performing arts - and people who eschewed school.
There were two Brazilian best friends, a tough-talking Brooklynite, a Korean who'd served with the UN Peace Corps, an Italian who spoke about 5 languages. All sorts of folks.

We sung, danced, pantomimed, announced stats, told life stories, banged on instruments.
We had Japanese mayors and the founders of Up with People doing the Chicken Dance.
We became celebrities amongst schoolchildren.
We cleaned up pathways on mountains and libraries in mental health refuges.
We lived with gay couples, single parents, mixed-race families, Catholic priests and nuns, owners of Buddhist temples, artists, business people, employees of milk factories.
We seethed at the stereotypes (tiger boat people?!), had way too many meetings about the word "leadership", lost a few members along the way, injured our feet, got culture shocked.
Our eyes were opened and our asses were kicked.
(I was also scared senseless by a random talking rice cooker.)

I kept a blog about the experience - at the time, using social media was still relatively new and I earned the rep of being the "Group Internet geek". The casts after us were a lot more savvy, using Flickr and YouTube and blogs to their heart's content. My expertise actually led me to be elected crew rep - a huge honour.

Though we haven't really spoken in a while, I still feel like they're family to me. We shared so much in our 22-week, 18-city journey across the US, Japan, and Europe. We changed and grew so much. I'm astonished that I pulled it off...but so glad I went. I was the happiest I'd ever been. It was a million dreams come true.

I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Indeed, I'm waiting for my chance.

I wish we were all given the resources, opportunities, and support to do whatever we want - even just exploring what it is we like in the first place.

Enough with societal expectation. Enough with the status quo. In the name of "keeping appearances", people are stifling their inner desires and letting it consume themselves from the inside.

Who says that all "smart" students have to go into medicine? Who said that a non-sciencey student couldn't give it a go?
Who says that we must aspire to absolute greatness? Who says tall poppies need to be shot down?
If a woman didn't want to wear makeup or shave her legs, why scorn her? If a woman feels super empowered as a sex worker, why scorn her?

Why scorn anyone, really?

And no harm done, do what thou will. For that to happen though, a lot of underlying beliefs, and the structures that support them, will need to be demolished and rebuilt.

Do we dare be free?

1. I have a Bangladesh passport (see picture). This means that generally, visas are very hard to come by. I do have a valid US tourist visa, which lasts till about March 2009 (I think). For me to do an internship or a job, I'll need to be sponsored to get a related visa, and that takes a few months - hence why this Alt MBA is a major longshot. This doesn't mean that I can't do anything - miracles have happened! - but it does mean that things may be difficult visa-wise.

2. I'd rather have some sort of financial support if expected to travel inter-state or internationally. Australia's so far away from everything that flights are going to be expensive by default.

3. English is my first language and I have been employed as a native English speaker. It doesn't mean I'm perfect; however, if I have to hear "OMG you're so good at English" one more time I'll probably have to scream. Or glower gloweringly.

4. I'm open to questions. If there's anything you'd like to know, just email me or leave a comment. You don't have to be Seth Godin to contact me; just don't be a spammer or an ass.

I was reading this article about a guy who's struggling to get work (after being laid off) to the point of having to distribute his resume on the streets. This bit, about his daughter having the same struggle, reminded me of Seth's offer:

Now that she's graduated, she'll have an easy time finding work, right? Wrong. She couldn't get an interview for anything. Office assistant, receptionist -- no luck. And the jobs she did get called about were "unpaid internships." Now, tell me how does someone pay commuting costs to New York City, health insurance, and student loans with no pay?

How does an employer have the nerve to call a free employee an "intern"? It's just a way to get an employee in New York for less than the wages paid to a Chinese factory worker.

One strong applicant, Becky, challenged Seth to consider the parameters of his challenge. As an international applicant, I can attest to how the costs are extra difficult, and how this has always been a big issue for international participants.

What do you think? Is Seth Godin's offer for his Alternative MBA fair, or is he missing something? What can be done so that Seth's offer, or anything like it, can be made fairer?

EDIT: I posed this question on the Ning group, and there's been some significant discussion. I suggest you go in there and check out all sorts of different perspectives.