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Brian Landis's La Vida Experience

La Vida participant and sherpa, and Discovery teacher's assistant from 2009–2012

Mechanical Design Engineer
Maxar Technologies
Pasadena, CA 

A La Vida trip is like rapid prototyping. 

On La Vida, you get to try new things multiple times and you develop skills and habits from those experiences. Your leadership skills get refined over time through your co-leaders and the director’s feedback.

It is similar to my work as an engineer. I find myself testing ideas over and over again until I come to the actual product. I keep working on the product until I have refined it into this beautiful, functioning object. I can’t think of another time in my life where I have had so many people paying such close attention to the details of what I’m doing on a daily basis as I have at La Vida. That kind of daily contact and rapid change of circumstances helps refine you.

When I worked for La Vida Expeditions and Discovery, I was mentoring people of all ages. I would encounter participants who were older than I was, learn new ideas from younger students and walk alongside peers in a new way I never would have expected. Through those experiences, I learned how to be a teacher, a peer and a subordinate. I believe that having the opportunity to play all three of those roles was very important in shaping me into whom I am today. As an engineer, I do a variety of jobs within my company that requires I use my social skills in addition to my engineering skills. La Vida gave me the opportunity to mentor people of all ages which helps as I work with younger interns, peers or older engineers.

I learned rather quickly that experiential education is vital for success, not just in the woods. As an engineering student, you cannot get hired unless you are building in the lab. To be a leader in this world, you have to be really good at your job, but also really good at working with people. The amount of impact you will have in the world is the result of knowledge plus communication. You need both, and La Vida helps you develop those skills.