Five-Minute Feature: Jeremy Qvick ’22, Winter 2025 Graduate

Get to know the Empire State University community through these special-edition Five-Minute Features celebrating our Winter 2025 graduates. What makes Empire State University exceptional? The diverse stories, achievements, and dreams of the students crossing the stage. Five minutes—starting now! 

Meet graduate Jeremy Qvick ’22, who is receiving a Master’s in Adult Learning. 

How has your experience at Empire State University shaped who you are? 

Before Empire State University, I wrote a couple of books about consciousness studies, meditation, and self-development. The books became pretty big in Finland, so I was able to go and give lectures, workshops, and seminars. And then I realized that I wanted to take it to next level. I wanted to create what I call the academic backbone: scientific thinking, clear observation, all those good things that you might not get otherwise. I don’t believe there is another school where I could do what I was able to do here, which means that I could really craft my own path. 

What is your favorite thing about SUNY Empire?  

The open-mindedness of my professors. They want to follow me where my learning is, where my questions are, instead of imposing their views of how I should learn. This gives me a feeling of humanness and connection. 
 
Where and how did you find community at SUNY Empire?  

I went on a half-year journey around the US from Finland to find a school because I did not want to make a compromise. At the end I found Empire State University in the backyard of my American friends in Saratoga Springs who were supporting my studies, so it was quite a journey. 
 

What’s a first-day assumption you made that ended up being inaccurate?    

I thought online schooling would be more dry and more outside directed. I thought my studies would unfold in terms of, “check this goal, check that goal.” And for me it was much more.  

What are your future plans?   

I will begin to do the work which I’m now doing as my final project. I’m able to combine the learning I’m doing with my coming profession. I am studying adult learning, so my final project is about how to bring adult learning into social media. How can one experience deep learning in a TikTok video? This is my ultimate goal.