Changemaker Pathways - returning for its second year - launched this fall with a cohort of 50 students. The 6-week experiential program is primarily for first-year, second-year or transfer students to explore ways that they can Do Good in their personal, professional or educational life through interactive and discussion-based workshops.
Here’s to our 3rd cohort of extraordinary changemakers—bold dreamers and doers shaping a better tomorrow. The journey starts now, and their impact will be limitless!Tyrese Fenty Program Coordinator
Over the first three weeks, Changemakers foster a sense of community while thinking about their identity as it relates to change-making and about social impact topics they would be interested in working on in their futures.
On Tuesday Oct. 1., Changemakers were introduced to the program.
Changemakers went through the “Changemaker Exploration” session, discussing different social issues they could focus on while at UMD like health inequity, climate change, or educational disparities, on Tuesday, Oct. 8.
On Saturday Oct. 26, Changemakers participated in Good Neighbor Day - an annual service event hosted by the Office of Community Engagement - by removing invasive species from Lake Artemesia.
The program wrapped up on Nov. 12. with a celebration of the Changemakers’ hard work and completion of the experience.
This semester, we welcomed ten wonderful Do Good Mentors to help support the Changemaker sessions and the community service event. These Mentors each participated in a 2023-2024 Changemaker Pathways cohort and have returned in mentor roles to grow the program further. Meet this semester’s Do Good Mentors:
- Lensa Dugassa is a sophomore majoring in information systems and is in the Honors College (University Honors).
- Maya Kayastha is a sophomore in Letters and Sciences.
- Emily Yi is a sophomore majoring in government and politics and criminology and criminal justice.
- Emily Chan is a senior majoring in biochemistry and public health science and is in the Honors College (Integrated Life Sciences).
- Natalie Ogiba is a senior majoring in finance.
- Christina Penafiel is a junior majoring in public health science, and is in College Park Scholars (Global Public Health).
- Julia Huang is a sophomore majoring in finance and information systems.
- Victoria Okodua-Oboh is a sophomore majoring in management and information systems and is in the Honors College (Interdisciplinary Business Honors).
- Ava Hicks is a junior majoring in public health science and is in College Park Scholars (Global Public Health).
- Amanda Anson is a sophomore in Letters and Sciences and is in College Park Scholars (Global Public Health).
