Student Highlights

Why JOrdan is a Change Maker:

Jordan is a changemaker because she challenges the way things are traditionally done and creates opportunities to promote diversity and inclusion on campus. As a part of the Student Government Association, she has worked alongside her constituents to author legislation that brings awareness to people in minority groups and communities. This has included writing Breast Cancer Awareness Legislation and helping pass legislation regarding Transgender Visibility. Jordan works with the UNCG Police Department to coordinate the annual safety walk to make sure students who need access to wheelchair entrances and exits get the resources and information they need and make sure they are safe on our campus. Jordan listens to her peers and takes in their feedback, which is why she launched a climate feedback survey including all departments, UNCG dining, and UNCG PD to gauge the needs and demands of the students here at UNCG as a way to make things better and improve in the future for the future Spartans.

Why Taylor is a Change Maker:

One way Taylor is a changemaker is because she is not afraid of change. Taylor is an individual who embraces their individuality and stays true to themselves. Taylor says, “Being comfortable with discomfort and reaching out to new opportunities has helped me grow as a person. My three core values are personal development, spirituality, and self-respect. With these values, I am intentional with my goals and contributions to the community”.

Why Tia is a Change Maker:

Tia is a phenomenal leader within her community and area of study. She has been involved with several internships that focus on public health and has presented research about caregiving efforts for senior citizens and persons with disabilities. Tia currently utilizes her leadership skills by serving as a Catalyst Leader with the Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement where she designs and leads service projects for her fellow Spartans. Tia is particularly passionate about issues of maternal health, AIDS/HIV awareness, and health issues impacting black youth. Her nominator says Tia is unique in her style of leadership in that she connects individually with the people around her.

Why zainab is a Change Maker:

In Zainab’s word’s “Being a changemaker means taking the time to learn more about the issues that exist in my community and then finding ways to solve them. I do this by participating in efforts such as community service, but I am also working on developing the skills needed to implement long-term solutions. To be a changemaker means one must step up, speak out, and demonstrate inclusive leadership.” On campus, Zainab shows her leadership through her multiple involvements on campus, including being President of MSA, and by completing the Bronze and Silver levels of the Spartan Leadership Challenge.

She interned in Summer 2023 with Democracy North Carolina, a nonprofit that strengthens democratic structures, builds power among disenfranchised communities and more. There, she says, she finetuned her communication and social media skills, visited one-on-one with state legislators, and had the chance to inform others about voting rules. 

Zainab continues to grow in her leadership and commitment to creating change in her community. Her UNCG experience has broadened her perspective and allowed her to think critically about her civic identity.

Why kahlia is a Change Maker:

Kahlia is a changemaker in many ways.  In her word’s “To me being a changemaker means not only making a difference in your life but being able to make a huge impact on others. I enjoy seeing people come together to make a change within their selves and their community.” On campus, Kahlia shows her leadership through involvement with the Black Student Union and by completing the Bronze and Silver levels of the Spartan Leadership Challenge.

This past summer, Kahlia was selected as an intern through the CSS Neuse Museum State of NC. The State of North Carolina Internship Program has been a fundamental source for nurturing the interest of NC’s best and brightest students in the area of public service. This program is instrumental in laying the foundation for future careers in state government. 

Coordinated by the Department of Administration’s Council for Women and Youth Involvement, the State of North Carolina Internship Program offers college students across the state an opportunity to connect lessons learned in the classroom to potential career choices. Kahlia worked with Untold Stories Women & African American in Lenoir Intern – DNCR. 

Why Santiago is a Change Maker:

Santiago is a changemaker in many ways.  He strives to create community wherever he goes and is always a welcoming presence to students, staff, faculty and community members at UNCG.  Santiago is from Colombia, and he’s also involved in clubs like ALPFA and Ritmo Latino. To him, a changemaker is an integral and collaborative person who seeks to create change within the community by empowering other members through creativity, education, critical thinking, and communication, all to generate a common good where we all make a difference.

Santiago served this summer as a SECU Public Fellows Intern with the Center for New North Carolinians (CNNC), which promotes access and integration for immigrants and refugees in North Carolina by bridging newcomer populations with existing communities through direct service provision, research, and training.  Santiago completed over 300 hours with CNNC working with people new to the United States, helping them get acclimated to their new home.  Santiago also served as a CHANCE Mentor this summer.  CHANCE is a program for Hispanic/LatinX high school students that come to UNCG and spend a week learning about the life of a college student.  Santiago served as not only a mentor but a friend, a support system, and a role model to these students.

Why Grace is a Change Maker:

Grace Acosta is a senior double majoring in Psychology, and Integrated Professional Studies. She is wholeheartedly driven to bring change to the community at large, and shows that in a variety of ways! She is currently engaging in the Gold Experience in the Spartan Leadership Challenge serving as Coordinator of the UNCG Gold Leadership, and put forward the FaithAction International House Talent Show 2023. Additional from completing the Bronze and Silver Experiences of the SLC, Grace stays active on campus as a member of various student organization, such as the Association of Latino Professionals For America (ALPFA), the Spanish American Latino Student Association (S.A.L.S.A), and UNCG’s Psychology Club.

As a ChangeMaker, Grace displays values in community, commitment, and collaboration. Those who know Grace, say she “puts in an innumerable amount of time and effort into furthering and bettering the community. This is best evidenced by her current gold level project. She is going above and beyond to make an impact and raise funds to help the local community. She works tirelessly to synthesize a multitude of different perspectives and views so that everybody in the community can benefit.” Grace is devoted to inspiring change and contributing towards positive social change.

When asked, “why is it important to be a changemaker?” Grace proudly stated, “It is important to be a change-maker since it gives me the opportunity to always inspire and help others. Sometimes all it takes is courage and inspiration to impact someone who wants to make a difference in the community, and my goal is to always help lead and inspire others with making a positive change in the world.”

Why Odalis is a Change Maker:

Odalis Peralta Paulino is a senior majoring in psychology, and minoring in entrepreneurship. She is incredibly dedicated to the UNCG community, and driven to bring change to the community at large! She is currently in the Bronze Experience in the Spartan Leadership Challenge, and has continued involvement with OLCE’s days of service – serving in Spartan Day of Service for two years, and our latest MLK Day of Service. As an active Spartan, Odalis is a proud member of Sisters With a Vision, and Girls Reaching Out, and holds a leadership role within S.O.C.A (Student of Caribbean Ancestry) as Community Service Chair and Fundraising Chair.

The traits of a change maker that Odalias displays are commitment, community, and controversy with courage. Her nominators say that her traits show up when through her passion for service and volunteering, “while also striving to make a positive impact on those around her and the community as a whole. Odalis’ outgoing personality allows her to network and make connections that transcend the constructed barriers that we all face as global citizens.”

When asked, “why is it important to be a changemaker?” Odalis said the following: “I believe it is important to be a change maker because it creates opportunities to make a difference in the community, and communities outside our own to increase positive change. Any small contribution is a closer step to seeing the change we want to see, whether through service, advocacy, leadership or innovation for social change.”

Why Mulubrhan is a Change Maker:

Mulubrhan has made her mark on campus with founding Women2Women Self Defense Course, which she designed to help women protect themselves and create a sense of community. Her nominators (she had two!) described her as “honorable” “hard working” and “amazing at what she does”. She is also a very strong advocate for the promotion of African and African-American studies on UNCG’s campus. 

When asked why Mulubrhan believes being a change maker is important, she quotes, “It’s important to be a Changemaker because there is always room for it if we just observe and educate ourselves about the needs of others. Positive change leads to a better world even if it’s local. The key ingredient to being a Changemaker from my experience is to have unconditional love, passion and patience.”

Why Jesea is a Change Maker:

Jesea is a Change Maker, because she believes in positive social change. From her involvement on campus, to serving in the local Greensboro community, she believes it’s important to contribute towards the growth of our communities. Her nominee and peers will say she is ambitious, driven, caring, and passionate about the work she does while embodying an example of a well-rounded student life. After graduating, she wants to create a long-lasting impact in the field of Computer Science, and represent her family proudly in everything she aspires to do. When asked why she thinks it’s important to be a Change Maker, she proudly stated, “I think it is important to be a Change Maker, because we are the future and the future is going to be the one calling the shots to change the world for the better.”

Why Zaria is a Change Maker:

Zaria is a changemaker because of the dedicated service she does for her community. Zaria holds many of the changemaker traits, but her nominee believes she upholds the trait of collaboration to the fullest extent. Through her work with OLCE specifically she has been able to lead groups of students through meaningful service and reflections. She is also heavily involved with other organizations on campus and always finds ways to enhance the UNCG community!

When asked why being a changemaker was important, Zaria quotes, “I think that it is important to be a change maker to be an example for others to do the same. Everyone is a small but important piece of making change in the community. Even if you think your impact is not making a difference, it is!”

Why Muskan is a Change Maker:

Muskan displays a prominent passion for civic engagement and voter education. Her nominee described her as “adaptable”, “people-oriented and kind” and “always reliable”. She goes above and beyond in the field of political science through internships and her work as a democracy fellow, and continues to display dedication to her community through the work she does for her fellow students and UNCG community. When asked why Muskan believes being a change maker is important, she quotes, “I think being a changemaker is important because it creates meaningful experiences and interactions. My goal is to always have a positive impact on my community.”

Why Teara is a Change Maker:

Teara shows a clear passion for education in her already extensive involvement while in her first year. Her nominee described her as “highly enthusiastic” and “passionate about making an impact for her students”. She went above and beyond her service requirement while in the Bronze leadership challenge, and continues to display commitment to her community through service and her engagement with leadership week events and workshops.

When asked why Teara believes being a change maker is important, she quotes, “I think it’s important to be a change-maker because that means I can positively affect the next generation and members of that generation can affect more, meaning I can have a long-lasting impact on the world!”

Why Maisha is a Change Maker:

Maisha shows passion and dedication to service and leadership at UNCG and the greater Greensboro community. Outside of being a junior Biology major, Maisha serves as a Chancellor Student Ambassador, and is a member of Alpha Lambda Delta. She is always looking to grow in new ways as a leader and has engaged in the Civic Engagement Academy, completed the Bronze Leadership Challenge and is currently undergoing the Silver Leadership Challenge. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering as part of the Spartan Spears, serving in the annual Spartan Service Day and MLK Day of Service as well as volunteering at her local American Red Cross center. When asked why she believes it’s important to be a Change Maker, this is what Maisha has to say: 

“I believe leadership has no certain age requirement. Anyone can become a leader as long as they have the potential and the mindset to improve. There is no such things in this world as perfect. It is all bound to trying again and again until we reach the goal. If we want to change something, we must start working for it without expecting others might do it for us. The amount of work we do toward the change does not matter as long as we give the efforts. Once we give the effort toward the change, everything falls into pieces at the end. And that is when we start to improve and develop skills as a leader, as a student, and as a human being.”

Why Olivia-Michelle is a Change Maker:

Olivia-Michelle is a first year majoring in psychology. She is an incredibly active and dedicated member of the UNCG community! She has completed the Bronze and Silver levels of the Leadership Challenge program and is a member of the Helping Hands Club and Alpha Delta Pi. As a first year student, Olivia-Michelle is creating quite a presence on campus very quickly! 

The traits of a change maker that Olivia-Michelle displays are commitment and community. Her work with the UNCG community displays her values for creating change through service, and following through with commitments show her dedication to positively impacting the local area. When asked why she thinks being a changemaker is important, she led with a quote from Deke Copenhaver; “If no one tries to change things, things simply are never going to change”. She also had this to add;

“Change making is a choice, a choice I made to be the change I want to see, and I hope to inspire others on my journey. The importance of change-making is to help/guide/inspire others and make them want to make a change. Making change is a positive step forward, even a small change is a step in the right direction.”

Why David is a Change Maker:

David is a Junior majoring in Communication Studies who has been chosen as our Change Maker of the Month for his extraordinary leadership with his students. He is known for going above and beyond what he is expected to do and always putting his students first. He’s an exceptional leader demonstrating the 7 C’s of Leadership from the Social Change Model, in particular commitment and collaboration. He is very committed as an educator alongside his co-educator, and shows great passion for mentoring students.

Outside of the classroom, David also wears many hats including a member of the Spartan Orientation Staff, a participant in the Spartans in Dialogue Series, a student in the Civic Engagement Academy, among others. When asked why he thinks change makers are important, this is what he had to say: “I think it is important to be a change maker because through the things you create, you become a role model and thus inspire others to make a difference.”

Why Holden is a Change Maker:

Holden is an incredibly active and dedicated member of the Lloyd International Honors College and UNCG community. He has completed the Bronze and Silver levels of the Leadership Challenge program and is currently working to complete a community project to earn his Gold medallion. Last year he became a NASPA Certified Peer Educator which enhanced his strengths in educating and organizing his peers. He currently serves as a Peer Academic Leader for a First-Year Experience course in which he advocates and mentors first-year students, and as a Student Reflection Leader, where he supports quality service-learning in a designated course. 

The traits of a change maker Holden displays the most are commitment and common purpose. He is dependable and consistent and demonstrates the ability to break down bigger goals into tasks and processes. In his service-learning role, Holden teaches others and engages in dialogue about service and service experiences. His ability to facilitate and effectively listen contributes to the common purpose of the class.

Why Destiny is a Change Maker:

Destiny is currently a Catalyst Leader and was a Spartan Service Day 2021 Site Leader, and SECU Public Fellow Intern serving with SHIELD Mentor Program. Destiny has been thoughtful and creative when building day-long service programs through Catalyst. During her internship with SHIELD this summer, Destiny developed and implemented a photography and videography day camp for youth to learn more about their skills while gaining leadership skills in teamwork and project planning. As a site leader for Spartan Service Day, Destiny was highly supportive and encouraging for volunteers as they worked at their site. She was phenomenal at making others feel comfortable and a part of the UNCG community. Her organization and facilitation skills are on point! She thinks through possibilities and always thinks ahead about the experience students will receive and the learning they will have. She is energetic and engaging when leading groups and is a great role model to those around her.

Why Joshua is a Change Maker:

Joshua is currently a Gold student, working with SHIELD Mentoring.  He is using his major of education to help craft curriculum to keep students virtually engaged.  He also represented UNCG at the UNC System Conference and learned about sustained dialogue and how to create change on campus.  Post the conference, Joshua met with some attendees who are now crafting a plan to bring back what they learned to UNCG.  Joshua is also a CPE student and went through training in NASPA on how to be a peer facilitator and will continue his work with OLCE next year.  He is also in UNCG Guarantee and serves as a Cohort Captain in the Guarantee program.  He continues to try new things, seeking ways to grow in his leadership and learn new skills.

Why Christelle is a Change Maker:

Christelle creates positive change through community engagement. She practices this leadership competency by leading volunteers for the UNCG MLK Day of Service and promoting access and integration for local immigrants and refugees through the Center for New North Carolinians.

Christelle increases her Intercultural Knowledge and that of the students she supports as an International Ambassador and a member of the C.O.N.F.L.I.C.T. Alliance. As a Global Leadership Program facilitator, she helps build the leadership skills of international students.

Why Maitlyn is a Change Maker:

Maitlyn shows two of our major leadership competencies in the way she leads on campus: self awareness and relationship development. She is starting to recognize her power and potential in the way she connects with and works with others to ignite positive change. In previous semesters she has coordinated efforts around service with her FYE class as a PAL, learning that it can take just one person to inspire many. We are so excited to see what she does with OLCE and across campus during her journey as a leader here at UNCG.

Why Jocelyn is a Change Maker

She has a strong commitment to several of our core leadership competencies: Community Engagement, Intercultural Competence, and Creative Visioning. Jocelyn started her own non-profit, Got Tec, which helps underfunded/served K-12 schools get access to the latest technology to use in their classrooms. For Gold, she is partnering with her non-profit and American Reading Company to continue to offer resources to schools around NC and VA. Jocelyn saw a need in her community and found a way to address it. It’s incredibly inspiring to see such a young person making a huge impact already. She stays committed to her academics while participating in co-curricular programs and running her own non-profit; pretty impressive!

Why Cameron is a Change Maker

Cameron has lived out our definition of Change Maker by being an active student leader both in the Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement and on campus as an RA. He has spent this year as a Democracy Fellow for our office, teaching students and classes about voting while helping to get our campus ready for the November Election. UNCG is a better place with Cameron’s active leadership! 

Why Belle is a Change Maker

Belle lives out the definition of Change Maker daily, demonstrating all of our core competencies. She recognizes that real leadership is a process and is continually looking for ways to expand her personal growth. She facilitates a “Be the Change” workshop series for two different residential colleges in an effort to help them recognize their potential as individuals, their strength as a group, and their community responsibility to be the change we need to see in the world. Further, Belle started what she calls “The Better Humans Project” where she asks students to record their answers to the question: How can someone be a better human? She has been compiling and recording the advice, sayings, and ideas students have shared and is planning to share them with our campus.

Why Killion is a Change Maker

Killion has lived out our definition of Change Maker by demonstrating skills in both task management and community engagement. According to her community partner, Julia Osborne at A Simple Gesture, Killion jumped into her project and never looked back. She is incredibly organized and is very committed to raising awareness around food insecurity. She has great energy, passion, and exemplifies what is means to be a Gold student.

Why Jamie is a Change Maker

Jamie has lived out our definition of Change Maker by being an active student leader both in the Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement and around campus. This year she thought outside of the box and took the initiative to get her fellow dance majors involved in the Bronze Leadership Challenge by bringing it directly to them. She is determined to leave UNCG a better place than she found it and is an inspiration to those around her.

Why Lex is a Change Maker

Lex lives out our definition of citizen leadership by constantly looking for ways to help others, whether it be with an assignment or through the struggles of life. Throughout her various on and off campus roles, she is always advocating for diversity and its importance. Her experience with diverse populations and cultures has opened her eyes to the differences between various groups, and how, as a community, we all can appreciate our differences to reach a common goal.

Why Akecicia & Calyssa are Change Makers

Akecicia and Calyssa are February’s Citizen Leaders of the Month because, together, they strive to be a catalyst for change. These students serve as OLCE’s Catalyst Leaders for the office’s new Catalyst program. Together, these students live out their values by serving community partners, leading with integrity, and working toward making the difference they hope to see in their communities.

Why Oluwatamilore is a Change Maker

Oluwatamilore is January’s Citizen Leader of the month because she involves herself in numerous volunteer opportunities in the community. She believes in leadership through service, so she tries to give back to the community as much as she can. By going through all three levels of the Leadership Challenge, she says she has been able to grow her leadership skills, which in turn makes her a better citizen leader. By being informed, she is able to answer questions that people have regarding civic duties, or she refers them to the Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement. Additionally, she is always open to work with anyone to achieve a common goal.

Why Savanna is a Change Maker

Savanna is October’s Citizen Leader of the month because of her dedication to serving her community. Through Camp Kesem, she is able to work with a team of individuals who address needs in the Greensboro community by spending several hours each week supporting children through and beyond their parent/guardian’s experience with cancer.

Through our Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement, she assisted with the planning, implementation, and evaluation of service trips, and days of service. Currently, she serves as the Out of School Time Coordinator for the city of Greensboro, which has allowed her to create effective change in the greater community by serving Greensboro’s youth on a broader scale.