Hey Changemakers! I’m Mary Bryan from Arlington, VA and I’m a freshman planning to major in public health with minors in economics and social innovation and social entrepreneurship. I took a gap year after I graduated from high school, and my experiences studying development issues in different countries really sparked my passion for social innovation and being a proactive agent of change in the world. I get so excited learning about other people who are out in the world or in their community taking a stand to create change, because it motivates me and reminds me that it is possible.

There are so many obstacles in our world that it’s so easy sometimes to lose hope that change is possible, but seeing people and organizations overcoming those barriers is proof that it is. I’m passionate about working towards a world where people can lead lives that they have reason to value in a way that is socially, economically and environmentally mindful. What makes me angry? Ignorance, apathy, greed and violence—unfortunately these are all qualities that may always exist in the world.

Tulane is a great place to feed my love of social innovation. I am a member of the Newcomb Scholars Program, and will be co-heading the TEDxTU planning committee and the TUchangemakers next semester.

This summer I am heading to Rwanda to take part in a program called ThinkImpact. This eight-week program seeks to promote “people-powered development” in the rural communities where it works (there are also sites in Kenya, Ghana and South Africa). It provides students with key social innovator/community developer skills such as asset and needs-based assessments, and gives students the opportunity to work with community members to start a social venture in the community. Past innovations have included rainwater catchment systems, basket-weaving co-ops and school uniform consignment businesses. I could not imagine anything else I would rather be doing this summer; ThinkImpact is a perfect next step towards what I want to do with my life.