I Could be a Million Things; I Could be a Changemaker
The International Changemaker Grant supports student teams in collaborating with international non-profits to work on sustainability-related community projects. This past summer, one team collaborated with Kenya Connect to help design more accessible learning environments for students with disabilities to improve access to education in rural Kenya.
Meet the team:
UNH Faculty Mentors: John Wilcox, clinical associate professor, occupational therapy, College of Health and Human Services; Amy VanCamp, clinical associate professor, Occupational therapy, College of Health and Human Services
Student Team:
Livia Souza ‘26, occupational therapy
Maya Wingsted ’27, occupational therapy
Ella Johnsen ’27, occupational therapy
Sarah Potter ’27, occupational therapy
Max McKenney’25, mechanical engineering
Abigail Tobin ‘27, occupational therapy
Jenna McFadden ‘27, occupational therapy
We're grateful to the visionary leadership of S. Melvin Rines ’47, whose generous support has been instrumental, the Emeriti Council of the UNH Foundation Board has taken a pioneering step by establishing this fund. Additionally, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Alnoba Lewis Family Global Service Initiative Fund for their invaluable contribution in making this initiative a reality.
An International Changemaker Experience: Their Story, in Their Words:
This June, seven University of New Hampshire students packed their bags and traveled 10,000 miles away to Wamunyu, Kenya, not just to visit, but to connect, learn, and grow alongside the community and students.
With the help of the International Changemaker Grant and in partnership with Kenya Connect, a nonprofit dedicated to creating educational programs that open doors to new possibilities, we were able to leave lasting impacts on communities. Their mission is simple but powerful: “To ensure rural children leave education with options, by developing the skills, values and pathways to thrive.”
We applied for the grant with big ideas of change in our heads and an even bigger desire to make a difference. But the truth? Wamunyu changed us way more than we could have ever changed it. What surprised us most wasn’t the need for resources or the challenges people faced—it was the overwhelming sense of hope and joy that already lived there.
The students, teachers, and families we met didn’t let limited resources define their happiness or stop them from dreaming. They danced. They sang. They played soccer and told us so many stories by the fire, under the moon. They radiated kindness, strength, resilience, and hope.
Wamunyu taught us more than words can express, but a few large lessons we took away were: never take for granted the opportunities you’re given. Appreciate what you have. And lead with joy, no matter where you are.
As we read a book during Saturday Storytime named “I could be a million things” by Jessy Humann. It told the children they could be anything they wanted to be if they set their minds to it. A builder. A doctor. A firefighter. But also, a helper. The children listening to this book full of hope, eyes wide and full of desire, something changed for us in that moment. We weren’t just reading about being helpers.
We were the helpers—right there, in that moment, in Wamunyu. The changemakers.
The walls of Wamunyu Special School are full of color, animals, numbers, and more. There are three freshly painted murals, with help from the students, of course. Along with a colorful and useful playground, with new tire swings that are used by all. They have new soccer balls, teethers, regulation toys, and more.
The Kamba tribe (the tribe in Wamunyu) gave us names—beautiful descriptions of who we were becoming. The loved one. The beautiful one. The pure one. The strong one. The tall one. The blessed one. Each name sticks with us, like little reminders of the parts of ourselves we sometimes forget to celebrate.
We danced, sang, cried, and laughed. We visited homesteads and villages, watched baby elephants at the orphanage, and went on a safari to see wild giraffes, lions, and zebras. We stood under African skies with a bright moon, swapping stories with new friends, learning how to live and cherish each moment. We played soccer, tag, and Mr. Fox with students whose laughs radiate thousands of miles away.
This trip wasn’t just about teaching or giving back—it was about discovering who we are and who we want to be. Leaders. Helpers. Changemakers. Wildcats, with big hearts and even bigger dreams. We’ll carry Wamunyu with us wherever we go next.
We could be a million things. But for now, we’re just grateful to be a changemaker.
