Student Innovators Share Their January 2024 Live It Fund Experiences

By Dennis Krolevich ʼ26

Macalester’s Live It Fund provides funding for ambitious, globally-conscious students who identify an issue in a community and propose an innovative solution. Selected proposals are awarded up to $2,000 during winter break, with an opportunity to apply for summer funding of $6,250, plus a $500 per project expense reimbursement. 

We asked our participants to tell us about their projects and experience with the Live It Fund. 

Nibia Becarra Santillan ʼ25 

“Aulas Abiertas: Educadores Transformadores”/“Open Classrooms: Transformative Educators” focuses on building connections with teachers and leadership in order to better understand their role as mentors for low-income high school students, as well as assess their interest in building specific mentoring skills. 

How has the Live It Fund helped you to think bigger and differently about what is possible for yourself? The LIF gave me the push I needed to start taking action. Personally, I didn’t achieve all I expected, but if I put all the work I did into perspective, it doesn’t demoralize me—it highlights the complexity of developing a project from the ground up. I’m glad I had the opportunity to get my first project started!

What skill did you most develop during your project? Courage. I didn’t expect how vulnerable exposing your dreams to a community would be. I learned that the first step is to be confident in my own ideas without expecting them to be right all the time. I’ve adopted a mindset in which I hope to encounter people who question me in order to re-think some ideas and improve them. 

Do you intend to keep working on this project or have new inspiration for another project? I would love to keep working on this project because I believe it can have a great impact in my community. However, I still need to figure out how I would make it better. 

 

Rosie Bai ʼ27

“Conservation and Habitat Management of the China Northeast Tigers” investigated human-wildlife conflicts in northeast China, centering the impacts of Dunhua communities. 

How has the Live It Fund helped you to think bigger and differently about what is possible for yourself? The whole process was very helpful and interactive.

What skill did you most develop during your project? Taking action and being flexible were two skills I took away from this experience.

Do you intend to keep working on this project or have new inspiration for another project? I plan to continue researching HWC issues. 

 

Makol Deng Chuol ʼ27

“Seed of Hope, Stories of Hope” is a transformative educational initiative dedicated to empowering young souls amidst the trials of displacement. This project aims to provide hope to the resilient youth within the Kakuma Refugee Camp, located in northwest Kenya, where access to education often gets neglected in the face of adversity. With a dedicated group of sixteen eager learners, I fostered an environment of mutual learning and growth, to overcome barriers and unlock boundless opportunities. 

How has the Live It Fund helped you to think bigger and differently about what is possible for yourself? LIF has offered me valuable opportunities to build connections and challenge my initial perspectives. It has truly been a transformative experience, fostering personal growth and new insights.

What skill did you most develop during your project? Throughout my project, I developed creativity by constantly innovating and adapting my plans, which involved redesigning strategies and finding new ways to connect with my work. I will continue to use this skill to tackle challenges in the future.

Do you intend to keep working on this project or have new inspiration for another project? This experience has significantly impacted my future plans. Currently, I have identified areas for improvement and discovered new ideas that I hadn’t initially considered. These ideas, along with the established connections and momentum gained during the J-term, fuel my enthusiasm to further develop and execute the project.

 

Alan Schulz Diaz ʼ25 

“The Legacy of Water” was a series of workshops connecting current policy makers and community advocates around the issue of water insecurity in Turbaco, Colombia.

How has the Live It Fund helped you to think bigger and differently about what is possible for yourself? I had to navigate a complex political environment, which pushed me to work on my people skills as well as public speaking.

What skill did you most develop during your project? Adaptability. Reading the room and responding to it in real time is an incredibly useful skill that can help facilitate meaningful conversations. I will bring this with me everytime I take part in a group project.

Do you intend to keep working on this project or have new inspiration for another project? I have another idea, this time in the form of a for-profit start-up. 

 

Ridwan Osman ʼ26

“Somali Youth Coding Bootcamp” is the first program of its kind in my community. I chose this project because I recognized the gap in STEM education within the Somali community in my hometown of Hopkins, Minnesota. This initiative not only equips the youth with valuable coding skills but also emphasizes the transformative power of inclusive STEM education, and I remain committed to its continued development and expansion.

How has the Live It Fund helped you to think bigger and differently about what is possible for yourself? The support I received from Sasmita Tripathy, program manager of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Jody Emmings, director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, was instrumental in launching my program. 

What skill did you most develop during your project? I learned how to secure a grant because I had courage. I had to articulate and advocate the project’s needs, and learn how to be more communicative to the LIF organizers. 

Do you intend to keep working on this project or have new inspiration for another project? This project has significantly impacted my future plans, and I would love to continue this project. 

 

Christine Oduor ʼ25 

“EduHealth: Nurturing Healthy Lives in Siaya” is a project that aims to promote health education in Siaya County, with the goal of improving the health of the people. My project was the first step towards achieving this long-term goal. It involved collecting data and connecting with the community to understand their current situation from their perspectives. This information will be used in the next phase to develop health education frameworks that can increase preventative measures and improve people’s health.

How has the Live It Fund helped you to think bigger and differently about what is possible for yourself? The LIF project allowed me to finally bring to life an idea that had been brewing in my mind for quite some time. This experience has given me the confidence to embrace innovation and take bold steps towards making a positive impact. I now feel less intimidated by the prospect of thinking big and pursuing my ideas.

What skill did you most develop during your project? Resilience stands out the most for me. When I think about my journey, I remember how scared I was to take the first step, but eventually, I overcame that fear and took the step. I learned to overcome obstacles and not let the challenges divert me from my goal. Throughout this experience, I developed a lot of resilience, and now I am better equipped to face the challenges that come with pursuing ideas, innovations, and goals. 

Do you intend to keep working on this project or have new inspiration for another project? This project was the first step towards achieving my goal of providing health education. Completing it has encouraged me to take on the next phases of the project. I intend to continue working on this project and utilize the knowledge gained to improve the upcoming phases. 

 

Xiaoyu Ma ʼ25 and Terry Zhang ʼ26

“Tibetan Tongues: Ensuring Language Survival” is a program based on community exchange and cultural learning, and we have built a long-term relationship with the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota (TAFM) as we delve deeper into understanding the people of the Tibetan community in Minnesota and learning about their culture to help make this community a better place.

How has the Live It Fund helped you to think bigger and differently about what is possible for yourself?

Ma: It was the first time I really stepped out of my social comfort zone and took the initiative to connect with a community and create many opportunities for my team in the process.

Zhang: LIF made me explore my potential in a way I haven’t done before. Now, I have the confidence to believe that I can do more than this project. 

What skill did you most develop during your project?

Ma: I chose adaptability because the people I interacted with and the destinations I traveled to during this project were very different. It takes a lot of adaptability to carry out a project in this situation.

Zhang: A lot of things happened during the project that caused major disruptions for us. The experience of constantly making changes taught me to be resilient and always be patient with the process. 

Do you intend to keep working on this project or have new inspiration for another project?

Ma: I think I’m going to continue the program, and the J-term experience is a great place to start.

Zhang: Continuing to connect with TAFM during summer and provide educational help.