REAL WORLD EXPERIENCES DESIGNING SOLUTIONS EXPLORING PURPOSE
THE INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL IMPACT
Preparing Girls to Lead Lives of Purpose and Impact
“Social Impact really focuses on students finding their purpose. It is about making sure that our girls build skills, knowledge, and relationships, and then use all of those to create systemic change in something that they care about.”
INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL IMPACTSO CIAL IMPACT CLUBS
Student-led clubs connecting interests and skills to needs in the communit y — including music, c onservation issues, tutoring, and small businesses.
INDEPENDENT STUDIES / PROJECTS
Students identify problems and build creative and sustainable solutions to local and global problems they identify.
5 OUTCOMES
THEMATIC PROGRAMMING
Each grade level (Pre -K – 12) engages in programming based upon their grade level theme. These programs are led by the Director and Assistant Director to build student skills and understanding around the 5 Outcomes.
1 BUILDING EMPATHY 2 ADVOCACY SKILLS 3 REALWORLD EXPERIENCES 4 DESIGNING SOLUTIONS 5 EXPLORING PURPOSE
SO CIAL IMPACT COURSES
Parents are invited to experience Social Impact work through educational field trips to community partner sites.
STUDENT- LED RECURRING PROGRAMS
Rigorous courses connect academics to real-world applications and each problem-solving skills
PARENT
PRO GRAMMING
Students lead programming, such as tutoring at local schools, working at animal shelters, volunteering at homeless shelters, and much more.
LAURA DAY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE
Since its inception in 2018, the Institute for Social Impact has inspired countless students to find their purpose.
EXPLORING PURPOSE
The Institute for Social Impact is built on core values that serve as its principles and beliefs, guiding every decision and action. Designed as an expansion of the School’s service learning program, the Institute allows students to engage with diverse partners, learn from civic leaders, and make a direct impact on the community around them. The key differences between a traditional community service model and the Institute for Social Impact are found in both the focus of the program and the ways in which programming and core values are integrated throughout a student’s Hockaday experience.
“Through the Institute, we try to integrate the values and goals of Social Impact through every aspect of our students’ day and build on skills as they get older,“ said Laura Day, William B. Dean Director of Service Learning; Executive Director of the Institute for Social Impact.
LEADERSHIP
We recognize that today’s students have the potential to be leaders, not just in the future, but now.
EMPATHY
We seek to understand others and do so by working to abandon our assumptions and participating in honest, open dialogue.
COMMUNITY
We are committed to supporting all members of our community in reaching their greatest potential.
INNOVATION
We keep a pulse on emerging practices and trends and believe in pursuing creative ideas that have the potential to change the world.
A DAISY’S PATH THROUGH SOCIAL IMPACT
As a Hockaday girl grows and learns, she builds on skills developed through the Institute for Social Impact, which are incorporated into all aspects of her School experience. By the time she graduates, she is ready and inspired to lead a life of purpose and impact.
PRE-K Our Community
Students learn about our Hockaday community and focus on connecting with and showing kindness to all the different people who help them.
• Meet and thank our support staff
• Get to know our Boarding students on a playground playdate
• Plant flowers and delivering them
KINDER / PRIMER
The Elderly
Students learn about ways to connect with the elderly in our community.
• Create decorations for senior housing centers
• Work with Meals on Wheels to create holiday cards
• Collect essential needs items and assembling into bags
• Take PE and Art classes with seniors
“ The Hockaday Institute for Social Impact is an important pillar in our community, educating students today in the ways they can lead now and inspiring them to do so in the future, no matter their professions. Students have the opportunity to pursue ideas that change the way our communities work—for the better.
WAYS TO ENGAGE
CAMPUS VISIT
COMMUNITY SERVICE CLUBS DESIGN THINKING DRIVE FUNDRAISER INDEPENDENT STUDY INTERNSHIP
PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP SERVICE PROJECT
SKILLS-BUILDING
SIMULATIONS & IMMERSIONS
SOCIAL IMPACT COURSE
STUDENT-RUN SERVICE PROJECT
“ Watching students have the opportunity starting in Lower School to explore their purpose and then seeing graduates go off to college with a firm understanding of their purpose is inspiring.
LAURA DAY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL IMPACT
”
JENNIFER SAMPSON MCDERMOTT-TEMPLETON PRESIDENT AND CEO OF UNITED WAY
”
LOWER SCHOOL
Each grade level in Lower School features a Social Impact theme that directly aligns with the four pillars that define the Institute for Social Impactcommunity engagement community service, service learning, and social entrepreneurship. These lessons and activities emphasize real-world experiences and outcomes, including advocacy skills, community interactions, and hands-on practice in designing solutions, while at the same time, exploring purpose and building empathy.
Students at each grade level take part (at minimum) in an impact field trip, a campus visit, and a service project according to their grade’s theme. Families are also offered optional weekend projects, grade-level party projects, and projects specifically for parents. “We empower the girls to believe they can achieve anything, and that limitless potential authentically shines through when they see the impact they are having on the community,” said Taylor Miller Third Grade teacher. “Whether that’s learning about social entrepreneurship, supporting local food drives, or raising money to provide PPE to kids all over the world, they are making a difference.”
SPOTLIGHT: EMPATHY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
After hearing about the threats facing endangered African penguins — and Dallas Zoo's efforts to save them in the wild through the artificial nesting project — First and Fourth Graders got to work on their own projects to inspire and educate others about these topics. The First Grade students crafted educational posters to illustrate the challenges that penguins face in the wild due to loss of nesting habitats; the Fourth Graders designed and built their very own artificial nest prototypes that they presented at an exhibition, attended by penguin experts from the Dallas Zoo.
Both classes also had the opportunity to meet with people at the Dallas Zoo who work with South African penguins in Dallas, but also work with a group of penguin experts in South Africa via Zoom. They were able to hear from and ask questions of experts about the problem and about some of the unique challenges faced by the South African penguin.
LEARN MORE
About Social Impact in the Lower School
FIRST GRADE Animals
First Graders partner with local organizations, including Operation Kindness, the Dallas Zoo, Joppy Farm, and Canine Companions, to see ways animals affect our daily lives.
• Raise chickens from eggs to donate to a local farm in a food desert
• Learn about therapeutic animals
• Create penguin habitats in conjunction with experts from the Dallas Zoo
• Collect items for dog shelters and reading to animals in shelters to reduce their anxiety
SECOND GRADE The Environment
Second Grade students focus on ways to sustain our environment and begin learning about how to start a social enterprise business.
• Partner with Trinity River Audubon Center and 12 Hills Nature Center for river cleanup
• Prepare the Lower School garden for planting
• Meet with Frost Bank and Hari Mari about the process of applying for a loan and starting a business
• Launch a business selling reusable grocery bags, and donating proceeds to an environmentally focused organization
• Build an air pollution detector and tracking carbon emission data during carpool times
THIRD GRADE Hunger
Third Graders learn about the process of food production and what a food desert is, and use design thinking to direct food toward those who need it.
• Take part in a Social Entrepreneurship unit where students create their own business in partnership with an Upper School Biology class
• Learn about UNICEF and participate in a “trick-or-treat for good” to raise money
• Visit Bonton Farms and Feed My Starving Children to learn about food production and food deserts in Dallas
• Lead and organize a grade-wide food drive to make backpacks for local elementary school partners who are on the waiting list for the weekend food programs
FOURTH GRADE Community Engagement
In Fourth Grade, students build empathy by partnering with homeless shelters, head start programs, and reading groups.
• Learn about homeless shelters and create blankets for children at Jonathan’s Place
• Partner with The Inclusion Project to discover different kinds of inclusion, including a two-hour simulation about learning differences and physical disabilities
• Visit DISD school, donate books, and read to students. Learn about the purpose of head start programs and the 20-million-word gap
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Students in Middle school build the leadership skills outlined in the five outcomes and engage in authentic real-world opportunities for impact through Social Impact-designated courses, Social Impact clubs, leadership opportunities, and class projects. Each grade level offers a rigorous course connecting academics to real-world application and problem-solving. “Our Daisies recognize their capacity to identify problems and use Design Thinking to work to solve them,” said Head of Middle School Nicole Escudero Christenson “They are learning to be powerful agents of compassion and empathy.”
Beyond class themes and projects, Middle School students can engage with the Institute for Social Impact in other ways. This year, Close Up and the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools will bring together Middle School students, including Hockaday girls, from around the world to build inclusive communities, develop the skills needed for active citizenship, and learn from the stories, the successes, and the setbacks of other young changemakers. Seventh and Eighth Graders can join the Social Impact Club, where they engage in Design Thinking to build leadership skills and create impact within Hockaday and the greater community. Fifth through Eighth Grade students are part of Social Impact Leaders, and attend four sessions throughout the year designed to build leadership skills in students and help them develop the five outcomes. In addition, our Middle School Robotics program has a Social Impact slant, as they take on a problem that impacts the world and meets with experts to make their vision a reality.
SPOTLIGHT: SCIENCE AND SOCIAL IMPACT
In Seventh Grade, the Institute for Social Impact repurposes an entire day to focus to the science curriculum involving wind power, and the Social Impact theme of food insecurity. First, students design and build wind-powered cell phone chargers for the community at CitySquare in Dallas, a nonprofit that offers a comprehensive array of social services. Students will go to CitySquare to build empathy around the theme of food access, and while at CitySquare, residents will provide the students with feedback about their wind-powered chargers. Students take the feedback and experience back to Hockaday with them to engage in an impact-a-thon where students work in groups to develop solutions. “Giving students a challenge and then using curriculum and real-world field trips to help build empathy and solve the problems deepens learning,” said Laura Day Executive Director of the Institute for Social Impact.
FIFTH GRADE
Theme: Homelessness
Social Impact Course: World Geography
Fifth Graders begin to explore the different facets of homelessness and learning what our city does about homelessness. After talking through different issues, students begin to think about solutions.
• Connect with CitySquare, a nonprofit offering a comprehensive array of social services that address four key areas related to the persistence of poverty: hunger, health, housing, and hope
• Tour Family Gateway, a nonprofit that provides stability and life-changing supportive services to children and families affected by homelessness
SIXTH GRADE
Theme: Water Social Impact Course: English
Sixth Grade students study issues facing our oceans, rivers, and local water sources, and work on ways to advocate for cleaner water in our community.
• Learn about issues surrounding global access to water
• Create advocacy posters for the Hockaday campus about water
• Hear from Paper for Water, a local nonprofit that teaches children about the world water crisis, and raises money to fund water wells worldwide
SEVENTH GRADE
Theme: Food Access
Social Impact Course: Science
Seventh Graders go deeper into food insecurity in Dallas, and work with local nonprofits to create solutions and learn more.
• Create a human map of food deserts in Dallas
• Build windmills in science to power homeless populations’ cell phones
• Pack snack bags for DISD after-school programs
• Tour CitySquare and learn more about food insecurity
EIGHTH GRADE
Theme: Community Engagement
Social Impact Course: English
Eighth Grade students prepare to enter Upper School by focusing on ways to engage deeper in their community.
• Listen to Upper School Social Impact panel
• Focus on finding an issue and purpose that is personally meaningful
My involvement has definitely affected my college choice and career path in the future. I hope to continue working with some of the organizations that I work with now no matter where I go to college!
ELLE CHAVIS (CLASS OF 2023)
About Social Impact in the Middle School
LEARN MORE
”
“
UPPER SCHOOL
Courses with the Social Impact designation directly align with the four pillars of community engagement, community service, service learning, and social entrepreneurship that define the Institute for Social Impact. These courses emphasize real-world experiences and outcomes such as strong advocacy skills, increased community interactions, and hands-on practice in designing solutions, while exploring purpose and building empathy. Throughout each course, students will complete alternative assessments to evaluate 21st century skills such as empathy creativity collaboration and purpose as well as measure the overall social impact experienced by our community partners.
For interested students, Hockaday has repurposed a portion of the school day to allow students to volunteer off and on campus through recurring programs, such as tutoring and volunteering with local nonprofit organizations. Students attend a recurring programs assembly in September to learn about the opportunities and then can choose to participate throughout the year. Students can also engage with the Institute for Social Impact through Athletics and Fine Arts partnerships.
Many graduating seniors cite their Upper School Social Impact work as some of the most meaningful experiences they have at Hockaday. Following a Literature of Minorities class trip to T.R. Hoover Center and Bonton Farms, Eleanor Lockhart ’22 remarked, “Today was the most impactful trip I’ve gone on during my time at Hockaday.”
MATHEMATICS
Integrated Math III Enriched
Establish a partnership with Marsh Preparatory Academy, a public school serving students from predominately low-income families
Statistics
Collaborate and engage in a class where data combined with mathematical ideas transform the way one looks at the world
HISTORY
Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Economics and Social Entrepreneurship
Participate in a class based in economic principals and the incubation of a business
U.S. History: Public Perspectives and Community Action
Examine the historical processes of America’s past with a focus on how individual stories and narratives are used to shape our present
U.S. Government
Participate in a civics based class that features lecturers from city, state, and federal government
Global Issues
Collaborate in a current events seminar and grapple with major sociopolitical issues facing our world today
SCIENCE
Biology, Impact, and the Zoo
Engage in a biology class that includes collaboration with a local public high school, culminating in a Shark Tank pitch presentation
Environmental Chemistry
Learn and apply chemistry in the context of societal issues
AP Environmental Science
Partner with Trinity River Audobon Center to find ways to preserve native species
Social Impact Synthesis
An ever-changing class that keeps up with future trends
Neuroscience
Learn how the brain functions and develop skills to synthesize information in order to solve problems
WORLD LANGUAGES
Spanish in the Community Partner with the Dallas Spanish-speaking community through practicum work in education, geriatrics, and healthcare
FINE ARTS
Chamber Orchestra
Apply musical knowledge and skills to design and teach a weekly music enrichment course for a local public elementary school without access to music education
Hockaday Theater Company: Drama
Perform and teach the art of drama and storytelling at a local public elementary school to enrich access to performing arts
Dance Lab and Dance Theater
Designed for the intermediate/advanced dancer who wishes to explore a variety of dance techniques in greater depth. Share the joy of dance throughout the Dallas community with performances and student-led dance projects with partner elementary schools
ENGLISH
Before “Me Too”: Literature as Protest
Explore novels that concentrate on the empowerment of women and build empathy through shared experiences and storytelling
Literature of Minorities
Explore the powerful works of Black, Muslim, Jewish, Hispanic, and other ethnic, religious, and cultural authors and interrogate the category of “minority” to enhance advocacy writing skills
“I’ve gained the ability to empathize with different demographics, whether or not I personally identify with them. In every volunteer event I’ve participated in, I’ve been encouraged to think about who I am impacting and how my actions are seen from their perspective. What does this mean to the person who is on the receiving end of my service? That perspective is invaluable and will continue to inspire me in any act of service I do in the future.
PREMANSHI AGARWALLA ’22
SPOTLIGHT: THE WRITING CENTER
Hockaday’s Writing Center, which launched in 2019, helps students become effective critical thinkers, analytical writers, and persuasive communicators so they are prepared for the writing demands of all academic disciplines and of life. Lisa Fisher, Director of the Writing Center, has been working with the Institute for Social Impact to expand the reach of the Writing Center beyond Hockaday.
“Sharing our passion for writing with the community outside of Hockaday aligns with the Writing Center’s purpose of encouraging an appreciation of writing as a skill and way of learning for everyone,” she said.
The Writing Center began partnering with the Institute for Social Impact last year through a mentorship program with Foster Elementary School. “I work with a fifth grader to develop his writing skills,” said Libby Warren (Class of 2023). “Every Monday, we discuss pillars of storytelling such as character development, plot, and setting. No matter our neighborhood, age, or background, each of us has an innate love for storytelling.”
Writing Center Interns work with Brighter, a magazine for women affected by cancer. Writing Interns meet regularly with founder Helen Bowles to plan, write, and edit various writing projects. “My experience with Brighter has taught me how to empower others and myself,” said Warren.
”
UPPER SCHOOL PROGRAMS
A DAISY’S PATH THROUGH SOCIAL IMPACT CONTINUES
KRAMER ELEMENTARY TUTORING
NATHAN ADAMS ELEMENTARY TUTORING
Students support the DISD district reading goal of increasing Third Grade reading mastery levels from 40.2% to 57% in all areas by June 2025. Hockaday students meet with groups of students once a week during conference time to work on reading together.
Hockaday students repurpose their conference time twice a week to work with small groups of students at Nathan Adams Elementary to reach their yearly reading goals.
DEGOLYER ELEMENTARY TUTORING
LEARN MORE About Social Impact in the Upper School
Once a week, Hockaday students create reading games and activities to use with Third Grade students at DeGolyer Elementary who have been identified as below grade level reading.
INTELLICHOICE TUTORING
SUMMIT TUTORING AT T.R. HOOVER
Hockaday students work with students in Kindergarten - Eighth Grade virtually one Saturday per month to tutor students in math skills.
UPLIFT EDUCATION TUTORING
Hockaday students tutor in West Dallas at the Boys and Girls Club, working with students from Uplift Education in reading and math.
GIRL TALK
CHAPEL HILL PREPARATORY TUTORING
Hockaday students can select to tutor students on Saturday mornings at the T.R. Hoover Center in math, reading, and science. This recurring program also tutors students from Bush Elementary School on a weekly basis.
ANNE FRANK IMPACT PROGRAM
Hockaday students lead and create activities for preschool aged students in Spanish and English as part of the Anne Frank Impact Program designed to support literacy readiness goals such as letter identification.
GOOCH ELEMENTARY TUTORING
Twice a month, Hockaday students in Forms III and IV mentor and tutor Middle School girls through curriculum that guides conversations around cyber bullying, body image, academics, identity, etc.
WESLEY RANKIN COMMUNITY CENTER
Hockaday students repurpose two conference periods a week to tutor Kindergarten and First Grade students at Chapel Hill Preparatory in math and Fourth Grade students in reading.
Hockaday students can tutor once a week during the school day, or sign up to tutor on Saturday mornings to support Gooch Elementary students in reading, writing, and math.
MARCUS ELEMENTARY FOOD PANTRY (MARCUS MART)
Wesley Rankin Community Center works to bridge gaps in academics by supporting students in the West Dallas area. Hockaday students can sign up to tutor students in Kindergarten - Fourth Grade. Additionally, Hockaday students can participate in weekend projects and develop math activities for the community center.
Hockaday students created a food pantry at Marcus Elementary school that is open on Thursday afternoons for families to shop for items at no cost. Hockaday students staff the pantry, restock, build relationships, and take inventory. Students can also sign up to help restock the pantry on Tuesday mornings. The pantry receives food donations from Fine Arts events, which require a non-perishable food item as the cost of entry.
SPOTLIGHT: COMMUNITY ART
Hockaday's Advanced Studio Art, a Social ImpactDesignated Class partnered with North Dallas Shared Ministries to paint murals to brighten up the center (above). The nonprofit offers services like dental and medical care, job counseling and a clothing bank to the Dallas community, and the class was invited to visit the space and hear about its needs. The result is three colorful, fully realized murals within the main room that integrate the North Dallas Shared Ministries’ mission with native Dallas imagery.
“Comfort within an unfamiliar space makes visitors feel welcome,” said Meera Thamaran (Class of 2023) “The project focused on impacting our community through art, spreading joy, and supporting purposeful community entities. Art generates strong emotion, expresses ideas and abstract concepts, and brings color to an environment in ways that other forms of social impact cannot.”
“Art changes the way people feel about spaces or ideas and allows people to relate to the unknown by forging connections,” said Aishwarya Chandrasekaran (Class of 2023).
FINE ARTS + SOCIAL IMPACT
Fine Arts classes pair with the Institute for Social Impact to integrate elements of social responsibility into their work and share talents with other communities. “The arts are such an integral part of our society,” said Charlsie Griffiths ’98 Hockaday’s Director of Orchestral Studies. “We are educating students for careers that do not even exist yet. Arts assist with creative thinking, problem-solving, and some of the softer skills that are important in all fields. By introducing and cultivating the arts in our community, we are setting up not only our students but all students, for a brighter future.”
• The Dance, Orchestra, and Theater programs team up with local elementary schools and senior living communities to bring the joy of performance to their organizations, and students from elementary schools visit Hockaday for performances.
• The Fine Arts Board, which is student-run, partners with the Institute for Social Impact to create a food pantry at Marcus Elementary School. The students cleaned, repaired, and decorated a purposeful space and then problem-solved how to fill it with food. Olivia Park (Class of 2023) painted a custom mural (left) to brighten the space.
• Daisy Company, Hockaday’s Introduction to Drama class, creates a curriculum for Fifth Grade students to teach drama skills, language, and storytelling in local elementary schools.
OLIVIA
“Arts programs are often the first to be cut in public schools and community spaces, so it is imperative that those of us who have access to the creative and fine arts share with as many people as possible as often as possible.”
PARK ’23
ATHLETICS + SOCIAL IMPACT
Each Varsity team repurposes one of their practices to serve the community. Teammates work together to lead the practice and create activities to share with the community. Our teams:
• Share why the sport has been impactful in their lives and why playing sports is meaningful
• Model what the sport looks like through demonstrations
• Run skills clinic by breaking the students up into smaller groups to rotate through targeted stations
• Create a scrimmage for the students to try playing the game in an exciting setting with lots of cheering
• Donate equipment needed to continue to play the sport
SPOTLIGHT: SETTING GOALS
When Class of 2022 members Leena Mehendale and Jules Johnson (right) started volunteering at Foster Elementary, they realized that the students there were as passionate about soccer as they were. As members of Hockaday’s Varsity soccer team, they had partnered with DISD schools as part of their Institute for Social Impact work through repurposing practices and holding clinics. But in order for the kids to really thrive, they decided to fill a desperate need at the school – soccer goals!
“We looked into purchasing goals, but they are really expensive,” said Leena. “So we sent an email out and asked if any students wanted to participate in a STEM project!”
Leena and Jules researched the best way to build a soccer goal and had to consider multiple constraints. “We had a limited budget, so we had to figure out a way to do it economically,” said Leena.
The duo headed to Lowe’s (six times) to experiment with PVC pipe and different types of nets. Jules’s interest in engineering kicked in to figure out the best way to design the goals. “I drew out three different designs, and we worked with the school so they could pick which one they wanted,” she said.
It took a while to nail down which net worked the best. “We tried deer netting, because we thought it would be strong,” said Leena. “It ripped a week later. Now we have real soccer nets on the way that we bought online.” The project totaled about $300 for each regulation goal. For comparison, new regulation goals cost around $4,000. Leena and Jules also mowed the lawns and painted the regulation lines so the kids could play and practice.
SPOTLIGHT: ROWING + PHYSICS
Hockaday’s Rowing team learned about distance/time graphs using erg machines, and created a lesson for local students to combine rowing and Science!
“This was the perfect project for us because we have different experiences,” said Jules. “Leena handled the soccer part, and I was interested in the science and engineering. We had to problem solve and work together. We are really proud that our skills came together to build something.”
“This was the perfect project for us because we have different experiences. We really had to problem solve and work together. We are really proud that our skills came together to build something.”
PROFILE OF A SOCIAL IMPACT STUDENT
Zoya Haq (Class of 2023) was named an Ashoka Young Changemaker, and details her journey through Social Impact at Hockaday.
My first experience with the Institute for Social Impact was in Eighth Grade. A group of Upper Schoolers visited our class and discussed their experiences with Hockaday-based Social Impact. I remember feeling immediately inspired; these girls seemed to have accomplished so much, and I found myself counting down the days until I could start my own high school journey. That day, I made a mental note to try and incorporate the impact work I was doing outside of Hockaday into the Institute during my freshman year. My first week of high school, I did just that — I visited Ms. Day, talked to her about a project I was working on, and immediately felt the empowering embrace of the Institute.
I developed a close relationship with the Institute my freshman year. That year, I worked closely with Ms. Day and her Dallas-area partners to scale a project that I was working on to sell and donate books, and the mentorship I received helped me to scale my project to multiple local area schools. The summer before my sophomore year, I attended a CloseUp program — one of the Institute’s partners — called IMPACT, where I got the chance to develop and scale my project, HiStory Retold. That winter, I participated in another CloseUp program where worked with a team to address high recidivism rates in prisons. When took U.S. Government (a Social Impact Designated Class) that spring, I took the lessons learned from my winter CloseUp program and worked on a research paper that explored the intersection between legislation and prison recidivism. As a part of my capstone project in the class, reached out to local legislators to encourage the passing of “Ban the Box” laws in Texas.
That class has been my favorite Social Impact class so far. The intersection between government and Social Impact is one that intrigues me — legislation, after all, is integral to systemic transformation. In Government, we explored this intersection firsthand by taking action on policy issues that connected to our passions. I truly believe that this class imbued necessary and important skills into all students who took it — it showed them that, no matter how young you are, you can stand up for change.
Through my work with the Institute, I’ve discovered the power of my voice to make concrete change. I came into high school as a shy kid. I had never been told that my ideas could make an impact. But through my work with the Institute and with Ms. Day, I was treated like an equal, like someone whose opinion had value.
I connected with people in Dallas who could actually help me to transform my ideas into reality — and who didn’t see my age as a barrier to my potential. My work with the Institute has helped me to build confidence not only in myself, but in what I put forth into the world: my work, my thoughts, and my actions.
My work has taught me how to think critically about social issues, how to delegate leadership, and how to deal with rejection. Scaling a project like HiStory Retold requires the support of external partners and national affiliates. Every week, I send about five blind emails to potential supporters. Maybe three lead to a conversation, and even fewer end up blossoming into a true partnership. I’ve learned that rejection is a necessary part of success. Re-evaluating the way that I view rejection has revolutionized the way that approach my work.
Last summer, I stumbled across the Ashoka Young Changemakers program. Struck by how much I resonated with Ashoka’s values — creating a Changemaker world, valuing stories, and empowering communities — I decided to apply for the program in May of 2021. The selection process culminated in a panel interview this November, where I got the chance to discuss my change-making pitch with a wide range of pioneering changemakers on Ashoka’s senior staff. I was so excited to find out two weeks later that I had been selected as an Ashoka Young Changemaker.
I have the privilege of joining 10 other Americans in becoming a part of Ashoka’s global 2021 cohort. Over the course of the next few years and beyond, I will collaborate with Ashoka’s partner organizations, learn from young pioneers, scale my project both nationally and globally, and work to create an “Everyone a Changemaker” world. I cannot wait to embark on this journey, and I am so appreciative of the Hockaday Institute of Social Impact for helping me every step of the way.
“My work with the Institute has helped me to build confidence not only in myself, but in what I put forth into the world: my work, my thoughts, and my actions.”
WWW.HOCKADAY.ORG/SOCIALIMPACT
