Jane Theisen

she, her, hers 

I hope to make the world a more inclusive and accepting place.

"When you focus on the good, the good gets better." 

- Abraham Hicks

Claire Mathews

she, her, hers 

 I would like the world to know that I am always looking for opportunities to spread positivity. The most valuable experience that I have had as a Changemaker at DGN was when we would do activities and could visually see all of the differences between us that make us our own person. 

"I didn't come this far to only come this far" 

 Julia Niemiec

 she, her, hers

My most valuable experience that I've had as a Changemaker has been when we all come together and share our feelings and personal experiences. It makes you realize that everyone has a different story that is worth listening to! 

Everything happens for a reason! 

Emma Cho 

she, her, hers

The most valuable experiences I’ve had as a Changemaker are the times when we are able to share our stories to make the community more inclusive and empathetic. One time in particular would have to be when fellow Changemakers and I participated in a student panel in front of all of DGN’s teachers and staff. We shared our experiences with equity and race at North and held insightful conversations. As students/teenagers speaking to all of the adults at DGN, it felt empowering to communicate student perspective that many teachers might not understand or notice.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” 

-- Margaret Mead

Delaney Durbin

she, her, hers

One of the most inspiring things to me as a Changemaker is my fellow Changemakers. I can't count the number of times where I haven't known how to solve a problem or how to phrase my thoughts, one of my peers would come up with a brilliant solution or say exactly what needed to be said. The trust between all of the Changemakers coupled with their enthusiasm and brilliance inspires me daily, and I consider myself incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to be around each of them. 

 "To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time." 

- Leonard Bernstein 

Kate Murray

 she, her, hers

I am inspired by those around me to be a changemaker, especially my peers and teachers DGN.  As a changemaker, I have grown a deep appreciation for those whose hard work and dedication to service goes unrecognized.

"Do we settle for the world as it is? Or do we work for the world as it should be" 

-Michelle Obama, Becoming 

Vanessa Lopez 

she, her, hers

The most valuable experience I’ve had as a Changemaker was having the honor to be on a panel with my fellow Changemakers. We spoke to the faculty about our experiences with injustices and inequality within school settings. The reason it was such a valuable experience was not only was I helping educate some of the faculty but I got to be up there with my peers and I got to hear their stories.

“Sometimes, the only way to get justice is to take it for yourself.” 

-Leigh Bardugo

Kenny DeGuzman 

he, his, him 

Being a changemaker goes far beyond the title and the listed duties; it requires us to go out and strive to be better in every aspect of our lives every day. We can always improve and try to better ourselves, and in that sense, the whole world is changemakers. The potential of what we can do with our change and how it affects others is the difference from the bystanders and the heroes.

‘Not all heroes wear capes’ 

Morgan Naylor

she, her, hers

The most valuable experience I’ve had as a Changemaker has been being able to learn more about my fellow peers. It has allowed me to gain insight on the ways in which we can drive change in our community.

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” 

- Mahatma Gandhi

Emmitt Thulin

he, him, his

Being a Changemaker has been an amazing experience that has given me so many opportunities to connect with people and better myself. Through this organization I can take actionable steps to improve and inform my community, spreading messages of equity and leading by example. It is a place to not only teach, but to learn and inform yourself about current issues. 

"Effective leaders are able to say to the person they want to impress most: ‘I don’t know.’” 

- Stacey Abrams