By Shayna Lopatin
The world can be a really scary place now. At a time when the world seems so divided and broken, my friend Atara and I set out with one goal in mind, to spread smiles onto the campus of the University of Michigan. At first, it seemed like an achievable goal, but then we focused on small wins and realized that even the seemingly small things could make a big difference. Through this event, we were able to start small and start where we were (literally and figuratively). We started on our campus and with the resources we had, hoping to one day expand.
We were very fortunate to receive a BLI grant in order to make this event happen. We set up in between East and West Halls with a picnic blanket, speaker, and
lots of snacks and letters. Part of our goal with this event was to also encourage others to spread happiness to their peers and classmates. We did this through organizing letter-writing. Receiving a hand-written letter has always been really meaningful to me and I thought it might be for others as well. With the help of the BLI, we were able to offer people stationary supplies, stickers, and stamps to send letters out to their loved ones. Additionally, we went around with a Polaroid camera, capturing their special moments. With all of this, we were able to spread so much joy around our campus, even in just those small moments.
We were also hoping to foster the BLI’s mindful mindset including compassion and generosity. We are so grateful for this grant to allow us to bring our goals to life. The BLI really delivers on their mission to foster leadership among the students and empower them to change the world, one small win at a time.
