Buoy

Ever Made a Lasting Impact?

An international student from Kampala, Uganda, Krystal Mwesige (‘29) touches on the significance of faith as a guiding mechanism for attaining clarity and reassurance in her daily life. Her favorite quote is from Zechariah 4:6: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.”

Currently, she finds that she is “inspired by this message to Zerubbabel, the Governor of Judah, as he faced the monumental task of rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. It reminds him, and me, that human strength/intellect/aspiration can only go so far, but the Lord’s spirit can help us accomplish far more than we can on our own.”

Indeed, Krystal has been forced to grapple with a number of emotional, medical, and physical hurdles from a young age. From life-threatening health risks from COVID and malaria, to attending high school alone in a foreign country, Krystal admits that her journey: “has been far from linear (as I’m sure no one’s is). Life has brought very low lows and very high highs. But as you navigate life’s turbulence, your perspective begins to shift. You start to focus on the things that truly matter. Success becomes less about accomplishments or traditional markers, and more about the impact you leave on the world, on friends and family, and on the environment. You realize that life is fragile, and you strive to create a lasting impact and leave a meaningful legacy. That’s what I’m striving for, here at Brown and beyond. Impact that transcends my own lifetime.”

Down the line, she dreams of applying her STEM education to give back to global communities as an advocate and changemaker:

“I want to become an electrical engineer and design affordable, clean energy solutions for low-income communities and countries. I also want to work in peace and conflict transformation. I want to teach, to speak, to facilitate, and to inspire young people to believe that no dream is too big. I also hope to lead teams and unite people to solve problems that matter. The list goes on, but at the core of everything I do is a hope to make a real difference in people’s lives.”

Let your spirit take you farther and farther, Krystal! 🧑‍🔬💡

Ever Been Saved by a Snack?

Born and bred in Charlotte, NC, Evan Li (‘28) finds himself guided by a diverse array of passions and miscellaneous interests, from gender studies to East Asian history to public policy.

At Brown, he’s felt grateful to have been given the breadth to dabble in an abundance of challenging and intellectually stimulating opportunities. Unlike his peers and educators, however, Evan feels empowered not by a specific cause or subject, but rather the journey of self-discovery:

“I’m not sure exactly what inspires me, but I do know who I want to be. There are some people I’ve met — a guy selling antique cameras at the Providence flea market, my friends who are really into Kpop, and most of my Brown professors — who I immediately know are passionate about something. Not just ‘haha this is a side hobby’, passionate. Passionate in the sense that I have to be careful about mentioning Kpop artists or else I’ll get dragged into a three hour long rant about the newest Twitter discourse. I want to have that fire for something in my life. Finding that pursuit is what drives and inspires me.”

His friends have been central to supporting his pursuit of self-improvement. Hee recalls a fond instance from his freshman year when a friend swung by to offer some support during a hectic finals week:

“When I was slogging through a 20-page paper at the end of last semester, my friend brought me yogurt and a Nutri-grain bar. It really lit up the depressing, dingy atmosphere of the 13th floor of the Sci-Li. He also still had exams to study for, but the fact that he was able to take time out of his equally pressing study session to give me some food really showed me that having my own problems shouldn’t limit my encouragement of others.”

Looking forward, although his career aspirations have yet to fully crystalize, Evan had this to say about his goals for the near future:

“My current aspiration is to finally, successfully print a photograph on a leaf. I tried and failed in high school, but I’ll get it one day.”

Such a creative and inspiring approach to finding yourself, Evan – manifesting lots of successful leaf photos to come! 📷🍃

Ever felt left behind by your peers? 📚📙📕

Hailing from Sitka, AK, Mia Anderson (‘26) experienced some challenges transitioning from her high school to learning at Brown.

“I attended a boarding high school that served students from across the state. As a result, classes were designed to accommodate a wide range of academic backgrounds. By the time I graduated, I had not taken physics or completed a calculus course because the curriculum did not allow all the material to be covered. When I arrived at Brown, I felt behind many of my peers and experienced significant imposter syndrome. Many of the friends I made were in classes one or two levels above me and, in the courses we shared, were performing much better. I struggled to adjust my learning style to not only learn the material being taught, but also to fill in the background knowledge that was often assumed.”

In the face of these challenges, Mia was grateful to receive mentorship and encouragement from classmates and faculty along the way: “They helped me learn how to succeed in my classes, encouraged me to ask questions, and made me feel supported. This support has inspired me to want to help others, especially those who may be navigating similar challenges.”

Mia is now studying Biomedical Engineering and Data Fluency at Brown, a career that she wants to pursue after two big setbacks in her life.

“Growing up, I was always involved in sports, dance, and outdoor activities like hiking. However, in high school, I suffered a knee injury that kept me away from these activities for several months and it took a toll on my mental health. Around the same time that I injured my knee, my grandfather suffered a heart attack that left him partially paralyzed. It was clear that he was still the same person mentally, but he was physically restricted in ways he could do very little about. The contrast between our experiences made me realize that I want to pursue a career that allows me to help others live their lives to the fullest, regardless of their situation. This realization ultimately led me to pursue a career in biomedical engineering.”

Way to go, Mia! You’re doing amazing! 🤩 🙌

Ever Been a Fish Out of Water?

A proud Oklahoma native, Brown-RISD student Olivia Wang (‘28) has always found value in “hearing stories of artists, doctors, or writers discovering their passion or purpose later in life.”

In particular, a quote that has stuck with her encapsulates this desire to stay open and receptive to life’s possibilities:

“‘Every day is all there is,’ Joan Didion said once in response to a reporter to explain why she uses her good silver. I think it’s easy to think that our life will really only begin when xyz happens, but the truth is that our entire life really just comes down to what happens every day. It’s a big but comforting thought, because it helps me just focus on taking it one day at a time.

She describes how embracing self-reliance was key to facilitating her adjustment from a small town to a large, prestigious college in New England:

“My whole life, I only ever went to small schools where everyone knew everyone, which felt safe and familiar. I had a big whiplash in university. This is not meant to sound cynical, but the truth is nobody can really look out for you as well as you can for yourself. You gotta build self-trust and always have your own back. But the good news is that nobody’s really looking at you, so it doesn’t matter if you change your major 3x, ditch or make new friends, or become a whole different person. Change is inevitable — and this is a comforting thing.”

Right now, Olivia revels in the small pleasures of life on campus, balancing academics with friendships and hobbies. Long term, she aspires to be a medical professional who dabbles in artistic pursuits:

“Since every day is all there is — my dream day is sleeping in from a late night shift, stretching or working out, making breakfast, studying and working productively for a bit, listening to music I like, checking in with some friends, and falling asleep rather quickly. In general, I’m working on becoming an EMT right now, but I’ll see where that takes me. I’m interested in becoming a PA or CNM (certified nurse midwife). I’d like to have a painting studio, too, eventually.”

Keep on tackling the unknown, Olivia – there’s much more to come! 🧑‍🎨🩺

Ever tried reaching for the stars? ⭐️ ✨

From Dallas, Texas, Elisa Carroll (‘26), who studies English and Applied Mathematics, thought that her dreams might have been out of reach.

“When I was applying to colleges, I didn’t have much confidence in myself. I didn’t push myself to be in an environment where something felt too prestigious for me. I didn’t think I could go to a place like Brown. When I was at a different school my freshman year, even though I made friends and enjoyed my time, I realized that I could shoot for the stars. So I gave it my all, and I was lucky enough to transfer to Brown my sophomore year.”

Elisa continues following this new mindset; she uses it to inspire others.

“When my younger brother and his friends came to me for college advice, I encouraged them to shoot for the stars too. When I’m in different social groups, such as Club Lacrosse or my Consulting Group, I encourage everyone to give it your best and to not limit yourself to what you can accomplish.”

A senior at Brown, Elisa reflects on the how much she has enjoyed campus life over the years:

“I’m inspired by my friends and peers. At Brown, there is a culture where everyone is independent; they pursue and go above and beyond with what they’re passionate about. At the same time, that passion is so genuine, and combined with Brown being an accessible institution, it’s a great learning environment. One of my friends is super knowledgeable about music production, and yet I know nothing about it. But just working with her, I get to learn so much because I’m with her. With these friends and learning about their unique passions, I feel like I’m learning much more.”
Now looking forward to the future, Elisa hopes to work in film!

“I love storytelling, collaboration, and ideas. I want to be in the film industry. I want to work with other people to bring meaningful stories to life. When I was part of the Collegiate Consulting Group, I was lucky enough to lead a project for Letterboxd, an online film cataloging service. I worked with a lovely group of people for that project, and I would love to continue working with others in production.

Can’t wait to see your first film, Elisa! 🎬🎉