At Bryn Mawr College, students can choose from a host of clubs to participate in and every year new clubs are created. Among this year’s new clubs is The Net Impact Club.
The Net Impact Club at Bryn Mawr helps students gain access to problem solving and leadership opportunities in areas of sustainability, climate, food, social innovation, and civic impact. The club is a part of the larger umbrella network under Net Impact that mobilizes next-generation leaders to use their skills and careers to make a positive impact on the world.
“Net Impact grooms you to come up with solutions for real world problems,” says Club President Vimbai Mawoneke '21, who is from Zimbabwe. “This is something which I think we need, particularly as college students, because the theoretical methods we learn at school don’t always work in reality. If you have hands-on experience, you can draw from that as you go forward in life. It’s also a great networking opportunity for students.”
This year’s club activities have included competing in the Up To Us challenge with 125 chapters worldwide. As part of the competition the group ran awareness campaigns on the national debt on campus. The students also hosted a dinner with President Kim Cassidy where they discussed Bryn Mawr’s financial habits and debts, and how that fits into the larger picture of the national debt.
“Running the campaigns on national debt last semester brought to my attention the need to worry about our fiscal future from a holistic point of view,” says Vimbai. “Seeing my peers express their concerns made me realize that the Bryn Mawr campus is open to dialogue on issues of national interest. Bryn Mawr students not only want to know more about what happens outside of Bryn Mawr, but they also want to make an impact.”
This semester, the club is working to spread awareness on food insecurity and is holding an essay competition about food insecurity on campus.
“I think it’s great to get out of the Bryn Mawr bubble by participating in real-world issues. It gives us a way to apply the things we learn at school in the real world," says Club Member Naomi Bonilla ’21, who is from New Jersey.
In addition to Vimbai and Naomi, club members include Aakriti Dhital’ 21 (Nepal), Tinodiwanashe Nguruve ’22 (Zimbabwe), Claire Mitchell ’21 (Kansas), and Molly Marion ’20 (New York).
Students interested in joining The Net Impact Club should write to https://netimpactbrynmawr@gmail.com, or Vimbai Mawoneke (https://netimpactbrynmawr@gmail.com).