MACON, Ga. — Mercer University’s Visionary Student Panel (VSP) will host a cohort of student changemakers presenting their visionary ideas designed to create meaningful impact on Mercer’s campus and in the Macon community, on Wednesday, March 18, at 6 p.m., in Willet Auditorium on the Macon campus.
During the event, attendees are invited to hear the students’ five-minute pitches, engage with their ideas and “celebrate student leadership in action.”
Through the VSP program, students are challenged to answer, “How will you use your skills and talents to improve your community?” Students receive one-on-one mentoring for feedback to strengthen their project before being coached through the process of applying for mini-grant funding to turn their ideas into realistic and actionable projects.
Associate Director of Engaged Learning Lauren Shinholster said that since launching in 2015, the VSP has provided Mercer students with a platform to turn vision into action.
“This year’s cohort is especially strong, with 12 projects selected for the upcoming showcase,” Shinholster said. “The event offers the campus and community a chance to hear these ideas firsthand and celebrate the ways Mercer students are using their talents and passions to create positive change.”
Among this year’s VSP presenters and project pitches are Ayesha Patel and Julia Tanase, who will share their vision for creating fun and accessible activities for students at the Georgia Academy for the Blind.
“This (project) is important to us because every student deserves to feel included and have opportunities to enjoy activities with others, ” said Patel. “We want to help create experiences that make the students feel supported and valued. We applied to the Visionary Student Panel because we wanted to be part of something that makes a real difference in the community. We hope to gain leadership experience, learn how to plan and carry out a service project and work with others to create something meaningful.”
The full list of the 12 projects for this year’s cohort can be found here.
In 2025, the VSP program was selected for Campus Compact’s Excellence in Civic and Community Engagement Programming Award. The national award recognizes initiatives that use on-campus civic and community engagement to address meaningful areas of need and make effective and long-lasting positive changes in communities.
