“Many are seeking not just survival, but dignity, and stability. I want to advocate for those who are often unheard or dehumanized by the very systems meant to protect them."

For Maelyn Sorenson, education has been a refuge. Maelyn began her college career at Grand Valley State University in 2023, where she majored in international relations with minors in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies. She was an outstanding student: one professor at GVSU recalled Maelyn as “extremely curious, intelligent, critically minded, social, and comfortable in her own skin.”

Yet Maelyn took a break from academics in 2023 to focus on her mental health and healing. During that time, she worked as a barista and business consultant in Tucson, Arizona, while also finding time to discover a renewed sense of herself. One morning, on a hike, a friend told Maelyn, “You might be one of the most human humans I’ve ever met — your emotional range and ability to find meaning in everything is your strength.” Those words carried her through this time.

Maelyn now returns to her undergraduate studies with a clear purpose: in her words, “to turn pain into compassion and offer others the support I once so deeply needed.” At U-M, Maelyn will complete her bachelor’s degree in international relations. She looks forward to deepening her knowledge of the Middle East, including language study. After graduation, Maelyn will pursue law school so she can continue to lift others up. As for her long-term vision, Maelyn writes, “Many are seeking not just survival, but dignity, and stability. I want to advocate for those who are often unheard or dehumanized by the very systems meant to protect them. My own journey from silence to voice, from marginalization to purpose, now fuels a commitment to stand beside others as they fight to be seen and empowered.”

CEW+ celebrates Maelyn’s vision for a just future and names her the Lucy Chin Scholar.