By Stella Henretta

On Thursday evening, Hack4Impact, a student organization founded in 2020 by Lydia Hu, Simin Li and Abbie Tran, emerged victorious from the University of Maryland’s Do Good Challenge Finals.

The event, hosted by the Do Good Institute, featured presentations by six finalists, each competing for a portion of $40,000 in funding. 

This annual event first began when actor Kevin Bacon and his nonprofit organization collaborated with UMD to encourage student philanthropy.

“Now, almost 15 years later, the Do Good Institute continues this tradition of celebrating social impact and championing a campus full of students who don’t wait for others to make the world a better place but jump in and lead the charge themselves,” said Jenny Cox, communications specialist at the Do Good Institute.

Jessica Moore, communication coordinator at the Do Good Institute, believes the event provides a glimpse into the incredible work students are doing to help different communities in need, serving as an inspiration of what innovators and entrepreneurs can achieve and the support they can receive.

“For faculty and staff, it serves as a glimpse of hope of whose hands the future is in, and it also serves as a spark to light up different dreams they may have — and motivation to continue their own efforts of doing good,” Moore said.

The Do Good Challenge emphasizes helping one’s community, and humanity as a whole, said freshman biology major Arsema Retta. 

She thinks people often become consumed by the technicality of a cause, ignoring the good that could come out of pursuing advocacy and change.

Freshman international relations major Sophia Tsukervanik attended the finals out of pure curiosity.

She believes that many students on campus want to push for social change, but shy away from taking initiative. However, Tsukervanik thinks the Do Good student presenters promoted the perspective that if you have a good idea, you should “go for it.”

“Students at UMD are capable, and they want to make a change,” she said. “[The event] is sponsored by the Do Good Institute, and the students here, they want to do good. This is showing that.”

The Do Good Institute, housed in the School of Public Policy, inspires and equips students to act on social issues through education, funding and mentorship. The institute fosters a “Do Good Campus” by supporting student-led nonprofits, social innovation projects and community-engaged learning.

With a focus on encouraging the next generation of social innovators to keep pushing forward, the institute helps student-run or student-started organizations to flourish in their missions.

Robert T. Grimm Jr., director of the Do Good Institute, is proud that for the second consecutive year the institute has experienced exponential growth in participation and impact. Grimm said Do Good now provides experience and support for more than 10,000 students a year on campus.

Latanya Farrish Robinson witnessed the institute’s help firsthand. The class of ’24 alumna said her former classmate wanted to raise money to send journals and pens to women in underserved countries, and the Do Good Institute allowed her to do so by providing funding to purchase supplies.

The Do Good team is constantly trying to bolster students’ efforts to change the world and do good, Moore said.

“But the real image of who we are is the work and stories done through our students who are actively making an impact all over the world,” she said.

Featured Image: UMD President Darryll J. Pines introduces the Do Good Institute on April 23, 2026. Photo by Stella Henretta.