ARHU’s Vanessa Barker Awarded For Her Commitment to Social Impact, Innovation

The double major in film studies and biological sciences has been awarded a Do Good Medallion from the Do Good Institute.

By Do Good Institute/ARHU Staff 

Vanessa Barker ’20, a double major in film studies and biological sciences, has received a Do Good Medallion for her extraordinary commitment to social impact and innovation and her efforts to transform the University of Maryland into the nation's first Do Good Campus.

The 38 Do Good Medallion honorees—both undergraduate and graduate students—were selected from thousands of students across campus by the School of Public Policy’s Do Good Institute. 

Barker is the founder and leader of Pawsible, a student-led support program for UMD students who are raising future assistance dogs. She founded Pawsible to support Puppy Raisers (operating under the National Capital Region of the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind) with access to a dog food pantry and financial support if they’re facing financial difficulty. She is currently working on securing 501(c)3 status for her organization.

Barker participated in the Do Good Accelerator Fellows program in Spring 2020 and Fall 2019, earning $1,500 per semester to work on her project, receiving one-on-one, personalized support and more. She was also a semi-finalist in the 2019 Do Good Challenge Finals, winning the Audience Choice Award and securing $750 for her organization. And Vanessa was selected to serve as one of the first ever Do Good Ambassadors this semester. 

Read more about the winners here. 

Photos courtesy of the Do Good Institute.