“If you desire to make a difference in the world, you must be different from the world.” – Elaine S. Dalton
What does it mean to make a difference? Donating money to charity? Standing up for someone being bullied? Volunteering at the animal shelter? These are just a few simple tasks many people do to give back. However, once in a while, someone comes along and realizes that these acts are not always enough. Instead of simply giving to the cause, these individuals see a problem, understand it and fight with every fiber of their being to ensure a difference is made. Emily Crane is one of these individuals.
A senior here at KU, Crane has made quite an impact in the last three years. She is a valued member of the Pre Law fraternity, Phi Alpha Delta, and an executive member of both She’s the First*{KU} and UNICEF. In addition to these amazing organizations, Crane is the founder of the KU Willow Branch, which has already created a huge impact in its short existence.
So what sparked your interest in these organizations?
“Well, I was initially an intern at the Willow Domestic Violence center, and we just weren’t really tapping into the KU student body in the way that I thought that we should. It’s a little bit difficult for community organizations to get on-campus and have the access to the students that I thought that we needed to have. I thought that since I was already an intern and a KU student, who better to be a liaison between the university and the domestic violence center? So I looked into creating a student organization; that way we could have more rights and more opportunities here on campus. In a short time, it just sort of exploded. It’s been really great! This is our first semester and we’ve had over 15 people at every one of our meetings. I think it really speaks to the need on campus for domestic violence and dating violence services because people are learning about this stuff and are going ‘Wow, I never even realized that this was such a problem.’ People are realizing that it’s not only a problem, but they also have the power to do something about it. That’s the great thing about domestic violence prevention: anyone can help. So that’s the story of how I founded the KU Willow branch.
“She’s the First was kind of random because I saw someone post about it on Facebook and it seemed to go along really well with the equality stuff I was trying to promote at the domestic violence center. It also offered a more global perspective than what I was getting from my local work here. I thought it really complemented what I was doing and gave me a better view on the world. Like, you get pictures and the story of the person you are helping, and so it’s really great because you do all this work and you spend all this time, and you’re like, ‘What am I even doing?’ and then at the end of the semester you get this picture of this girl and you see that you are the reason that she gets to go to school this year. That’s something really special. I wish more people were involved in it because it truly is a very unique opportunity. UNICEF was also really random. I was actually in a class and I sat next to the people who were bringing it back to campus. We got to talking about it and they were like, ‘Yeah, we really need people to help get this started and you seem like you’re really involved and have the ability to get this on the ground with us.’ I really love helping people so being able to help children get vaccines and access to clean water is something that was right up my alley. Being able to get in on the ground floor of something as global as UNICEF was a really cool opportunity for me.”
What is your biggest influence in life?
“My biggest influence in life is probably my family. They have supported me in whatever I wanted to do from the very beginning. They are the reason I’m involved in so many different things because they never made me limit my interests. They always inspired me to do whatever it was that made me happy.”
What challenges have you met while pushing to achieve your goals?
“For the KU Willow branch, getting a student organization started has been more difficult than I originally thought. There are a lot of different systems in place that you have to go through, which is fine, but sometimes that can be a little bit challenging when you take two steps forward and three steps back. I’m really trying to make a difference on campus and so having to go through all of these different processes was really eye-opening. However, it was the good kind of challenge because I can come away with more real world experience and more knowledge about how to do things more efficiently. Another big challenge, especially with UNICEF and She’s the First, is getting people involved. I feel like a lot of people are sometimes afraid to go to a meeting or event where they don’t know anyone. I was like that when I was a freshman and sophomore and I wish that I hadn’t been. I wish more people weren’t like that because once I started going to meetings where I didn’t know anybody, it was not as scary as I thought it would be. People are always so welcoming and they are always so glad that you are there and that you’re interested in the same things that they are. Being the president of the KU Willow branch, when people walk in and they look kind of scared, I try to go out of my way to make them feel welcome because there’s a place for everybody here on campus. If there’s not, make your own place.”
What would you say is your biggest accomplishment?
“Definitely the KU Willow branch because I’m hoping that it will be something that will grow and develop long after I’m gone. Even now, it’s already exceeded my wildest expectations for what it could be. I recently made a PSA about the KU Willow branch about what we do and it has been airing on KJHK, the university radio station. Just the other day, someone who was manning the Willow’s hotline reached out to me and told me that a girl called in and accessed services because she heard the PSA. She said that she had been wanting help for a while and hearing that PSA made her realize that there are resources out there and people to support her. Even if the KU Willow branch falls apart today and does nothing else, it would be OK with me because we helped at least one person.”
What advice would you give to up-and-coming students looking to make a difference?
“There’s a place for everybody and don’t be afraid to pursue the things that you are interested in or that you think you might be interested in because the people are always so welcoming. It’s not as scary as it seems. If there’s not a club or organization that suits your interests, make one. It’s honestly been the most rewarding and fulfilling experience of my life. It’s not easy, but it’s worthwhile because you see people who have interests like you coming together and flocking to what you have created. You just think, ‘Wow, I’m not the only one who is passionate about this and desires to make a difference.’”
What are your plans following college?
“Next fall, I will be attending Law school, and after that I hope to go into either family violence law or human rights law. I really want to continue being an advocate for people. I know this sounds cliché, but it’s literally my passion. I was worried about that in high school because so many people were involved and passionate about their different organizations, and I just hadn’t found mine yet. Once I stopped being afraid and reached out to the Willow Domestic Violence center, it just blew my mind. It’s so important to me and it’s truly what I want to continue doing for the rest of my life.”
Emily is the perfect example of what hard work and dedication can accomplish. She exemplifies what it means to give back to the world, and she will continue to change the lives of anyone who has the chance to meet her. Great job, Emily, and keep up the hard work!