Something new is happening at the University of Michigan this year — and it started with three friends who couldn’t shake the feeling that they could do more.
Katherine Listman, Lucy Gabel, and Sophia Borowski launched Thrive’s first‑ever Student Alliance at the University of Michigan, bringing a global fight against childhood hunger straight into the heart of Ann Arbor.
Katherine, Lucy, and, Sofia started Thrive Student Alliance believing their classmates care about childhood hunger around the world as much as they do.
How It Started
Lucy has been involved with Thrive since high school, when she led the Youth Council at Grosse Pointe South. Coming to Michigan, she immediately saw how much bigger the impact could be.
“We’re around so many intelligent people with connections all over the world,” she said. “There’s so much opportunity to spread Thrive’s message to whoever will listen — and hopefully inspire them to do something about it.”
She didn’t have to wait long. At the September club fair, the three of them collected 35 signups in 35 minutes before getting pulled away for an interview. One student even told them, “This is the coolest cause I’ve ever heard of.”
Katherine, who hopes to become a doctor, says the mission hits her at a deeper level.
“There are people who can’t even get meals on the table,” she said. “It’s important to step back and realize there’s a whole world of people who have much bigger issues than you.”
Building Momentum
Sophia, who grew up with Katherine and Lucy in Grosse Pointe, says she’s always had a global perspective. Hearing stories from Lucy’s family about living in Bangladesh made the issue feel personal.
Her biggest goal? Educate people and get creative with fundraising.
“It’s exciting that this is Thrive’s first college chapter,” she said. “It just worked out that we were from the same area and got it going really quickly. I think it’s going to keep building momentum — and hopefully we’ll make a lot of change.”
What’s Next
The group had its first fundraiser on October 7 at Chipotle in Ann Arbor, and they’re already dreaming bigger: restaurant partnerships, larger fundraising events, awareness sessions on childhood hunger, and even Zoom calls connecting Michigan students directly with schools Thrive serves in the Philippines and Bangladesh.
It’s early days, but the energy is unmistakable. Three students saw a need, believed their campus would care, and were right.
And they’re just getting started.
If you’d like to start a Thrive Student Alliance at your school, reach out to info@thrive-global.org.
