From Earlham College to UNICEF: A path in international law and social justice

Earlham College senior Maellynn Karuranga is no stranger to taking big leaps to achieve her goals. She comes from Réunion, an island that is an overseas department and region of France near Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. When she was a young teenager, she had never heard of United World Colleges (UWC) or Earlham, but a chance connection lit a spark.

“My Mom talked to the second Réunionnais to ever attend UWC, and she told me about it, and I applied,” Karuranga said. “I was the first Réunionnaise to attend UWC Mahindra College in India.”

Karuranga’s experience at the UWC fostered a pre-existing love of social justice and interest in international law as she got to know another culture, and her counselor talked to her about whether Earlham would be a good fit. 

“The peace and global studies major at Earlham really stood out to me,” Karuranga said. “I wanted a place where I could build a community like in UWC and also a place that would be small with proximity to the teachers and lots of diversity.”

Karuranga’s journey through her PAGS major and through her funded internship supported by Earlham’s Epic Journey program led her to a full-semester study abroad in Thailand, further broadening her experiences that build her foundation as an international citizen and future leader. While in Thailand, her Earlham advisor worked with her remotely over video calls to evaluate many internship opportunities and apply, knowing that Earlham’s EPIC Advantage funding could help her choose based on the most appealing, relevant, and engaging internship, rather than having to select only experiences that would provide funding.

Ultimately, Karuranga found a compelling opportunity in France, working directly with UNICEF to educate children both on what it means to be an eco-citizen and what their rights are as children. The work built Karuranga’s understanding of global NGO functionality while also helping her engage firsthand with people from around France and beyond. 

“I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to have the EPIC Advantage to allow me this opportunity. I’m a student, and I couldn’t have done it without this support,” Karuranga said.

While she kept busy helping to organize major events like UNI Day and working on how to communicate this year’s theme, “living in a healthy environment” in diverse, child-friendly ways, Karuranga also prized the chance to observe, to get to know how her colleagues worked with the children and each other.

This fall, Karuranga is excited to continue to make connections between her many experiences: in UWC, at Earlham, in Semester at Sea, in Thailand, and with UNICEF. 

“This Fall, I’m taking Intro to Diplomacy, even though it’s my final year, and I think it’s very linked to UNICEF,” Karuranga said. “I think this class will help me interact, make sure what I’m saying is respectful. UNICEF really taught me how to shift and adapt who I’m interacting with.”

Karuranga is looking into pursuing a master’s degree as she continues to explore possibilities in international law and social justice. Even now, she’s built a collection of experiences that will serve her well no matter what role she ultimately chooses, through her education at UWC, Earlham, and the global experiences possible through the EPIC Journey.

This story was written by Laura Leavitt for Earlham College’s Office of Marketing and Communications.

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About Earlham College 

Earlham College and Earlham School of Religion foster a collaborative learning community that inspires and motivates students with transformative opportunities and experiences so they can become catalysts for good in a changing world. Located in Richmond, Indiana, Earlham is one of U.S. News & World Report’s Top 75 national liberal arts colleges and offers one of the top 20 classroom experiences in the nation, according to the Princeton Review.