ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP - CLASS OF 2025
United Nations Academic Impact and MCN are proud to partner on the Millennium Fellowship. This year, 60,000+ young leaders applied to join the Class of 2025 on 7,000+ campuses across 170 nations. 290+ campuses worldwide (less than 5%) were selected to host the 4,500+ Millennium Fellows.
UNITED NATIONS ACADEMIC IMPACT AND MCN PROUDLY PRESENT ANN BENNY KUDIYIRICAN, A MILLENNIUM FELLOW FOR THE CLASS OF 2025.
Stella Maris College | Chennai, India | Advancing SDG 5, SDG 10 & UNAI 3
" As someone who believes that education is a powerful tool to change the world, I have always been driven by the desire to share my knowledge with others and uplift them. This commitment continues to inspire me to do better every day. I aspire to contribute to women’s empowerment, even in the smallest corners of the world, because I believe small steps can lead to greater change. As a Millennium Fellow, I am excited to build a community that shares my passion and to continue this journey of creating meaningful impact . "
Millennium Fellowship Project: The Lighthouse Project
The Lighthouse Project is a 10-week structured learning journey designed to equip young women with the skills and confidence to become critical thinkers, collaborative learners, and contributors to academic research. Through experiential workshops, mentorship, and peer collaboration, participants learn to frame meaningful questions, design studies, analyze data, and produce publication-ready papers.
The measurable goals I hope to accomplish include engaging 20–25 students per cohort with consistent participation, ensuring at least 80% complete and submit a research manuscript, and documenting growth in critical thinking, communication, and research confidence through reflections. Additional outcomes include creating portfolios of tangible research outputs, fostering collaboration through peer pods and faculty mentoring, and establishing a sustainable community of practice where trained students mentor future cohorts.
About the Millennium Fellow
Ann Benny is an Economics undergraduate at Stella Maris College, Chennai, passionate about sustainability, inclusive development, and policy innovation. She has taken on leadership roles as an editor, mentor, and board member within her department, where she has guided research and academic initiatives while also fostering peer collaboration. Actively involved in writing, research, and student-led projects, she has contributed to platforms that bridge creativity and critical inquiry. Beyond academics, Ann engages in reading, drawing, singing, and chess, which reflect her versatile interests. With resilience, curiosity, and a strong sense of purpose, she aspires to contribute to meaningful social and economic change.
