The Newman Civic Fellowship recognizes students for leadership, investment in solving public problems
Campus Compact, a Boston-based non-profit organization working to advance the public purposes of higher education, has announced the 262 students who will make up the organization’s 2019-2020 cohort of Newman Civic Fellows, including Elizabethtown College sophomore, Matt Smith.
“Matt is an exceptionally motivated student who lives out the College motto of Educate for Service,” Elizabethtown College President Carl Strikwerda said. “He’s building a foundation of useful approaches to conflict transformation while engaging directly in efforts to benefit others in his local community.”
Smith, of Covington Township, Pa., is a History and Middle Eastern Studies major, and has led several community service projects through the College’s Student Senate organization. He’s also traveled to different parts of the world including a trip to Israel-Palestine where he found his passion to pursue a career in diplomacy and peacemaking.
“At Elizabethtown College, I’ve also had the opportunity to travel with faculty to Japan and South Africa to gain insight through tangible experiences in peacemaking, reconciliation, and conflict resolution,” Smith said. “My ultimate goal is to improve the lives of others by reducing violent conflict around the world.”
The Newman Civic Fellowship, named for Campus Compact co-founder Frank Newman, is a one-year experience emphasizing personal, professional, and civic growth for students who have demonstrated a capacity for leadership and an investment in solving public problems. Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides a variety of learning and networking opportunities, including a national conference of Newman Civic Fellows in partnership with the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. The fellowship also provides fellows with access to apply for exclusive scholarship and post-graduate opportunities.
“We are proud to recognize each of these extraordinary student leaders and thrilled to have the opportunity to engage with them,” said Campus Compact President Andrew Seligsohn. “The stories of this year’s Newman Civic Fellows make clear that they are committed to finding solutions to pressing problems in their communities and beyond. That is what Campus Compact is about, and it’s what our country and our world desperately need.”
The Newman Civic Fellowship is supported by the KPMG Foundation and Newman’s Own Foundation. Learn more at compact.org/newman-civic-fellowship.