Westminster Student Earns National Leader Fellowship 

Madison Ekern, ’20 KKΓ from Chicago, Illinois, has been notified she is one of 268 student leaders to be named a 2018 Newman Civic Fellow.

 This award is bestowed upon student leaders who have demonstrated an investment in finding solutions for challenges facing communities through the country.  

“I am very excited that I was awarded this opportunity to become Westminster’s Newman Civic Fellow,” says Ekern. “Westminster has prepared me for this opportunity through the classes I have taken and all the support I have gotten from faculty and staff on the campus. I can’t wait to get started this fall!”  

Ekern received the application information for the fellowship from Amanda Gowin, health and exercise science instructor, who encouraged her to work on the application with Kiva Nice-Webb, Coordinator of Community Engagement.  

“I am so grateful that they are as invested in the project as I am,” says Ekern. “I will also be working with Dr. Therese Miller, which will be extremely helpful.”  

Ekern is a member of the women’s soccer team, peer health educators, and the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society.  

Newman Civic Fellows Awards are sponsored by Campus Compact, a national coalition of over 1,000 college and university presidents who are committed to fulfilling the public purposes of higher education.  

Newman Civic Fellows make the most of their college experience through service, research and advocacy to better understand themselves, the root causes of social issues and effective mechanisms for creating lasting change. As these students tackle community challenges, they provide fresh energy and perspective, inspire and mobilize others and develop their own skills and perspective.  

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate and engage with such an extraordinary group of students,” says Campus Compact President Andrew Seligsohn.”The stories of this year’s Newman Civic Fellows make clear that they are bringing people together in their communities to solve pressing problems. “That is what Campus Compact is about, and it’s what our country and our world desperately need.”  

Newman Civic Fellow Awards are made in memory of Dr. Frank Newman, a founder of Campus Compact, who dedicated his life to creating systematic change through education reform. At the core of Dr. Newman’s leadership was a belief in the power of connection with others. He had a tremendous impact on American education and its role in the development of citizens who want to make a difference.  

“I congratulate Madison on her great honor,” says Westminster President Fletch Lamkin. “She is an excellent example of the extraordinary students we have here at Westminster who are committed to success, significance, and service and dedicated to becoming the leaders of our next generation.”  

As the only national higher education association dedicated solely to campus-based civic engagement, Campus Compact promotes public and community service that develops students’ citizenship skills, helps forge effective community/campus partnerships and provides research and training for faculty seeking to integrate civic and community-based learning into the curriculum. Campus Compact’s membership includes public, private, two-and-four-year institutions across the spectrum of higher education.