5/10/24

By University Communications

Hays, Kan. – Campus Compact, a national coalition of colleges and universities working to advance the public purposes of higher education, has named the student civic leaders from 38 states, Washington, D.C., and Mexico, who will make up the 2024-2025 cohort of Newman Civic Fellows. Grace McCord, a Fort Hays State University political science major, was named a cohort member.

“I am honored to have been selected as a Newman Civic Fellow, and I can’t wait to step into a community of like-minded students who are also passionate about making their communities better places to live,” McCord said. “The Newman Fellowship offers a platform to translate passion into action, empowering me to be an agent of change in my community and beyond, for which I am incredibly grateful.”

The Newman Civic Fellowship is a yearlong program that recognizes students who stand out for their leadership potential and commitment to creating positive change in communities. The fellowship is named for the late Frank Newman, one of Campus Compact’s founders, who was a tireless advocate for civic engagement in higher education. In the spirit of Dr. Newman’s leadership, each fellow is nominated by their campus president or chancellor, who is invited to select one exemplary community-committed student from their campus each year.

Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides these students with learning and networking opportunities that help to nurture their development as civic leaders. Programming emphasizes personal, professional, and civic growth that can empower them to collaborate effectively across disciplines and create large-scale positive change.

McCord was nominated for this honor by FHSU President Tisa Mason. In her nomination letter, Mason said, “Grace McCord is a dedicated and accomplished student leader who embodies the tenacious Tiger spirit. Our campus is both proud of and grateful for her impactful contributions to our campus community and beyond.”

McCord’s involvement in campus leadership includes service as a senator in the FHSU Student Government Association, the Panhellenic Council, and several community service and faith-based organizations. She is the recipient of myriad honors and scholarships, including the Dane G. Hansen Leader of Tomorrow Scholarship.

The cornerstone of the fellowship is the Annual Convening of Newman Civic Fellows, which offers intensive in-person skill-building and networking over three days. The fellowship also provides fellows with pathways to apply for exclusive opportunities, including mini-grants to help fund community projects, scholarships, and post-graduate opportunities.

“We are honored to recognize such an outstanding group of community-committed students,” said Campus Compact President Bobbie Laur. “One of the best parts of the Newman Civic Fellowships is the richness of students’ perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds—and how these varied stories all led to their passionate engagement with the social, political, and environmental issues impacting our world. These students will be the catalysts for change on many levels, and we are privileged to help empower them to create that change.”

The Newman Civic Fellowship is generously supported by The Allstate Foundation. Learn more at compact.org/newman-civic-fellowship. You can read more about each of the student leaders selected for this year’s cohort at compact.org/current-programs/newman-civic-fellowship/newman-civic-fellows.Campus Compact is a national coalition of colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education. Campus Compact supports institutions in fulfilling their public purposes by deepening their ability to improve community life and to educate students for civic and social responsibility. As the largest national higher education association dedicated solely to campus-based civic engagement, we provide professional development to administrators and faculty to enable them to engage effectively, facilitate national partnerships connecting campuses with key issues in their local communities, build pilot programs to test and refine promising models in engaged teaching and scholarship, celebrate and cultivate student civic leadership, and convene higher education institutions and partners beyond higher education to share knowledge and develop collective capacity. Visit www.compact.org.