Purdue University North Central student Victoria DeMan has been selected as a 2014 Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact. The Newman Civic Fellows Awards honors student leaders committed to creating lasting change in communities throughout the country.
DeMan, of Valparaiso, is an Early Childhood Education major who has immersed herself in activities that will help young children succeed. She is a member of the PNC Teachers Networking Together student organization and has served as the service-learning mentor to students in the Early Childhood Education program where she has helped lead and implement several service-learning and civic leadership projects.
She has presented at two state-wide conferences showcasing these projects. She has earned local and statewide funding to support her efforts.
DeMan has been involved with the Library Sprouts literacy program for young children, she has helped implement two Countdown to a Healthy Start programs helping families prepare children to enter kindergarten and she helped to plan and served as a volunteer at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration educational events for children.
“Through each experience my passion about being involved with my community grows,” she said. “With each project I know I am helping the community around me become stronger and I, in return, have learned a lot about myself and the world around me. Each skill I have learned along my journey I have been able to use in my everyday life.”
DeMan was nominated for the award by PNC Chancellor Dr. James B. Dworkin. “Her optimistic, proactive approach enhances her advocacy to help ensure that all children have the support necessary to succeed,” he said. “Through her dedication, she inspires her peers to make a commitment to service and she believes that being active in her community and on-campus makes her a better person; and her activities have helped her to be an engaged and supportive campus-community member.
Students from colleges and universities shared the distinction of being named Newman Civic Fellows. “These students represent the next generation of public problem solvers and civic leaders. They serve as national examples of the role that higher education can, and does, play in building a better world,” said Richard Guarasci, president of Wagner College of New York, the Campus Compact board chair.
“Dr. Frank Newman, a founder of Campus Compact, had a tremendous impact on American education and its role in the development of citizens who are eager and prepared to make a difference,” explained Andrew J. Seligsohn, Campus Compact president. “He dedicated his life to creating systemic change through education reform and this new group of Newman Civic Fellows would have inspired him. They are reflections and affirmations of his life’s work.”
The Newman Civic Fellows Awards are made possible through the generous support of the KPMG Foundation.
Campus Compact is a national coalition of almost 1,200 college and university presidents representing some 6 million students who are committed to fulfilling the civic purposes of higher education, to improve community life and to educate students for civic and social responsibility. For more information about the organization and the award, visit www.compact.org
A full list of the 2015 Newman Civic Fellows can be found at http://www.compact.org/initiatives/awards-programs/the-frank-newman-leadership-award/the-2015-newman-civic-fellows/