Stephanie Gasca, a social science major, was named a 2020 Newman Civic Fellow by the national Campus Compact organization. Gasca is Metropolitan State’s first Newman Civic Fellow. The fellowship was created in honor of Frank Newman, one of Campus Compact's founders and a tireless advocate for the role of higher education in preparing students for active and engaged citizenship.
As a Newman Fellow, Gasca will have access to a variety of learning opportunities, including a national conference next fall. Stephanie is already a community leader, having worked on successful campaigns to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. In 2017 she was a candidate for the Minneapolis City Council and is currently working on organizing fellow parents in the Minneapolis School District to advocate for more equitable educational outcomes for children. She has also been active in Complete Count Minnesota, the state’s census completion initiative.
The Newman Civic Fellowship recognizes and supports community-committed students who are changemakers and public problem-solvers at Campus Compact member institutions. Fellows are nominated by their president or chancellor on the basis of their potential for public leadership.
The Newman Civic Fellowship as a core component of Campus Compact's strategy to build a national network of engaged student leaders who can support one another in building transformational partnerships between campuses and communities.