HIGH POINT, N.C., April 6, 2012 – Campus Compact recently named Alexa Crawford, a sophomore at High Point University, a 2012 Newman Civic fellow – an honor bestowed to students who demonstrate a personal commitment to creating a lasting change for the better in their communities.
The organization notes that Crawford demonstrates the type of civic engagement that sets a shining example for others. She established a chapter of Operation Smile on the HPU campus that now includes 200 members and consistently raises funds for corrective surgeries for children born with cleft lips and cleft palates worldwide. Crawford and several members of the organization were born with cleft palates themselves, so the cause is special to them.
She also serves as a mentor to young girls through a church program at The Journey Church of the Triad in High Point, and she leads a local college and young adult group there that volunteer their time performing landscaping work for other local churches and passing out “Smile Cards” with encouraging messages to people throughout the community.
As a Newman Civic Fellow, Crawford will join a network of Fellows around the country. Together, the group will share ideas and tools through online networking and help to set examples for their classmates and others. The Newman Civic Fellows class of 2012 is made up of 160 student leaders representing Campus Compact member colleges and universities from 32 states.
“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,” notes Campus Compact Board Chair James B. Dworkin, chancellor at Purdue University North Central.
“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,” explains Campus Compact President Maureen Curley. “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.”
Campus Compact is a national coalition of nearly 1,200 college and university presidents and represents more than 6 million students who are committed to fulfilling the civic purposes of higher education, that is, 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.
At High Point University, every student receives an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment with caring people.℠ HPU, located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, is a liberal arts institution with over 4,200 undergraduate and graduate students at campuses in High Point and Winston-Salem. It is ranked by US News and World Report at No. 3 among Regional Colleges in the South. Parade Magazine lists HPU in the top 25 private schools in the nation. HPU was selected in the 2010-2011 list of “Colleges of Distinction,” as well as one of the top green schools in the country by the Sierra Club. The university offers 44 undergraduate majors, 40 undergraduate minors and 10 graduate degree programs. It is a member of the NCAA, Division I and the Big South Conference. Visit High Point University on the Web at highpoint.edu.
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Pam Haynes
Communication Specialist
336-841-9055
[email protected]