Five Louisiana college students have been named in the first group of Newman Civic Fellows by Campus Compact, a national coalition of more than 1,100 colleges and universities focused on the civic purposes of higher education.

 “College and university presidents nominated the best-of-the-best: promising college student leaders who are demonstrating an investment in finding solutions for challenges facing communities,” said Stuart Stewart, executive director of Louisiana Campus Compact.

Named for Dr. Frank Newman, one of the founders of Campus Compact, the fellowships are designed to acknowledge students with the ability and motivation to create lasting change in their communities, she explained. All were nominated by their college presidents or chancellors.

 Louisiana students named Newman Civic Fellows included:

Yaser Elqutub, Northwestern State University, Natchitoches – A student-athlete, Elqutub has raised awareness and involved others in a variety of initiatives  designed to enrich the lives of children. Among the activities were working with the Families in Need of Service (FINS) program, “Up Til Dawn” for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, and Samaritan’s Feet, an organization that provides new shoes to children in third-world  countries. Over the last two years, he has volunteered over 200 hours of his personal time and has helped inspire the Northwestern Athletic Department to provide over 8,000 hours of community service.

Chandler LeBoeuf, Our Lady of the Lake College, Baton Rouge – LeBoeuf has been instrumental in advocating for student and community needs. An advocate for civic engagement, he led a transformation of the college’s student government association into a community action-based organization, getting students involved in a variety of projects in greater Baton Rouge that will have lasting impacts on the community and on nonprofit partnerships with the college. Chandler also works with the Tobacco-Free Living College Coalition Team, which is committed to reducing the number of Louisiana youth who smoke.

Sam Tabory, Tulane University, New Orleans – Tabory’s commitment to civic engagement at Tulane began as part of the required service-learning curriculum. He translated his service-learning experience into a long term commitment to institutionalize public service across the university and to promote a campus culture of service. As a Public Service Fellow, he works with faculty and community partners to implement service-learning course that focus on social entrepreneurship and innovation in the arena of public education. He serves on the boards of the Center for Public Service and the Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives.

Allegra Weldon, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond – Weldon has taken a leadership role in spearheading an effort to bring locally, sustainably produced food into the university’s food services. A member of Reconnect, the university’s environmental sustainability student organization, she works toward a goal of educating the student community about where their food comes from and how it is produced while seeking to build community by connecting local farmers and the university. She believes a strong local economy is the key to community vitality and supporting local farmers is a way to achieve that goal.

Betty Williams-Wiles, Baton Rouge Community College – Deeply committed to her community and BRCC, Williams-Wiles  hopes to make an impact on others through simple human connections and how they relate to art. She has explored and expanded these connections through work with young people at Prescott Middle School and with the elderly at Williamsburg Assisted Living Community. Expected to graduate in May, she intends to use her career in art as a tool to inspire and serve others.

– Courtesty of Public Info