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Ashley Roehrman '21 Named Newman Civic Fellow
Campus Compact selects the VWU junior as part of its 2020-21 cohort
University News | April 14, 2020
Virginia Wesleyan University junior Ashley Roehrman is one of just 290 students nationwide selected as a 2020-21 Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact, a Boston-based nonprofit organization working to advance the public purposes of higher education.
Roehrman, an environmental studies and sociology major from Dallas, Texas, has been active at VWU as a resident assistant, Jane P. Batten Student Center supervisor, president of Marlins Go Green and as a student representative on the VWU Environmental Sustainability Council. Last fall, she served as a student panelist, along with national and local climate change experts, at the “Generations Uniting to Address Climate Change” on-campus conference hosted by VWU and the Gunn Group. Her knowledge, experiences and insights helped students to understand how climate change is altering the environment and what can be done to mitigate these changes.
Campus Compact is a national coalition of over 1,000 colleges and universities. The Newman Civic Fellowship is a year-long program for students from Campus Compact member institutions. Students selected for the fellowship are leaders on their campuses who demonstrate a commitment to finding solutions for challenges facing communities locally, nationally, and internationally.
"I've always had an affinity for the natural world," said Roehrman. "My passion for environmental issues began in my junior year of high school while I was taking environmental science and became aware of the environmental crises happening to our natural world. Since then, I have become more aware of the institutions and practices that are contributing to the destruction of our natural environment."
Roehrman exercises her passion at VWU where she serves as an intern of sustainability and energy for the University’s facilities management department. She hopes to bring more awareness and additional sustainable practices to campus, supporting VWU's efforts to become a greener and more environmentally-conscious university. She has plans to join the Peace Corps after graduation from Virginia Wesleyan in May 2021.
"I'm very grateful for the opportunity to be part of the Newman Civic Fellowship program," continued Roehrman. "I'm excited about the opportunities to grow and learn to be a better leader and change maker."
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, Campus Compact member presidents and chancellors may nominate one student from their institution for the fellowship.
“Ashley is an incredibly high-performing student who has been an active leader in all areas of campus life,” said Scott D. Miller, President of the University. “She recently completed Virginia Wesleyan's Peace Corps Prep program. A natural born leader and devoted agent for change, Ashley's calling is truly making a difference in our world and in the lives of others. The VWU community is very proud of her accomplishments.”
Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides the students with a variety of learning and networking opportunities that emphasize personal, professional, and civic growth. Each year, Fellows are invited to a national, in-person conference of Newman Civic Fellows and participate in numerous virtual training and networking opportunities. The fellowship also provides fellows with pathways to apply for exclusive scholarship and post-graduate opportunities.
“We are proud to recognize each of these extraordinary student leaders and thrilled to have the opportunity to engage with them,” said Campus Compact President Andrew Seligsohn. “The stories of this year's Newman Civic Fellows make clear that they are committed to finding solutions to pressing problems in their communities and beyond. That is what Campus Compact is about, and it's what our country and our world desperately need.”
Read more about the 290 students who are part of the 2020-2021 cohort of Newman Civic Fellows. Their inspiring stories relay the incredible impact they've had on their communities. The Newman Civic Fellowship is supported by the KPMG Foundation and Newman’s Own Foundation. Learn more at compact.org/newman-civic-fellowship.
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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.