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(Upper Saddle River, NJ)—Campus Compact has named three of The Andrew Goodman Foundation’s Vote Everywhere Ambassadors to the 2019-2020 class of Newman Civic Fellows.

According to Campus Compact, the Fellowship “recognizes and supports community-committed students who are changemakers and public problem-solvers at Campus Compact member institutions.” To be considered, candidates for the Fellowship must first be nominated by their institution’s president or chancellor. The Newman Civic Fellowship, whose namesake Frank Newman was the founder of Campus Compact, offers Fellows a year of training and resources for further developing their skills.

Dr. Andrew J. Seligsohn, President of Campus Compact, says “it is no surprise that we consistently select Vote Everywhere Ambassadors as Newman Civic Fellows: Ambassadors are out there every day doing the hard work of ensuring that the voices of young people are heard loud and clear through our democratic process.” According to Seligsohn, Vote Everywhere Ambassadors are “just the kind of action-focused leaders we celebrate through the fellowship.”

The Andrew Goodman Foundation congratulates Vote Everywhere Ambassadors Hannah Fraser (Western Carolina University), Fiorenza Herrera Diaz (Miami Dade College), and Itzel Velazquez (University of Central Arkansas), who were among 262 students chosen for this prestigious award and recognition. Vote Everywhere Program Manager Nicole Costa says, “we couldn’t be prouder of Hannah, Fiorenza, and Itzel for their example of true commitment toward community empowerment and advocacy.”

Hannah Fraser, Western Carolina University ‘20

After joining The Ripple Effect, a learning community dedicated to community engagement and leadership, Hannah Fraser realized that she “had the power as an individual to make meaningful change.” In her personal statement to Campus Compact, Hannah writes that being a Vote Everywhere Ambassador is important to her because she “strongly believes that all of us should take advantage of the rights that we have to choose who represents us.” Hannah is the Vice Chair of the Student Democracy Coalition, through which she petitioned for online voter registration in North Carolina and organized Democracy Day. According to Western Carolina University (WCU) Chancellor Dr. Alison Morrison-Shetlar, Hannah “has such a thoughtfulness and intentionality with her perspective when it comes to this work that it is refreshing to those who work closely with her.” Hannah also founded a chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness at WCU.

Fiorenza Herrera Diaz, Miami Dade College ‘19

In her personal statement, Fiorenza Herrera Diaz writes that her parents “introduced [her to] the concept of service by taking [her] twice a week to volunteer giving out food to families at a local ministry.” This practice inspired Fiorenza’s interest in social justice and led to her participation on Miami Dade College’s (MDC) campus as a Vote Everywhere Ambassador. In this role, Dr. Eduardo Padron, President of MDC, says that Fiorenza was “instrumental in helping two MDC campuses be designated as early voting sites for the first time in history.” Additionally, Fiorenza is President of the Changemaking Ambassador Council, President of the Financial Literacy Club, was selected to attend the 2018 Clinton Global Initiative University, and won first place with her team at the American Bar Association’s Social Justice Hackathon. Fiorenza is “committed to improving [her] community and making this world a better place by supporting what is just.”

Itzel Velazquez, University of Central Arkansas ‘19

“I have a life-long commitment to addressing issues of education, civic engagement, and immigration,” Itzel writes in her personal statement. In addition to being a Vote Everywhere Ambassador at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA), Itzel also has served as the Vice President of the Latino Student Association and the Student Government Association’s Diversity Committee, is a member of the President’s Leadership Fellows, and is a member and founder of the Arkansas United Immigrant Resource Center. Additionally, Itzel founded and is President of LULAC Council #773, a nonprofit that helps “underprivileged students attain a higher education by providing scholarships and resources.” According to UCA’s President Dr. Houston Davis, Itzel has “put [her] skills to work on campus and in her community to meet previously unmet needs for a growing population, both at our university and throughout the nation.”

About The Andrew Goodman Foundation

Established to continue the legacy of Andrew Goodman, a civil rights worker murdered during Freedom Summer 1964, The Andrew Goodman Foundation partners with America’s colleges and universities through its Vote Everywhere program which provides student leaders with a platform to register and mobilize voters, organize campuses, and collaborate with their peers. To learn more, visit www.andrewgoodman.org.

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