Alexa Schmitz

Alexa Schmitz

Alexa Schmitz’s list of service experience is long. From a two-year stint as student director of Wartburg College’s Volunteer Action Center, to serving as a Student Athlete Advisory Council member, to mentoring youth at Bremwood Residential Treatment Center, Schmitz has found ways to share her skills and passion with those around her.

Because of this dedication to service, Schmitz, a double major in neuroscience and Spanish from New Hartford, was named a 2017 Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact. She is one of only seven honorees from Iowa colleges and universities.

“We all have unique qualities to bring to places in our community that need them the most,” Schmitz said. “Using these qualities brings out the best in us and the best in others. Service is simple; we don’t need to go far to help our neighbors.”

In his nomination letter, Wartburg President Darrel Colson commended Schmitz’s leadership both on and off campus.

“Because she so generously shares her gifts—of time, talent and leadership—with others, Alexa will be a splendid Newman Fellow,” Colson wrote.

Schmitz also has served as a student ambassador, Sigma Delta Pi Honor Society treasurer, a Unified Sports Day team captain, a fundraising chair for the National Society of Leadership and Service and a children’s and college ministry volunteer at Orchard Hill Church, among other things.

“If there are opportunities for me to actively work toward helping others, I want to seize them. The opportunities I have had at Wartburg to serve in various organizations have humbled me, yet also educated and empowered me about what I can do for others,” Schmitz said. “I hope that I am able to continue to develop skills and sensitivity to the needs of our community and world through Campus Compact as a Newman Fellow and someday use these skills to better serve others.”

As a 2017 Newman Civic Fellow, Schmitz will be a part of the first cohort to benefit from a completely re-designed fellowship. The Newman Civic Fellowship, named for Campus Compact co-founder Frank Newman, is a one-year experience emphasizing personal, professional and civic growth. Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides a variety of learning and networking opportunities, including a national conference of Newman Civic Fellows in partnership with the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. The fellowship also provides fellows with access to exclusive scholarship and post-graduate opportunities.

“The cultivation of community-committed leaders has never been more crucial,” said Andrew Seligsohn, Campus Compact president. “We rebuilt the Newman Civic Fellowship experience because our country needs more people who know how to bring communities together for positive change. We are thrilled to welcome this group of 273 exemplary students as the first cohort to participate in this new model.”

The Newman Civic Fellowship is supported by the KPMG Foundation and Newman’s Own Foundation.

This award honors the late Frank Newman, one of Campus Compact’s founders and a tireless advocate for the civic engagement of higher education. Students are nominated for the Campus Compact honor by institution presidents. The national coalition brings together more than 1,100 college and university presidents committed to educating students for civic and social responsibility.