St. Norbert College Student Named Newman Civic Fellow

Facebook / Tweet

From St. Norbert College, April 9, 2015
by Erich Wegenke, erich.wegenke@snc.edu, 920-403-3089

St. Norbert College junior Catherine Wiese (Wrightstown, Wis.), a political science major minoring in peace and justice and Spanish, has been named a 2015 Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact, a national coalition of almost 1,200 college and university presidents dedicated to campus-based civic engagement.

St. Norbert College president Thomas Kunkel, who nominated Wiese for the award, called her "an informed, passionate and active advocate for justice, human rights and civic engagement." Wiese is the founder and president of Democracy Matters, an organization on the St. Norbert College campus that aims to educate students about the importance of their voices to the democratic system, and to promote equal access to the American political process. Wiese is also a regular volunteer at the Green Bay Correctional Institute and an intern at a local law firm; she will soon begin an internship with the Norman Miller Center for Peace, Justice & Public Understanding at St. Norbert College. She plans to pursue a career in international law, concentrating on human rights advocacy.

"In order to influence and facilitate positive change in the community, it is important to spread awareness and ensure that all people's voices are heard and respected," Wiese said about her efforts. "In my future endeavors, I hope to use the leadership and communication skills I learned to bring true and lasting equality for all."

The Newman Civic Fellows Awards were created in memory of Campus Compact founder Frank Newman, who dedicated his life to creating change through education reform. The awards honor the achievements of student leaders in problem-solving and civic leadership through service, research and advocacy. The Newman Civic Fellows Awards are made possible through the generous support of the KPMG Foundation.

For more information on Campus Compact and Newman Civic Fellows, visit http://www.compact.org. A full list of this year's Newman Civic Fellows can be found at http://www.compact.org/initiatives/awards-programs/the-frank-newman-leadership-award/the-2015-newman-civic-fellows/.