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Amy Belfer ’19 has been named a Newman Civic Fellow by ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈ Compact in recognition of her investment in finding solutions for challenges facing communities and her passion for enacting social change.

A human service studies major, Belfer is a Periclean Scholar and founder of the Hall for Change, a social justice living-learning community. She volunteers as the first director of human rights for Elon Volunteers and serves as a service captain for Habitat for Humanity, social justice co-chair for Hillel. She’s been a campus voter registration leader, has been a coordinator for Oxfam and is an active member of the local NAACP chapter. 

“By empowering others through recognizing their strengths, I work to help people to help themselves,” Belfer says. “Through my work with people who are refugees, ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈ theatre class at a youth center, Habitat for Humanity, the Alamance NAACP, and various other organizations, I have learned to effectively partner with marginalized groups and speak with them, not for them.”

¾Ã¾ÃÈÈ Compact is a national coalition of more than 1,100 college and university presidents — representing some 6 million students — who are committed to fulfilling the civic purposes of higher education to improve community life and to educate students for civic and social responsibility. Named for ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈ Compact founder Frank Newman, the Newman Civic Fellows Award recognizes students who are passionate about making lasting change in their communities.

The fellowship is a one-year experience that provides fellows the opportunity to access in-person and virtual learning opportunities, networking events and mentoring. The fellows gather at the national, regional and state levels, including a national conference in Boston in November, and have access to self-assessment tools to help track their growth and skill development. 

Belfer, who works as a student office assistant in the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, is part of a cohort of 273 fellows selected for the 2017-18 academic year, and joins following a program redesign that will offer fellows a variety of learning and networking opportunities as well as pathways to exclusive scholarship and post-graduate opportunities. 

To learn more about Newman Civic Fellow Amy Belfer, please visit her .