2020 Kentucky Newman Civic Fellows

Aditya Singh

Bellarmine University

Personal Statement:

Spending the first eight years of my life in India, where the streets of even the best neighborhoods house some of the poorest people of the country, I formed an understanding of disadvantage, without the means to act on it. When my father’s work took me back there in my sophomore year of high school, I was in a position to contribute. Together with my younger brother, we established bi-weekly classes for the homeless children around our communities whose parents could not afford to have them go to school. Recruiting friends, we established an environment the children felt eager to return to. This deepened my understanding of the fact that there existed no correlation between their impoverished disposition and their desire to learn. Returning to America, I sought to incorporate my want to serve with my desire to become a doctor. I spent much of the rest of my high school life coordinating blood drives and co-organizing and assisting food kitchens and health safety workshops. On-campus now, I head the Biology Club’s Service and Outreach programs, engaging our club members in service opportunities across the city that simultaneously enrich the community and help the students expand their purview.

Elivia Rojas

Berea College

Personal Statement

I am undocumented, unapologetic, and unafraid. As someone who has encountered educational obstacles in the past due to my status and lack of knowledge of the English language, I believe it is important to serve as an advocate for students with similar backgrounds to ensure they are given the same educational opportunities. Sixteen years ago, my family and I moved from Mexico to the U.S. in hopes to build a better future for ourselves. At the time, I was too young to understand why my status was such a problem. I owe my accomplishments and my career path to my family, especially my mother. Her story is my motivation for the work I continue to do on campus. In my labor position with the Hispanic Outreach Program, I work towards providing resources for our local Hispanic/Latinx community. With our campus organization Fighting for Equal Education, I, along with others, work towards raising awareness for our undocumented community and their unequal access to higher education. Thanks to these organizations, I have found the courage to continue advocating for my community and myself.

Personal Statement

I have a passion to advocate for those in foster care, many of which don’t have the platform that I have been given. Since the age of 2, I have been a part of this system and I know first-hand how it falls short of meeting the needs of the youth it serves. I can recall times where I found it difficult to live a normal “kid’s life” due to the lack of consistency – stable housing, family ties and friends.

Over the years I learned to embrace my struggle and use it a “fuel” to drive my advocacy work. My mission is to encourage and inspire other youth to see, no matter what trials and tribulations they go through, they can be successful. With my recent accomplishment of helping pass Kentucky’s House Bill 158, The Foster Youth Bill of Rights, I learned how using your voice to bring about awareness and change can impact generations – current and those to come.

Personal Statement

During my freshman year at Kentucky Wesleyan I started the college’s first Feminist Club with one of my close friends. After deliberating over some underrepresented problems, we felt the women of Wesleyan, those equally dedicated students who are pursuing higher education, should have their voices heard. Reading about, writing about, and advocating for women has been my focus for the majority of my college career. I decided to pick up political science as a second major my sophomore year in order to understand how the world impacts marginalized humans. While attending an international relations course I realized women are still an underutilized resource in the political arena. At the end of my sophomore year I received the Powell Peace award which recognizes students who are pursuing the study of international peace and civic duty. I have recently become a member of the American Association of University Women’s Owensboro branch and hope to carry out more work as an officer for Wesleyan’s AAUW club. While continuing my studies in graduate school I want to influence young minority women and girls to pursue higher education by becoming a mentor and speaking to them through my writing.

Personal Statement

I originally became interested in politics after taking a political course in high school. By learning how change within our society is championed through politics, I realized the importance of becoming involved. With the 2016 election occurring during this time, I had an influx of information at my disposal, which led me to research policy positions as well as candidates. I become very vocal and involved in my community and among my fellow students and found a passion for this field. I recognized the importance of voting and ensuring that your voice is heard through this constitutional right. This encouraged me to pursue positions such as Senator-At Large, President of the Junior class, and Vice President of the Young Democrats, along with being an election judge and serving with local elected officials. By serving within these positions for the past three years, I have worked to make a positive impact on my college campus and community. Ultimately, change within our society, change within our government, and change within our world begins through our engagement within our community and the political process. I believe everyone’s voice matters and should be heard.

Personal Statement

From an early age, I found gratification in educating and helping individuals lead healthy lives, both physically and mentally. My involvement in high school organizations focusing on mental health awareness, substance-free lifestyles, and leadership led me to develop a perspective of compassion and empathy towards individuals facing challenges. Through my continued education and involvement, I learned about the interconnected nature of substance abuse, mental illness, and societal factors such as age, race, socioeconomic status, and education that impact addiction. Driven by my desire to help others, I work with organizations on campus that promote awareness and enforcement of the tobacco-free policy. I collaborate with campus stakeholders, students, and community members to organize events and educational opportunities, providing information concerning the adverse health effects of nicotine. As a result, I help increase awareness and create a platform for students to discuss issues of public health concern within our community.