Tyrese Reed '21 has been selected to participate in The Newman Civic Fellowship during the 2020-21 academic year. The fellowship recognizes and supports community-committed students who are changemakers and public problem-solvers at Campus Compact member institutions. 

Campus Compact is a national coalition of colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education specifically through encouraging civic responsibility and students’ connections with their communities.

The organization provides Newman Fellows with training and resources that “nurture their assets and passions and help them develop strategies for social change” through the yearlong program. Named for Campus Compact founder Frank Newman, the fellowship includes special scholarship opportunities from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute along with opportunities to submit conference proposals to present at Campus Compact affiliated conferences and online events focused on skill development.

Knox College President Teresa Amott recommended Reed, a political science major, for the fellowship. According to her nomination, Reed “embodies the spirit of engaged citizenship and pursuit of the public good.” An athlete, scholar, volunteer, leader, and mentor, Reed “dedicates hundreds of hours to helping other students” not just at Knox, but also during school breaks when he “serves as a mentor to young athletes at his high school in San Diego, California,” she explained.

“Tyrese seeks to engage students on all sides of an issue because he genuinely wants everyone to be heard,” added President Amott. “He intends to expand his research [on the voting behavior of in-state and out-of-state college students] to identify other socioeconomic factors that may affect voting behavior, and he hopes his work can help increase voter turnout.”

In his personal statement on his Campus Compact profile, Reed explained that being a person of color informs a lot of his passion for social issues. “On my campus, Knox College, we pride ourselves on being a place for social justice, yet not enough people are familiar with how to navigate these areas or have a space for these dialogues,” said Reed. 

A proponent for education and change, Reed said that he uses his positions of leadership in student organizations to support students who are passionate about social justice. “For example, all of our cultural clubs, as part of the solution, are being educated on each social struggle before joining in the push for justice.” He continued, “In order for us to push for change within institutions that have social issues, it is imperative that we educate ourselves first, so we can join in the discussion.”

More information can be found on Reed’s profile on the Campus Compact website.