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Mar Shevchenko, a �鶹��Ƶ student majoring in Electrical Engineering, has been named a 2022-2023 Newman Civic Fellow.

Shevchenko, who prefers the pronoun they, is one of from 38 states and Mexico to be selected for the year-long program.

The recognizes students who stand out for their commitment to creating positive change in communities locally and around the world. Shevchenko volunteers with the , an organization dedicated to creating just and liberated communities free from racial violence and harm.

“Mar believes social progress can be made when members of communities come together, listen to each other, and respond with action,” says Dr. Leigh Goodson, �鶹��Ƶ president & CEO, in the nomination letter. “We need leaders like Mar who can do more than just identify injustices but who then go on to propose innovative solutions that respond to real needs.”

Through the Terence Crutcher Foundation, Shevchenko participates in community walks to learn what kinds of healthcare, education, and infrastructure issues matter to the residents living in under-served neighborhoods. By volunteering, Shevchenko believes this is an active way to be a small part of a bigger collective to reduce racial and wealth inequality.

“Through these walks, volunteers canvas neighborhoods, asking the residents what issues matter most. Once their responses have been compiled, the Terence Crutcher Foundation can propose policies that respond to the needs of the community,” says Shevchenko. “Another way that I work to address wealth inequality in Tulsa is by volunteering with organizations such as DSA Green County and Cooperation Tulsa to create worker solidarity and create a community garden and center,” says Shevchenko.

The Newman Civic Fellow is presented by Campus Compact, a national coalition of colleges and universities working to advance the public purposes of higher education. The fellowship is named in honor of Frank Newman, one of Campus Compact's founders, and is supported by the KPMG Foundation.

“We need leaders like Mar who can do more than just identify injustices but who then go on to propose innovative solutions that respond to real needs. It is students like Mar that give us great hope in the future of �鶹��Ƶ as well as Tulsa as a whole,” said Goodson.

Through the fellowship, Campus Compact will provide these students with a year of learning and networking opportunities that emphasize personal, professional, and civic growth. Shevchenko will attend a conference in Fall 2022 and receive a $500 stipend from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education before graduating from �鶹��Ƶ with an associate degree in May 2023.