Berea College Junior Nathaniel Fish Selected as 2022 Campus Compact Newman Civic Fellow

Berea College junior Nathaniel Fish has been selected to participate in Campus Compact’s 2022 Newman Civic Fellowship. The Newman Civic Fellowship recognizes and supports community-committed students who are change makers and public problem-solvers at Campus Compact member institutions.

Fellows are nominated by their college’s president because of their potential for public leadership. Campus Compact is a non-profit organization advancing the public purposes of higher education.

A Bonner Scholar majoring in Economics, with a concentration in International Politics and Policy, as well as a minor in Agriculture and Natural Resources, Fish holds a labor position with Grow Appalachia, an outreach program of Berea College.

“(Fish) believes that the pursuit of agricultural justice provides opportunities for spanning borders, building connections and developing communities,” President Lyle Roelofs shared in his nomination letter. “(Fish’s) focus on community economic development, sustainable agriculture and international perspectives demonstrates that by supporting individual and community development, we can also support our environment and quality of life.”

Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides students with training and resources that nurture their assets and passions and help them develop strategies for social change. The yearlong program, named for Campus Compact founder Frank Newman, includes virtual learning opportunities and an optional in-person convening. The Newman Civic Fellowship is designed to build a national network of engaged student leaders who can support one another in building transformational partnerships between campuses and communities.

“Growing up on farms across the United States and beyond, I saw firsthand the importance of agricultural sustainability, food sovereignty and being close with one’s food systems,” Fish said of his community-related work. “I became passionate about finding ways to improve nutrition systems alongside building local economies. I try to approach every problem with the empathy to understand the situation, the diligence to lend a hand as a brother and the respect of mutual partnership. When we look beyond borders, we can truly understand the transformative nature of returning to the soil and our neighbors.”

As a Newman Civic Fellow, Fish will participate in a year-long program for students who are leaders on their campuses and demonstrate a commitment to finding solutions for challenges facing communities locally, nationally and internationally. Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides Fellows with a variety of learning and networking opportunities that emphasize personal, professional and civic growth, designed to provide them with the training and connections they need to create large-scale positive change.

Fish joins 173 students from 38 states, Washington, D.C., and Mexico to form the 2022 cohort of Newman Civic Fellows.

For more information about the 2022 Campus Compact Newman Civic Fellows, visit https://compact.org/newman-civic-fellowship/the-2022-2023-newman-civic-fellows/.