CSU Channel Islands (CI) English major and fall 2016 graduate Ashley Medina, 23, has been named a Newman Civic Fellow. Photos courtesy of CSU Channel Islands.
CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands (CI) English major and fall 2016 graduate Ashley Medina, 23, has been named a Newman Civic Fellow.
The Newman Civic Fellows Award honors college student leaders who represent the next generation of public problem solvers and civic leaders.
Medina is one of 218 students from 36 states, Washington D.C. and Mexico who were named a Newman Civic Fellow, an award from Campus Compact, a Boston-based non-profit organization that works to advance the public purposes of higher education.
“Since 2013, I have actively been involved in juvenile justice academic efforts by promoting co-learning environments, and access to educational pathways,” Medina wrote in her statement to Campus Compact.
Medina traveled to Uganda after responding to a request from an educational official in Uganda who wanted to implement a co-learning program in their correctional institutions.
Medina’s desire to work with incarcerated youth is rooted in her own circumstances, which included being raised by a single mother and growing up with few financial resources.
“My father was incarcerated most of my life,” Medina said. “It allowed me to see the cycle of incarceration, and I learned about the term ‘recidivism.’ It allowed me to analyze it in my own life.”
Her curiosity and desire to serve this population took her to the other side of the world, an accomplishment mentioned by President Richard R. Rush in his nomination letter for Medina.
“Through her own funding attempts, she has traveled to Uganda in 2014 and 2015 to volunteer and offer courses to incarcerated men and women,” Rush wrote. “She has laid witness to how education can lead to a sense of hope and empowerment for others.”
Medina traveled to Uganda after responding to a request from an educational official in Uganda who wanted to implement a co-learning program in their correctional institutions.
He had seen Cal Poly Pomona’s Prison Education Project, which involves CI students and faculty, and liked the concept of co-learning.
“Co-learning” means that the educator learns from the students just as the students learn from the educator, Medina explained.
“I have learned that people who are incarcerated want to engage and interact in an environment where they are treated no differently than you or I,” Medina said. “The events of our past don’t necessarily define who we are.”
This award honors the late Frank Newman, one of Campus Compact’s founders and a tireless advocate for civic engagement among those in higher education.
Medina and the other Campus Compact 2016 Newman Civic Fellows will represent their higher education institution in a national group of student leaders.
“We are fortunate to have the opportunity to celebrate such an extraordinary group of students,” said Campus Compact president Andrew Seligsohn. “We are seeing a resurgence in student interest in acting to create lasting social change, and this year’s Newman Civic Fellows exemplify that commitment.”
These students will receive an award certificate and an invitation to join the Newman Civic Fellows online network. They will also be featured prominently on the Campus Compact national website and, in many cases, invited to participate in state-specific activities.
Medina learned of the honor while she was in Uganda again during spring break, meeting with some of the students she worked with during the summer of 2014 and 2015.
Medina said she was very surprised as “I didn’t even know I’d been nominated,” she said.?
About California State University Channel Islands: CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more about CI by visiting CI’s Social Media.