Dominican University student Atzimba Rodriguez has been selected as one of only 218 student leaders across the country and Mexico to receive Campus Compact’s 2016 Newman Civic Fellows Award. The annual award recognizes student leaders committed to creating lasting change in local and global communities. Rodriguez is pursuing a major in psychology and criminology, with a minor in social justice and civic engagement. As a member of Psi Chi, the international psychology honors society, she has been involved in a number of research projects which she presented at Dominican’s annual Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Investigations (URSCI) conference. She serves as a resident assistant and organized an anti-bullying campaign among Dominican’s resident students. She also serves as a tutor and “buddy” to international students in the ESL program. She participated in Dominican’s study abroad service trip to Haiti, where she volunteered with disabled children.

Off campus, Rodriguez has volunteered at The Peace Corner and Casa Hogar, both of which provide safe alternatives to students in challenging Chicago neighborhoods. She has also collaborated with UNITE, an organization dedicated to helping workers attain better labor benefits, safe working conditions and employment rights. Through her engagement with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, she has provided service to immigrants in Chicago. “I believe in a life of examination and I have come to realize that helping others is the best way to learn about ourselves,” Rodriguez has said. “I really believe that everyone deserves to at least have a fair opportunity and that’s why I serve and engage with others in the struggle for justice.” The Newman Civic Fellows Award was created in honor of Dr. Frank Newman, one of Campus Compact’s founders and an advocate for the role of higher education in preparing students for active and engaged citizenship. The award is supported by the KPMG Foundation and Newman’s Own Foundation.