MESA, Arizona – March 22, 2018 – Mesa Community College (MCC) student Maria Dawes, Mesa, has been named a 2018 Newman Civic Fellow.
Dawes, a single mother who balances her commitment to family and her community while maintaining high academic standards, receives a one-year fellowship experience with access to in-person and virtual learning opportunities, networking events and mentoring from Campus Compact member institutions that support students’ personal, professional and civic development.
The Newman Civic Fellows Award honors inspiring college student leaders who have demonstrated an investment in finding solutions for challenges facing communities throughout the country. Through service, research and advocacy, Newman Civic Fellows make the most of their college experience to better understand themselves, the root causes of social issues and effective mechanisms for creating lasting change.
Sasan Poureetezadi, MCC interim president, nominated Dawes for this recognition, stating, “Maria has been a driving force in campus and community involvement during her time at Mesa Community College. Maria is committed to civic engagement and her involvement in projects with the Center for Community & Civic Engagement. Her various roles in this department taught Maria the importance of finding needs within communities and tailoring high quality projects to address them.
“Maria has spent over 2,000 hours in leadership positions honing those skills and has mentored other students to do the same. Maria’s enthusiasm is contagious, her vision exceptional and her tenacity unstoppable.”
Shortly after beginning her studies at MCC, Dawes recognized that in order to achieve her potential, she needed to become engaged in the well-being of others. Having been on the receiving side of charitable organizations, Dawes now gives back to those in need. She quickly became passionate about voter- and health care-registration for students.
She has been involved with the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund, Organizing for Action, National Advocacy & Training Network, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Civic Action Engagement Team, Community Engagement Advisory Board, Secretary of State Michele Reagan’s Millennial Advisory Group and is serving as an AmeriCorps member with Mesa Counts on College.
As a member of a national grassroots community organizing nonprofit, Dawes coordinated events such as Grow AZ Strong, designed to strengthen the community from the inside out with a leadership development workshop. She networked with the local Holocaust Survivors’ Association to secure a speaker to discuss mass discrimination with over 175 students. In addition, as an AmeriCorps member, she is collaborating with the Arizona State University American Dream Academy to build a multi-week Parent Engagement Project to increase student enrollment and success in college.
In her personal statement, Dawes said that civic engagement is a right, a responsibility, a privilege and a duty that strengthens individual character and the community in which we live.
“Each of us has a voice which can be best heard through our actions,” Dawes said. “The message I choose to portray with my actions is that by serving others, we serve ourselves. By caring for others, we care for ourselves. And by investing ourselves, our time and our energy into the people and world around us, we bring about a phenomenal transformative change. In finding solutions to each issue we face, there lies a challenge and opportunity for growth. Civic engagement is my solution and the tool I use to be a catalyst for change.”
Newman Civic Fellows are named in honor of Frank Newman, who dedicated his life to creating systemic change through education reform.
# # #
Media contact: Dawn Zimmer, dawn.zimmer@mesacc.edu or 480-461-7892
Campus Compact is a national coalition of 1,000+ colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education. We build democracy through civic education and community development. Visit https://compact.org to learn more.
Mesa Community College is nationally recognized for service-learning, career and technical programs, civic engagement and innovative approaches to higher education. The college serves as a resource for career readiness, transfer education, workforce development and lifelong learning. Host to more than 30,000 students annually, MCC offers more than 150 degree and certificate programs at its two campuses and additional locations. MCC is an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution with a diverse student body that enriches the learning experience. Renowned faculty are dedicated to student success, providing the education and training that empowers MCC students to compete locally and nationally. MCC, located in the East Valley of Phoenix, Arizona, is one of 10 colleges comprising the Maricopa County Community College District. For additional information, Visit mesacc.edu.
Mesa Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association (NCA) http://www.ncahlc.org.
The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is an EEO/AA institution and an equal opportunity employer of protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or national origin. A lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission and participation in the career and technical education programs of the District.
The Maricopa County Community College District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age in its programs or activities. For Title IX/504 concerns, call the following number to reach the appointed coordinator: (480) 731-8499. For additional information, as well as a listing of all coordinators within the Maricopa College system, http://www. maricopa.edu/non-discrimination.