Campus Compact

Educating citizens • building communities

Home > Initiatives > Awards Programs > Newman Civic Fellows Award 2013 > The 2012 Newman Civic Fellows > Zanya Stephenson, Penn State Brandywine

state-offices.jpg

Zanya Stephenson, Penn State Brandywine

Zanya Stephenson, a junior at Penn State Brandywine, has a history of taking action to improve the community. She was the first student to work with the campus’ newly established Laboratory for Civic Engagement, where she manages a podcast and interviews students.  Zanya also captained a hunger relief benefit on campus.  At an after school program in North Philadelphia, Zanya has introduced regular volunteer activities for the participants.  For class, she recently designed a new education model, based on practices from her homeland of Jamaica and from the United States, to strengthen student learning and assist students with preparation for 21st century careers.

I have always had a drive to serve others and work for the common good. But I never fully realized that I could go beyond volunteerism--that my opinion and hard work could influence policy decisions. My views changed when I sat in the office of one of my legislators in Washington, DC."

-Amanda Coffin, University of Maine at Farmington, Campus Compact student leader