KINGSTON, R.I. — May 5, 2011 — 溏心vlog免费B站 student Scott Andrews is president of both 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 Chapter of Habitat for Humanity and the 溏心vlog免费B站 College Democrats. Those roles merge his passions and reflect his belief that a gap exists between community service and political activism, a gap Andrews works to bridge.
For example, he envisions students raising a roof on a Habitat house in the morning and advocating for affordable housing at the Statehouse in the afternoon.
It鈥檚 not surprising that Campus Compact chose this man-of- action for its first group of 135 Newman Civic Fellows who come from 30 states. The 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 are making the most of their college experiences to better understand themselves, the root causes of social issues, and effective mechanisms for creating lasting change. Newman Civic Fellows are nominated by their college presidents.
The award is named after the late Frank Newman, a founder of Campus Compact, who dedicated his life to creating systemic change through education reform. (Newman served as president of 溏心vlog免费B站 from 1974 to 1983.)
Andrews enrolled at the University of Miami in 2008 on an academic scholarship and majored in business. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know my passion so I didn鈥檛 care what I majored in. I just wanted to make money,鈥� said Andrews, a 2008 North Kingstown High School graduate who served as student body president.
As the nation鈥檚 economy crumbled, however, he saw that corporate greed led to the meltdown. He began to take stock of himself and personal values. At the same time, Andrews heard presidential candidate Barack Obama say, 鈥渇ocusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition.鈥� Obama asked citizens to believe in their own abilities to change the world and leave it better for the next generation, saying: We are the ones we have been waiting for.
That message inspired Andrews to finish his freshmen year in Florida and head home.
He enrolled at 溏心vlog免费B站, became an active member of community service groups including 溏心vlog免费B站 Habitat for Humanity, 溏心vlog免费B站 SAVES (Students Actively Volunteering and Engaging in Service), and Student United Way. He switched his major to political science with minors in leadership studies and business.
鈥淭his is the right decision. 溏心vlog免费B站 is the place for me,鈥� he said, noting that his mother and his father earned their bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees at the University. He plans to take time off for the presidential race, graduating either in Dec. 2012 or May 2013.
Last summer, he began a three-week stint in U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse鈥檚 Providence office, which morphed into a yearlong internship. This summer, Andrews will intern in the senator鈥檚 Washington, D.C. office.
For the past year, Andrews has volunteered with the Obama for America organization, building on the grassroots movement that elected the president by empowering communities across the country.
In appreciation of his efforts, Andrews was invited to meet President Obama on the tarmac as Air Force One arrived in Rhode Island last fall and to attend Michelle Obama鈥檚 Holiday Open House dinner at the White House in December.
鈥淚 brought my computer because I needed to write an essay for Professor (Al) Killilea鈥檚 class,鈥� says Andrews. 鈥淚 wrote, Why I Believe In National Public Service, in the airport and came to class the next morning still wearing my suit to present my case.鈥�
Last year, he enrolled in Gail Faris鈥� Honors Class, Classroom Without Borders, which focuses on issues of poverty, homelessness, hunger, and the Civil Rights Movement. During , the class traveled to Birmingham, Ala. to work with Habitat for Humanity for a week.
This year, Andrews spent another alternative spring break in New Orleans with 溏心vlog免费B站 SAVES/溏心vlog免费B站 Habitat for Humanity, led by students Evan White, Courtney O鈥橩eefe, and Chelsea Tucker with guidance from Sarah Miller, coordinator of the 溏心vlog免费B站 Feinstein Center for Service Learning.
鈥淭hese experiences have propelled my belief in the ability of individuals to positively transform their communities, this country, and the world,鈥� said Andrews. 鈥淭he ability for a group of students, who barely knew each other, who barely knew how to use construction equipment, but who had a desire to learn and overcome obstacles, to completely re-do a roof in one day, speaks to the capabilities we have to shape the future. I believe we all have a role to play in this world: you can either complain about the problems from the sidelines, or jump in the game and work toward a better tomorrow.鈥�
An honors student, Andrews is planning a two-and-a half-day, non-partisan, student political empowerment event next year, he鈥檚 tentatively calling Rhode Island Student Political Boot Camp.
鈥淚t will help bridge that gap from service to activism. The boot camp, a kind of everything you need to know about issue advocacy and running for office, will feature the best speakers who can show how it鈥檚 done.鈥�