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Kristine Bulava of Basking Ridge, a Business Administration major at Raritan Valley Community College, has been named a 2017 Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact. Bulava is one of 273 students from across the country selected for the honor.

“Kristine Bulava is a true community and campus leader who is passionate about sustainability, the environment and innovation. As Vice President of Scholarship and Service for the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, she has organized fundraising events for the hungry and displaced. While serving as President of RVCC’s Enactus club, an international entrepreneurial-based organization, she taught disadvantaged youth how to operate a small business and offered financial seminars and college completion workshops. One of Kristine’s most successful projects is Plant 2 End Hunger, which provides a sustainable food source for those in need through a local community garden. Kristine helped produce two tons of food last year, a 17 percent increase over last year’s yield,” said RVCC President Michael J. McDonough.

Bulava, who left her home in Latvia three years ago to work as an au pair in the US, has learned about a hydroponic system—an innovative way to grow a sustainable food source—and secured a mini grant from Unilever and the RVCC Foundation to pursue training in hydroponics. Her goal is to use her education to create sustainable change and spearhead the hydroponic initiative to teach people how to feed themselves.

As a 2017 Newman Civic Fellow, Bulava will be a part of the first cohort to benefit from a completely re-designed fellowship. “The cultivation of community-committed leaders has never been more crucial,” said Campus Compact President Andrew Seligsohn. “We rebuilt the Newman Civic Fellowship experience because our country needs more people who know how to bring communities together for positive change. We are thrilled to welcome this group of 273 exemplary students as the first cohort to participate in this new model.”

The Newman Civic Fellowship, named for Campus Compact co-founder Frank Newman, is a one-year experience emphasizing personal, professional and civic growth. Newman was a tireless advocate for civic engagement in higher education. Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides a variety of learning and networking opportunities, including a national conference of Newman Civic Fellows in partnership with the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. The fellowship also provides participants with access to exclusive scholarship and post-graduate opportunities.

The Newman Civic Fellowship is supported by the KPMG Foundation and Newman’s Own Foundation.

Based in Boston, Campus Compact is a nonprofit coalition of more than 1,000 colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education. As the only national association dedicated to this mission, Campus Compact is a leader in building community engagement into campus and academic life.  For more information, visit www.compact.org.

Raritan Valley Community College’s main campus is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. Serving Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for close to 50 years, RVCC is an educational and cultural center that is nationally recognized for its innovative programming, service to the community and environmental leadership. The College offers more than 90 associate degrees and certificates, as well as career training, professional development, and adult and youth personal enrichment courses. The College also has a performing arts center and planetarium.

RVCC is committed to offering a quality and affordable education through effective teaching, liaisons with the community’s businesses, and state-of-the-art technology. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 5, 2017

Media contact: Donna Stolzer, 908-526-1200, ext. 8383

PR #146