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Dominick Zona of Hillsborough, a second-year Education major at Raritan Valley Community College, has been selected as a Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact. Zona joins 290 students from across the country selected for this honor, which recognizes their leadership skills and commitment to finding solutions for challenges facing communities locally, nationally and internationally.

Based in Boston, Campus Compact is a non-profit organization working to advance the public purposes of higher education. The Newman Civic Fellowship is a yearlong program for students from Campus Compact member institutions.

Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides the students with a variety of learning and networking opportunities that emphasize personal, professional, and civic growth. Each year, fellows are invited to a national, in-person conference of Newman Civic Fellows and participate in numerous virtual training and networking opportunities. The fellowship also provides fellows with pathways to apply for exclusive scholarship and post-graduate opportunities.

“Dominick Zona epitomizes what it means to be a civic student leader at Raritan Valley Community College. Through his role as a Senator for the Student Government Association, Dominick held a leadership role on the “RVotes Matter Campaign,” which promotes electoral participation among college students. As an Education major, he is an active participant in the College’s Service Learning program and his hours of dedicated service in local schools further readies him for a career as an educator. Dominick also demonstrates his status as a civic student leader through his efforts to tutor his peers in his free time, helping them to develop productive academic skills that will support their success,” said Dr. Michael McDonough, President of RVCC.

Zona also has helped the RVCC student community by playing a role in the revitalization of the Filipino P.E.A.C.E. Club. The club offers students of Filipino descent or those interested in Filipino culture an opportunity to have greater expression on campus.

“We are proud to recognize each of these extraordinary student leaders and thrilled to have the opportunity to engage with them,” said Campus Compact President Andrew Seligsohn. “The stories of this year's Newman Civic Fellows make clear that they are committed to finding solutions to pressing problems in their communities and beyond. That is what Campus Compact is about, and it's what our country and our world desperately need.”

Named for the late Frank Newman, one of Campus Compact’s founders who was a tireless advocate for civic engagement in higher education, the Newman Civic Fellowship is supported by the KPMG Foundation and Newman’s Own Foundation. Learn more at compact.org/newman-civic-fellowship.

About Campus Compact

Campus Compact is a national coalition of colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education. Campus Compact supports institutions in fulfilling their public purposes by deepening their ability to improve community life and to educate students for civic and social responsibility. As the largest national higher education association dedicated solely to campus-based civic engagement, we provide professional development to administrators and faculty to enable them to engage effectively, facilitate national partnerships connecting campuses with key issues in their local communities, build pilot programs to test and refine promising models in engaged teaching and scholarship, celebrate and cultivate student civic leadership, and convene higher education institutions and partners beyond higher education to share knowledge and develop collective capacity. Visit www.compact.org.

About RVCC

Ranked by WalletHub.com and Niche.com as the #1 community college in New Jersey, Raritan Valley Community College has been serving as an academic and cultural center for Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for over 50 years. The College has been nationally recognized for its service to the community, environmental stewardship, and commitment to diversity. It is home to a Planetarium, Science Education Institute and 3M Observatory; a 1,000-seat Theatre offering professional performances for all ages; and an Honors College for high achieving students.

The College offers more than 90 associate degrees and certificates, as well as career training, small business assistance through the Small Business Development Center, and professional development courses. RVCC is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 5, 2020

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

PR #96