OSU Student recognized for community engagement

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

An Oklahoma State University student has been recognized for her commitment to community engagement.

Shelbi Gambrell, an elementary education sophomore from Shawnee, was among 10 Oklahoma students to be recognized as 2017-2018 Newman Civic Fellows.

The Newman Civic Fellows program was established by Campus Compact in honor of co-founder Frank Newman, who dedicated his life to creating opportunities for student civic learning and engagement. The award is designed to recognize college students who have demonstrated an investment in finding solutions for the challenges faced by communities across the nation through service, research and advocacy.

Each of Oklahoma’s fellows will receive a $500 scholarship from Oklahoma Campus Compact.

Gambrell’s project, Letters of Gratitude, involves a system of personal emails from former students and colleagues to teachers who made an impact on their lives, with the goal of bestowing honor and helping teachers realize the magnitude of their work.

Also receiving the honor was OSU-Oklahoma City nursing student Jessica Villar. A first-generation college student from Oklahoma City, Villar completed more than 700 hours of service as a tutor at a local elementary school through AmeriCorps.

The 10 students from Oklahoma are among 273 from 36 states, Washington, D.C., and Mexico named Newman Civic Fellows.