By Xai Xiong, Morgridge Center for Public Service communications
UW-Madison named student Shehrose Charania as its 2020 Newman Civic Fellow.
Charania joins 290 community-committed students representing Campus Compact member colleges and universities from 39 states, Washington, D.C., Mexico, and Greece.
Newman Civic Fellows are nominated by university presidents and chancellors for their potential for public leadership and commitment to finding solutions for challenges facing communities throughout the country. Fellows participate in leadership development, networking events, and a national conference of Newman Civic Fellows.
Charania, an undergraduate student with the School of Education, was nominated by UW Chancellor Rebecca Blank for her commitment to fight health inequities that affect immigrant and refugee populations.
Majoring in the Department of Kinesiology’s health promotion and health equity program, Charania combines her identity as a Pakistani Muslim American and her passion for health promotion to combat health inequities. Her work is informed by her first-hand experience as a teenage immigrant living in Chicago, and taking on the role of ‘patient navigator’ to help her parents navigate the complex healthcare system.
Charania is also an Undergraduate Research Scholar (URS) fellow and facilitates a seminar with students from underrepresented populations to foster interdisciplinary perspectives on research. In her free time, Charania writes and performs poetry to change her narrative from one of oppression to one of optimism.
Using her passion for service, Charania hopes to work in policymaking to create organizations that combine health, education, and research to pave the way for equity for immigrant and refugee populations.
The Newman Civic Fellowship was created in honor of Frank Newman, one of Campus Compact’s founders and a tireless advocate for the role of higher education in preparing students for active and engaged citizenship.
The Newman Civic Fellowship is generously supported by the KPMG foundation and Newman’s Own Foundation. The 2020-2021 Newman Civic Fellows are an inspiring group of community-committed students who are already making an impact in communities where they live, learn, and serve.