Shameka Brown, Drake’s Newman Civic Fellow, had the opportunity to travel to Boston, Massachusetts to attend the Newman Civic Fellow conference at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S Senate Nov. 15-16. During this time, she was able to collaborate with other Newman Fellows from across the country to discuss the power of change and what it means to be a changemaker.
“This opportunity allowed me to understand the different strategies and ways to make changes through socio and political tactics,” she said. She was able to work with other students who are committed to the public purpose of higher education. Campus Compact gives students the skills to build democracy through civic education and community development.
Shameka is currently working to apply the skills she gained from the conference to the project she is conducting at Drake, which entails working to develop an African American Studies major at Drake. Adding this major to the Drake curriculum would help diversify the program and give students the opportunity to expand upon their studies. She is currently working on a grant that would help provide funding for the major and help the major to be sustainable for years to come.
