Citadel cadet honored as Newman Civic Fellow

May 16, 2024May 16, 2024 Featured Students

Cadet Katya Govorova recognized for commitment to solving public problems

Campus Compact, a national coalition of colleges and universities working to advance the public purposes of higher education, has named the student civic leaders from 38 states, Washington, D.C., and Mexico who will make up the 2024-2025 cohort of Newman Civic Fellows. Cadet Katya Govorova, a rising junior cadet at The Citadel, was named as a member of the cohort.

The Newman Civic Fellowship is a yearlong program that recognizes students who stand out for their leadership potential and commitment to creating positive change in communities. The fellowship is named for the late Frank Newman, one of Campus Compact’s founders, who was a tireless advocate for civic engagement in higher education. In the spirit of Dr. Newman’s leadership, each fellow is nominated by their campus president or chancellor, who is invited to select one exemplary community-committed student from their campus each year.

Over the course of three semesters, Govorova has documented 60 hours serving as a Peer Leader in Undergraduate Service Intern and attended one of The Krause Center’s Alternative Break service trips. When she returns for her junior year at The Citadel, she will serve as 1^st Sergeant for Charlie Company. In addition, Govorova is a member of the women’s soccer team and a Distinguished Scholar. Given the rigors of the 24/7 cadet schedule and her resilience to extreme challenges as a Ukraine evacuee, her resolve to serve and to set goals and achieve them demonstrates her stellar candidacy as a Newman Civic Engagement Fellow.

“I am grateful to have opportunities to serve others and give back to a country that has given me a second home. Being from Ukraine, I am passionate about making a difference in others’ lives. Our school provides resources to engage in community service. It is through these opportunities that I have been empowered to facilitate change,” said Govorova. “Engaging in community service allows us to step out of our comfort zones and help those in need — community service is the tool that engrains empathy and humility. I am committed to spreading awareness of the power of community service because the more people are engaged, the more change can be made.”

Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides these students with learning and networking opportunities that help to nurture their development as civic leaders. Programming emphasizes personal, professional and civic growth that can empower them to collaborate effectively across disciplines and create large-scale positive change.

The cornerstone of the fellowship is the Annual Convening of Newman Civic Fellows, which offers intensive in-person skill-building and networking over three days. The fellowship also provides fellows with pathways to apply for exclusive opportunities, including mini-grants to help fund community projects, scholarships, and post-graduate opportunities.

“The Citadel’s mission is to educate and develop principled leaders. In a short time, Cadet Govorova demonstrated leadership and perseverance far exceeding her peers. She is dedicated and hard-working, overcoming incredible adversity. A Ukrainian, she evacuated her home in the eastern region of the country as the 2022 invasion began. Despite these challenges, Katya makes clear her trials do not define her, but build her character and strengthen her resolve. She is resilient, and only wishes to make herself and those around her better,” said The Citadel President Gen. Glenn Walters, USMC (Ret.), ’79. “The Newman Civic Fellows program strives to recognize, network and develop future ‘world changers.’ I am confident Kayta will make the most of this opportunity and share what she learns in ways her peers will benefit. The Citadel will ensure she is supported in her travel and mentored throughout her fellowship experience.”

The Newman Civic Fellowship is generously supported by The Allstate Foundation. You can read more about each of the student leaders selected for this year’s cohort here.

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.