TCC Student Named 2017 Newman Civic Fellow

TCC student Rebecka Snyder is a 2017 Newman Civic Fellow. She is one of 273 community-committed college students selected across the country by Campus Compact, a Boston-based non-profit organization working to advance the public purposes of higher education.

Snyder is a problem solver by using her voice to create awareness about sex trafficking and become an advocate for victims. As a sex trafficking survivor, she has worked with The Demand Project to prevent other women and children from enduring the horrors of sex trafficking, and mentors sex-trafficking survivors and at-risk girls in the community.

“As a result of sharing my story and volunteering, The Demand Project has raised enough awareness to help create legislation, prosecute predators, and rescue other victims,” Snyder said. “My only hope is that in sharing my story I will continue to help other victims like myself find the freedom that can only come from community awareness and action.”

She will graduate from TCC in May 2017 with associate degrees in Management, Business Administration and Liberal Arts, and will begin pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the University of Arkansas this fall.

“Rebecka is a student leader at Tulsa Community College who understands that large-scale change can happen when those who are passionate about civic engagement find ways to collaborate with others in the community,” TCC President & CEO Leigh B. Goodson, Ph.D. said. “Her bravery and determination are remarkable, but her decision to give back to others as she pursues her educational success is truly astounding.”

As a 2017 Newman Civic Fellow, Snyder will be a part of the first cohort to benefit from a completely re-designed fellowship. The Newman Civic Fellowship, named for Campus Compact co-founder Frank Newman, is a one-year experience emphasizing personal, professional, and civic growth. Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides a variety of learning and networking opportunities, including a national conference of Newman Civic Fellows in partnership with the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. The fellowship also provides fellows with access to exclusive scholarship and post-graduate opportunities.

“The cultivation of community-committed leaders has never been more crucial,” said Campus Compact president Andrew Seligsohn. “We rebuilt the Newman Civic Fellowship experience because our country needs more people who know how to bring communities together for positive change. We are thrilled to welcome this group of 273 exemplary students as the first cohort to participate in this new model.”

The Newman Civic Fellowship is supported by the KPMG Foundation and Newman’s Own Foundation.