Leading toward a career in community

A prestigious civic leadership award will play an important role in helping Central Michigan University student Brooke Gordon achieve her goal of becoming an active citizen.

Gordon, a senior from Rochester Hills, was named a 2024-25 Newman Civic Fellow. She aspires to a career in higher education administration to ensure students are knowledgeable about the impact they can make by unifying to create social change.

“My passion for civic engagement stems from a deep-seated belief in the power of individuals,” Gordon said. “Movements are strengthened when individuals come together, pooling their resources, ideas, and energy to create meaningful change.”

She continues to prioritize community through her role as Student Coordinator for CMU Alternative Breaks in the Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center. Alternative Breaks is an experiential learning volunteer program that aims to teach students about life-long active citizenship.

She has served as an orientation mentor, a Leadership Safari guide, a student employee in the CMU Student Food Pantry and the School of Politics, Society, Justice, and Public Service, and with CMU Program Board. She was also a unified partner with Special Olympics Michigan and an intern with the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals.

Brooke is passionate about civic engagement, suicide prevention, access to equitable education, and challenges facing the LGBTQ+ community.

“Brooke is amazing. She’s passionate about making the world a better place,” Symantha Dattilo, Interim Director of the Volunteer Center said. “She is consistently seeking new opportunities for learning and dialogue. I’ve really loved working with her the last couple of years.”

Gordon joins a 2024-25 group of fellows. The Newman Civic Fellowship recognizes students who stand out for their commitment to creating positive change. Fellows are nominated by their university president or chancellor based on their potential for public leadership.

The organization was named for the late Frank Newman, an advocate for civic engagement in higher education and one of the founders of Campus Compact.