ECU junior selected for prestigious leadership program
East Carolina University junior Erick Jenkins is one of five students from across the country selected to participate in a prestigious leadership program this fall.
Jenkins received a partial scholarship for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute’s Leadership and the American Presidency program dedicated to developing the next generation of citizen leaders.
The program is made possible in partnership with Campus Compact to provide scholarships to Newman Civic Fellows like Jenkins for their commitment to finding solutions for challenges facing communities throughout the country.
Campus Compact, of which ECU is a member, is a national coalition of more than 1,000 colleges and universities that promotes community service and civic engagement in higher education.
ECU Chancellor Cecil Staton submitted the nomination for Jenkins to be a 2017 Campus Compact Newman Civic Fellow.
Erick Jenkins, junior at East Carolina University. (contributed photo)
“He is a student leader interested in leadership, activism and democratic engagement,” said Staton. “Erick has committed himself to putting many of ECU’s most treasured values — public service, leadership and community engagement — into action. His participation as a Newman Civic Fellow will continue ECU’s strong tradition of Campus Compact involvement and reflect ECU’s commitment to educating students to be engaged, thoughtful and active citizens.”
From August through May 2018, Jenkins will examine the leadership journeys of presidents in relation to his own life as well as hear from leaders in business, government and the nonprofit sector while completing coursework and an internship in Washington, D.C. He will have access to a variety of virtual and in-person learning opportunities including a national Newman Civic Fellows conference.
“The Newman Civic Fellows program and Reagan institute are a perfect fit for Erick Jenkins,” said Dr. Dennis McCunney, director of ECU’s Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement. “He has amazing civic leadership skills, and he is passionate about citizenship, voting rights and advocating for people whose voices often go unheard. I’m excited about this opportunity for him; he puts ECU’s mission into action so well.”
Jenkins is majoring in communication. He is from Wilson, North Carolina.
The Leadership and the American Presidency program is co-sponsored by The Fund for American Studies.
For more information, contact McCunney at 252-328-2802.
-by Crystal Baity