Northwestern Student Honored as 2023 Newman Civic Fellow

April 13, 2023

Sagelyn Budy, junior agriculture major at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, has been named a 2023 Campus Compact Newman Civic Fellow.

Campus Compact is a Boston-based non-profit organization working to advance the public purposes of higher education. The organization’s 2023 cohort of Newman Civic Fellows is comprised of 154 students, including Budy. These students come from 38 states, Washington, D.C. and Mexico.

“The Newman Civic Fellowship award is a great opportunity to promote community involvement and the importance of civic engagement,” Budy said. “I want to encourage others to work together toward social equality and avoid political polarization. I hope to make more students aware of the world around them and how they can help make it a better place for all.”

The Waynoka native is heavily involved with the Northwestern Scholar Ambassadors and the agricultural student organization, Aggie Club. 

She participates in the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers and intramural basketball.  

“I strongly endorse Sagelyn for the opportunity to represent Northwestern as a Newman Civic Fellow,” Dr. Dean Scarbrough, professor of agriculture and chair of the agriculture department, said. “She is eager to learn, willing to work, and motivated to pursue collaborative projects. I believe she is exactly the type of person that can best fulfill the stated mission of the Newman Fellowship program."

Budy said her ultimate goals in life are to live a life with purpose and make this place better for future generations. She grew up on a farm and started helping with chores at a young age. She gained more responsibilities with each year. From these experiences, she learned the value of hard work and anything worth doing should be done to the best of her ability.

“I feel like the biggest impact I could make would be to continue in the field of agriculture and pursue the education side using mass communication,” Budy said. “From this, I can help people understand this vitally important field that everyone needs. Farmers and ranchers now make up less than 2% of the population, so although agriculture affects everyone, most people don't know anything about it. We are blessed to live in a rural area where most people have had hands-on agricultural experiences, but most of the population has not.”

Budy has already started in this endeavor through a local radio station, KALV 1430 AM or 99.5 FM, where she hosts a weekday farm report called “Farm Girl.”

Community service is a big part of Budy’s life. With her parents and grandparents being teachers and farmers, Budy learned very quickly what it means to help others. Budy said she enjoys participating in Stamp Out Starvation several times a year. She has helped with the Waynoka Community Easter Egg Hunt, the Thanksgiving meal and the Food Bank for many years. She volunteers at her church by teaching a Wednesday night children's class, helping with the nursery and serving as a greeter. This past Christmas Budy helped with the Toys for Tots Drive.

Another service Budy has provided is giving blood. Although she says it is not her favorite, Budy realizes how important it is and has given blood six times.

“If everyone would do a little, it would add up to a lot to make this world a better place for all,” Budy said.

The Newman Civic Fellowship, named for the late 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 in Boston, Massachusetts, 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 apply for exclusive scholarships and post-graduate opportunities.

“We are honored to recognize such an outstanding group of community-committed students, Bobbie Laur, Campus Compact president, said. “One of the best parts of the Newman Civic Fellowships is the richness of students’ perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds—and how these varied stories all led to their passionate engagement with the social, political, and environmental issues impacting our world. These students will be the catalysts for change on many levels, and we are privileged to help empower them to create that change.”

-NW-

CONTACT FOR RELEASE
Erin Davis, University Relations Specialist
eedavis@nwosu.edu, (580) 327-8480