Student receives national leadership award

RELEASED: May 29, 2008

DANVILLE, KY—Scott Meltzer, a rising junior from Franklin, Tenn., was one of only two students in the nation to be selected to receive the Campus Compact 2008 Frank Newman Leadership Award. The award honors outstanding civic leadership and is presented to students who have taken leadership roles in serving their communities while excelling academically. Meltzer will be presented with the award at the Education Commission of the States' National Forum on Education Policy held in Austin, Texas, on June 30.

Meltzer advances service-learning and civic education at Centre, including educating students on the importance of their role in local and national politics. Meltzer's passion for civic and community engagement shows in the volume and the comprehensiveness of his service.

"Most of Scott's work has been with the After School Program at Danville's Comprehensive Care Center, where he has become a true leader," said Patrick Noltemeyer, director of volunteer service and Bonner Program coordinator at Centre. "Scott has also worked diligently on campus to raise the overall level of student civic engagement. He's coordinated several voter registration drives and worked to ensure that all students know that their vote is important. Working with the Office of Volunteer Service, Scott facilitates the registration process for students both in the state of Kentucky and across the nation, tracking down absentee voting information for out-of-state students, and directing them to the appropriate election officials so that their voice may be heard."

Meltzer is a Bonner Scholar, a highly competitive program now in its ninth year on campus. The program, which was recently awarded a $3.55 million endowment, works to advance the goals of the Bonner Foundation, a national organization that seeks to develop "thoughtful, caring and diverse" student leaders dedicated to community service.

"During his two years as a Bonner Scholar, Scott has deepened his understanding of civic engagement and his concept of a life of service," Noltemeyer said. "He's become someone that all Bonners and Centre students appreciate as an example of service leadership, and I'm excited to see what lies ahead during his last two years at Centre."

At the national level, Meltzer has worked within his home state of Tennessee to set up Teen Courts and as a member of the Tennessee Youth Court Program Advisory Board for the Tennessee Legal Community Foundation, a division of the Tennessee Bar Association. He also serves as a Big Brother.

Says Centre President John Roush, "Scott has had a positive impact on his peers, and has been recognized for his outstanding commitment, idealism and dedication. His is an outstanding example of positive change."
Each of the winning students will receive $5,000 for school-related expenses or to support their civic work. They will also receive mentoring from their respective college presidents in fulfilling their scholastic, public service and civic leadership potential during their college years.

Campus Compact and the Newman family established the Frank Newman Leadership award in honor of Campus Compact co-founder Frank Newman, a scholar who exemplified a life of public service and educational leadership. The award is designed to support and recognize students with financial need who have demonstrated civic leadership through service and scholastic achievement.

More information about the Frank Newman Leadership Award is available at http://www.compact.org/awards/newman.

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Consumers Digest ranks Centre No. 1 in educational value among all U.S. liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

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