Lasseigne Newman Civic Fellow

From across the country, college and university presidents ⎯ all members of Campus Compact ⎯ have nominated promising student leaders who have demonstrated an investment in their community to be Newman Civic Fellows. Among the Newman Civic Fellows Award honorees for 2015 is OLOL College student Emily Lasseigne, who through her service, research, and advocacy, is making the most of her college experiences to better understand the root causes of social issues and effective mechanisms for creating lasting change.

“Emily is a strong student leader, always ready to serve,” explains Tina S. Holland, Ph.D., President of Our Lady of the Lake College. “Her desire to help others leads her to think sincerely and critically about social issues and to creatively devise a solution.”

Emily Lasseigne is in her fourth year pursuing a Biology degree in Human Medicine. For four years she has served in leadership roles on campus. She has mentored freshmen and college-bound high school students, she has worked collaboratively as the Beta Sigma Mu President to make information available to pre-advanced degree seeking students, and she serves presently in the highest office of the Student Ambassador (SA) Leadership Program. Sparked by an experience volunteering with a hospice organization, Lasseigne has demonstrated a desire to raise awareness for end-of-life directives, and this calling ultimately led to an extra-curricular research project. Currently she plans to help others by becoming a Physician Assistant.

“I have a passion for the political and emotional issues that arise when an individual is dying,” Lasseigne says. “There is a lack of education on the importance of completing advanced directives, and I have recently finished a research project addressing end-of-life issues and determining better ways to educate individuals on the matter. “

Lasseigne is among two hundred student leaders honored by Campus Compact for their leadership and inspirational commitment to serving the community. According to Campus Compact, “This year’s record amount of Fellows will leverage an even greater capacity for engagement and change through online networking. In keeping with their generation’s emphasis on networks over hierarchies, Newman Civic Fellows will share ideas and materials to further their work through an exclusive online community especially for Fellows.“

“These students represent the next generation of public problem solvers and civic leaders. They serve as national examples of the role that higher education can—and does—play in building a better world,” notes Campus Compact Board Richard Guarasci, president of Wagner College (NY).

Campus Compact is a national coalition of nearly 1,100 college and university presidents—representing some 6 million+ students—who are committed to fulfilling the civic purposes of higher education to improve community life and to educate students for civic and social responsibility. For more information about the organization and the award, visit http://www.compact.org.

About Our Lady of the Lake College

Offering doctoral, master’s, baccalaureate, and associate degrees, Our Lady of the Lake College is a four-year, independent Catholic institution, providing a strong foundation in the liberal arts and continuing its highly-regarded health sciences and nursing programs. Established in 1923 as a nursing school by the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady (FMOL), Our Lady of the Lake College holds to a Franciscan tradition of service, offering a healing and spiritual presence for the community and especially those most in need. To learn more about Our Lady of the Lake College, please visit www.ololcollege.edu.