Moraine Park Student Selected as 2020-21 Newman Civic Fellow

Cortland Henning of Fond du Lac has been selected to be a part of the 2020-21 Campus Compact Newman Civic Fellows cohort.

Campus Compact, a Boston-based non-profit organization working to advance the public purposes of higher education, has announced the 262 students from across the U.S. who will make up this year’s cohort. The Newman Civic Fellowship is a one-year experience emphasizing personal, professional, and civic growth for students who have demonstrated a capacity for leadership and an investment in solving public problems. The fellowship provides a variety of learning and networking opportunities, including a national conference in partnership with the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate in Boston, access to exclusive scholarships, and post-graduate opportunities.

Henning, a first-year generation college student, took advantage of Moraine Park’s Promise program to achieve his career goals. He graduated from Fond du Lac High School in spring, 2019 and enrolled in the College’s culinary program this past fall.

“I always wanted to go to college but never knew if it was a possibility for me,” Cortland said. “My family isn’t able to help contribute to my tuition, and I knew that my part-time job wasn’t enough to live on and pay for school.”

Henning is also actively involved at the College. He is an active part of the Student Senate, where he serves as the community manager, and he volunteers at many of the student life events. Also, as part of the Promise program, Cortland is required to volunteer in the community for a minimum of eight hours. To date, he has volunteered over 80 hours of his time at the Fond du Lac High School, where he helps coach the color guard team. Cortland has won a Bronze and Silver Student Community Impact Award for the 2019-20 academic year!

Moraine Park President Bonnie Baerwald said, ” From the first time we met, it was clear to me that Cortland is a goal-driven, passionate, and engaged young man.  He is ambitious and an outstanding ambassador for MPTC and higher education.  Cortland is always willing to lend a hand no matter the task or the commitment.  He has excellent time management skills which allows him to balance work and school while maintaining high academic honors.  With over 80 hours of community service already accrued this school year, Cortland is the model of citizenship that the rest of us hope to emulate in our own lives.  I am proud to be his mentor and look forward to the community and college impact he will demonstrate during his academic journey.”

In total, there were 12 students selected from Wisconsin to participate in the 2020-21 Newman Civic Fellows cohort, and Henning represents one of four technical college students in the group.

“I truly believe education inspires us to be better, and it increases overall societal values,” he said. “Moraine Park has opened so many doors for me, and I look forward to continuing to grow with this new opportunity.”

For more information on the Newman Civic Fellowship, visit compact.org/newman-civic-fellowship.

For more information on Moraine Park, visit morainepark.edu.