Amanda Pedro, University of Saint Francis

Amanda Pedro, a senior at the University of Saint Francis, is an active student leader and fundraiser for Formula for Life, a campus philanthropic organization committed to the support of an orphanage established in Haiti after the tragic earthquake in 2010. An excellent student and talented athlete, Amanda has served as a voice for 29 orphans in Haiti, on campus and in the Fort Wayne community. Since a trip to Haiti in the spring of 2011, she has communicated their plight, and created the momentum for a campaign to build an earthquake and hurricane resistant home for those children. Through her efforts as leader of Formula for Life, the 2012 Formula for Life 5K run/walk was the most successful to date with $11,000 raised in this single-day event. A successive trip to Haiti later in the spring of 2012 inspired Amanda to dream about a larger orphanage with the founder of the orphanage, Father Andre Silvestre. Within 10 months she garnered over $75,000 in monetary contributions and in-kind construction donations for the orphanage building project, which will break ground in March, 2013. As a leader, Amanda’s long-term focus and personal commitment exemplifies the spirit of the Newman Civic Fellow award.