Emily Lenherr, University of Kansas

Emily Lenherr, a junior at the University of Kansas, has proven herself to be a champion for people of all ages through her direct service with youth, adolescents, and the elderly. She motivates and inspires others to join in her dedication to community engagement through her leadership roles in campus civic engagement events, volunteer recruitment and coordination, and multiple campus service committees. 
Through these experiences, Emily’s interest in direct service has grown into a dedication to advocacy and social change. She has worked collaboratively with her peers to create a KU chapter of She’s the First, a national nonprofit that works to support women’s education abroad. She is currently working to start a nonprofit, Advocates for Progress, in the local public high schools to foster students’ civic engagement.
Emily Lenherr is an excellent addition to the 2015 class of Newman Civic Fellows. Her dedication to creating social change and empowering others’ involvement will make her a valuable colleague for her Civic Fellows peers.
-Bernadette Gray-Little, Chancellor

Education awakens the mind and inspires the soul. Because I believe so dutifully in the power of education, I helped begin a chapter at the University of Kansas of the national non-profit She’s the First, focused on raising money and awareness for women’s education abroad. I am also starting a non-profit in local public high schools, called Advocates for Progress, which inspires students to become active members of their community. 
I truly believe in my fellow students, and I enjoy motivating, inspiring, and leading others in their own relationship with community service. In order to do this, I help organize major community service events at the University of Kansas. I also enjoy leading community service at a smaller level, such as in my scholarship hall and for the Pre-med Society. 
Education about those around us also has the potential to make great impact. That’s why I am vice president of the KU chapter of Active Minds, an organization devoted to education about mental health in order to provide de-stigmatization. 
The unique individuals within communities inspire me. They make the dream seem plausible, and inspire me to keep searching for solutions to the world’s struggles. 
-Emily Lenherr