University of Redlands Hunsaker scholar John Farris ’21 has been named to Campus Compact’s 2019-2020 cohort of Newman Civic Fellows.
John, a native of Jonesboro, Arkansas, is majoring in organizational consulting with an emphasis on wellness and is a student ambassador for U of R’s Office of Community Service Learning. He has a passion for connecting seemingly disparate concepts and areas of study to create solutions.
While in high school, John built web and smartphone applications for Arkansas’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system, working closely with cardiologists, EMS agencies, and the Arkansas Board of Health to help reduce the time it takes EMS personnel to respond to serious heart attacks known as ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI). He also co-founded the TLC Community Foundation, a nonprofit that provides free ACT classes, tutoring, and mentorship to financially disadvantaged students.
“My common approach to service is to work with existing organizations with established connections to the community, John says. “Together, we identify strengths and weaknesses, and create systems, processes, and adopt technologies that better enable them to accomplish their missions sustainably. The goal is to create efficient systems that work for an organization instead of weighing them down. Along the way, we commonly find new or more effective ways of serving the community.”
“We’re pleased that John has been recognized for this honor,” says Dr. Kendrick Brown, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “He epitomizes what we hope a Redlands liberal arts education will allow students to do — continually strive to give to their community and serve as leaders in vital work benefiting others.”
The Newman Civic Fellowship, named for Campus Compact co-founder Frank Newman, 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. Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides a variety of learning and networking opportunities, including a national conference of Newman Civic Fellows in partnership with the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. The fellowship also provides fellows with access to apply for exclusive scholarship and post-graduate opportunities.