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Leah Bittner

“The SMSU RN to BSN Program does not have you take a set amount of credits each semester. This flexible scheduling was perfect for me as it allowed me to vary the amount of credits I took each semester. I would have struggled without that flexibility as I am a non-traditional student who is also a wife, mother of four, and worked full time while completing my degree. This program is designed to fit into your life, whether you want to be a full-time or part-time student.”

Leah Bittner, '22 Alum
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Newman Civic Fellowship Winners

2024-2025 Newman Civic Fellowship - SMSU Nomination Form - Deadline Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Newman Civic Fellowship Winners

SMSU’s Newman Civic Fellow 2022-2023: Sarah Ariet Cham

Sarah Ariet Cham is a junior at SMSU and a first-generation student who is the daughter of Sudanese refugees. She has watched her relatives overcome many hardships and comes to SMSU majoring in education with an emphasis in youth-at-risk. She has selected this major precisely because she wants to help young people and make changes in our society. Sarah Ariet continues to be actively involved with her home community of Worthington. There she works with organizations that were created by women of color such as Seeds of Justice and Be the Change. These groups work for justice for marginalized groups in the community, such as women, children and immigrants. They have facilitated community forums on police brutality, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, Driver’s Licenses for All, and Education Equity. They also worked with the Minnesota Department of Health to bring COVID-19 testing to immigrant communities. They received the Pan-African Endowment grant, which has given them the opportunity to take youth on enriching and educational trips. They are currently working on creating a community center that will provide resources for healing. I am excited to see Sarah Ariet's impact on the campus and community as SMSU's Newman Civic Fellow.


SMSU’s Newman Civic Fellow 2021-2022: Carter McLaughlin

Carter McLaughlin started attending Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) in 2020 and was selected as one of two Campus Election Engagement Project (CEEP) Student Fellows. His application for the voter engagement fellowship came with glowing recommendations from his professors. Now that the fellowship has ended, Carter will remain a student member of SMSU's Center for Civic & Community Engagement's Advisory Group. He attends monthly meetings and is excited to think long-term about voting and civic engagement at SMSU. In addition to the fellowship, Carter is quickly getting involved at SMSU by taking on exciting leadership roles and projects with Enactus (Entrepreneurial Action for Others Creates a Better World for Us All). The projects will focus on a local animal rescue and food insecurity. The projects are already connecting him to a number of campus and community partners to create collaborative responses to these challenges. His ability to make these connections, to be involved on-campus and in the community, and work on root causes are bolstered by his previous work experience in private industry.

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