Netochukwu Kalu ’26, has a passion for building community, which led her to being selected for the 2025 class of Newman Civic Fellows.
Kalu is among the 150 students from 38 states, Washington, D.C., and Mexico who were chosen for the yearlong program offered by the nonprofit Campus Compact, a coalition of more than 1,000 colleges and universities that promotes civic engagement.
The fellowship recognizes students committed to creating positive change in their communities and around the world, providing them with in-person and virtual learning and networking opportunities emphasizing personal, professional and civic growth. The goal is to provide Fellows with the skills and connections to create large-scale positive change.
Kalu actively participates in campus organizations that focus on building community, including the International Student Association and Cru, while also taking part in service-learning opportunities, such as preparing sandwiches for unhoused people through The Night Ministry and volunteering with the athletics department on campus.
A sport management major with minors in business administration and communications, Kalu has a passion for sports, particularly in her home country, Nigeria. She has created a social media brand, #SportsOnTheGoWithNeto, which highlights Nigerian athletes and teams on various social media channels.
Being nominated and selected for the fellowship was a moment of pride for Kalu. “It is an encouragement to continue to keep looking for ways to give back to my community in whatever way I can,” she says.
Kalu recently returned from the 2025 Newman Civic Convening, which was held in Chicago, and says she found the weekend event inspiring. “The convening was an amazing experience,” she says. “I learned a lot about what others are passionate about, ranging from health care to fighting food deserts to providing support for immigrant and international students.”
She plans to apply for one of the program’s mini grants to develop a social impact project, likely working with Honors Program professors Mary Kay Mulvaney and Ericka McCombs to offer a campuswide Partners in Peace event next spring. Partners in Peace was launched in October 2024 as a partnership between the National Collegiate Honors Council and the Nobel Peace Center, and Elmhurst University was part of the inaugural cohort, hosting a Partners in Peace event last April.
In his formal nomination, President Troy D. VanAken said Kalu “strives to emphasize and acknowledge individual differences, fostering a sense of understanding and inclusiveness.”
Professor Mary Walsh, director of service learning, says Kalu clearly demonstrates that she is a hard worker and an emerging leader.
“Neto is about building connections between people, both locally and globally,” says Walsh, who also is chair of the political science department. “Both her campus participation and her social media platform demonstrate that she has great potential for a future in public leadership and making positive change.”