Student Changemaker Named 2025-26 Newman Civic Fellow

SALEM, MASS. – A second-year Salem State University student with years of advocacy work behind her has been selected as a 2025-2026 Newman Civic Fellow, a national honor recognizing college students who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to community leadership, equity, and civic engagement. 

Annalisse “Lisa” Hart, a junior in Salem State’s English Teacher Pathway program, has been announced as one of 150 student civic leaders in the 2025-26 cohort of the Newman Civic Fellowship. The year-long program, run by leadership developer Campus Compact, recognizes students who stand out for their leadership potential and commitment to creating positive change in their communities. 

“Annalisse is a gifted advocate, critical thinker, compassionate, and empathetic leader,” wrote Salem State University President John Keenan in his letter nominating Hart. “Throughout Annalisse’s high school and college career, she has advocated to make classrooms safer and more just learning environments for all students. Her contributions have been significant, and she has consistently prioritized systemic change over her own individual success.”

A track record of advocacy

For more than five years, Hart has served as a youth organizer with Revere Youth in Action (RYiA), where she has led campaigns on voter outreach and census participation, and championed youth employment causes. She also co-created an ethnic studies course for Revere High School students and facilitated racial justice training for teachers at the school. She also served as a mentor at Girls, Inc. in Lynn for two years, mentoring middle and high school girls in the city. 

At Salem State, Hart has continued this work through her role as senior program assistant for advocacy programming in the university’s Center for Civic Engagement, as a civic engagement fellow, and as a member of Bold Empowered Educated Sisters (BEES). She has also worked closely with Salem State’s Center for Justice and Liberation to equip student leaders with advocacy tools such as coalition building and power mapping. She is also a member of the Forten Legacy Scholars program, through which she has had the opportunity to mentor youth at Collins Middle School in Salem.

Hart’s leadership style has always reflected a broader philosophy of collaboration and teamwork.

“All the advocacy work I do has been and will always be a combined effort to address the needs of those who are underrepresented and disenfranchised,” Hart said. “My roles in leadership have always been alongside others, reflecting the effectiveness of social justice work as a shared effort.”

Hart’s signature focus at Salem State has been on mental health advocacy. She co-led the “Dear Professor, I Am More” campaign, which used art and dialogue to spark conversations around mental health wellness and helped launch a student-led Mental Health Political Advocacy Coalition (MHPAC). 

This spring, Hart and her peers also advocated for the passage of Massachusetts House Bill H595, legislation that would place mental health professionals in public schools across the state. They also spoke at the Nan Project’s Annual Mental Health Youth Summit, where Hart led a session titled, “Salem State’s Declassified College Survival Guide” to help high school students navigate the transition to college.

A national honor

Hart joins a cohort of 150 student leaders from 38 states, Washington, D.C., and Mexico in the 2025-26 Newman Civic Fellowship, organized by Campus Compact, a national coalition of colleges and universities committed to advancing the public purposes of higher education. 

The fellowship provides a yearlong program of learning, networking, and professional development opportunities. Fellows participate in an intensive annual convening, gain access to exclusive scholarship and post-graduate opportunities, and are supported in their growth as leaders who can bridge divides and foster large-scale positive change. A competitive mini-grant in the program also awards fellows $1,500 to launch or expand their civic or community impact project during the fellowship year.

“It is an honor to welcome this group of accomplished and dedicated students to the Newman Civic Fellowship,” said Campus Compact President Bobbie Laur. “As higher education faces unprecedented challenges, these students exemplify the power and possibility of civic and community engagement on campus. As they emerge as the leaders of tomorrow, we are proud that this fellowship will be part of their story.”

For Salem State, Hart’s recognition affirms the university’s role as the Commonwealths’ civic engagement university, where students are prepared not only for careers, but for leadership in public life.

“As much as advocacy work maintains the importance of policy work in creating sustainable change, interpersonal relationships and collective healing is what keeps the work alive,” Hart said. “My strength and tenacity is learned from those I’ve had the pleasure of growing up with. It is also these core elements, persistence and community, that lead me in my advocacy work.”