Day Baez ’25 honored as a 2022 Newman Civic Fellow
Day Baez ’25, a Posse scholar from New York City, New York, has been named a 2022 Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact, a national coalition of colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education.
The Newman Civic Fellowship, named for Campus Compact co-founder Frank Newman, recognizes students who stand out for their commitment to creating positive change in communities locally and around the world. Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides the selected students with a year of learning and networking opportunities that emphasize personal, professional and civic growth. Each year, fellows participate in numerous virtual training and networking opportunities to help provide them with the skills and connections they need to create large-scale positive change. The cornerstone of the fellowship is the Annual Convening of Fellows, which offers intensive skill-building and networking over the course of two days. The fellowship also provides fellows with pathways to apply for exclusive scholarship and post-graduate opportunities.
Baez, who is considering a major in biology and minors in computer science and gender, sexuality and intersectionality studies, is committed to expanding access to healthcare for underserved communities.
“Growing up in a low-income neighborhood in NYC, I always knew about the immense amount of healthcare and accessibility inequity in my community and the strong mistrust in western medicine [due to] historical and present trauma,” Baez said. “This knowledge, combined with first-hand experiences, ignited my passion for not only Epidemiology, but also its ongoing relationship to issues of healthcare access for underserved communities.”
Baez began working at their local community center as a middle-school student, and has since worked with an alliance combatting sexual violence and a non-profit working to reimagine solutions to better support the mental health of NYC’s LGBTQ+ youth. Now, Baez serves as the communications ambassador for Connecticut College’s Office of Sexual Violence Prevention and Advocacy. In this role, Baez researches, creates and publishes print and social media materials to educate the community on sexual violence prevention and advocacy.
“Day has a deep commitment to LGBTQIA+ empowerment and sexual violence prevention,” President Katherine Bergeron, who nominated Baez for the fellowship, said in a statement to Campus Compact.
“Day has demonstrated that they will continue to be a voice for change at Connecticut College, in our local community, and in the greater New York metropolitan area.”
Baez, who is also a member of the Volleyball Club on campus, is one of 173 student civic leaders from 38 states, Washington, D.C., and Mexico to be named to the 2022 cohort of Newman Civic Fellows.
“We are proud to name such an outstanding and diverse group of students Newman Civic Fellows,” said Campus Compact President Bobbie Laur. “Their passion and resolve to take action on the wide range of issues challenging our neighborhoods and communities is inspiring and deeply needed. We cannot wait to engage with them through this transformative experience.”
Baez is most excited about connecting with “fellow students from around the country who all have the mindset of wanting to implement change in our society,” especially at the conference where they will have the opportunity to network in person, and continuing their mission to improve healthcare outcomes for marginalized communities.
“My approach will be continuing to work with local communities to help advocate and raise awareness for their needs, contribute time to laboratory work and active research, and connect with fellow peers. Over time, I will make a difference within the cycle of distrust,” Baez said.
Connecticut College offers a wide range of fellowship opportunities for students and recent graduates. For more information, visit The Walter Commons or email fellowships@conncoll.edu.
