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The 2026-27 Newman Fellows were announced by and the �Ǹ�Թ�’s Yasmin Mohamud is a recipient. The Newman Fellowship celebrates undergraduate students across the country who demonstrate leadership qualities and a devotion to civic responsibility. This year’s recipients are spread across 39 states, Washington D.C. and Mexico.����

Through this fellowship, Mohamud will have access to a variety of opportunities, including a chance to apply for a mini grant to conduct a social impact project. She will also engage with leadership development events where she will work alongside a mentor to hone her skills as a civic leader and plan her future goals. In early November an annual convening of all this year’s Newman Fellow’s will be held, which Mohamud will attend alongside her fellow recipients to build a network of engaged individuals.����

Mohamud is a senior studying political science and plans to pursue law school after graduation, with an interest in religious identity and representation. Before transferring to CU �Ǹ�Թ� during her sophomore year, Mohamud commuted to her previous college campus, which led her to feel excluded from campus life. But after transferring to CU �Ǹ�Թ�, she was able to live on campus and wanted to become more involved with extracurriculars.����

Mohamud has taken advantage of many of the opportunities offered to undergraduates, such as becoming involved with the Multicultural Leadership Scholars and TRiO Student Support Services, which prioritizes academic and community achievements. As president of the Political Science Club, she works to address social issues on campus and in her community. Mohamud’s nomination was tendered as a result of her accomplishments, both in high school and while studying at CU �Ǹ�Թ�, as well as her plans to continue enacting change well after graduation.����

Prior to being accepted as a Newman Fellow, Mohamud participated in multiple volunteer experiences. With CU �Ǹ�Թ�’s Office of Service Learning and Impact in Community Engagement (SLICE), a volunteer resource center on campus, Mohamud was able to take part in an alternative spring break trip to Selma, Alabama.����

While volunteering in this city famous for its contributions to the Civil Rights Movement, Mohamud was trained in Kingian Civil Rights Rehabilitation. She learned how the community of Selma was able to implement the ideas into their community and how the model eventually spread across the United States. ��Mohamud referenced this experience with reverence for the community she served.��

"We went to help them. I feel like they helped us," said Mohamud.��

Mohamud also researched the impact of COVID-19 on refugee communities in Colorado with the Muslim Youth for Positive Impact, a Colorado non-profit organization. The work involved weekly visitations to different communities where she discussed their knowledge of vaccine centers nearby and the COVID-19 vaccinations in general. Through this opportunity, Mohamud connected not only with her own Muslim community but also with communities from Afghanistan and Iran.��

“I think I learned the most from helping communities that weren't my own,” said Mohamud. “To go somewhere else and hear about their struggles was so eye opening to me and gave me a deeper perspective, which gave me my passion for volunteering."��

Before volunteering in her own state of Colorado, Mohamud travelled to Barcelona, Spain with the Multicultural Leadership Scholars where she learned about and worked with disadvantaged communities. She was given the opportunity to hear from different minority populations in another country, and the experience was formative for her college career and development as a civic leader.����

Along with being one of this year’s Newman Fellows, Mohamud is a Wagner Scholar. As such, she has been given the opportunity to volunteer with local businesses in �Ǹ�Թ� and specifically plans to work on their Climate Equity Initiative. She hopes to develop a social research project which will aim to address climate inequality in �Ǹ�Թ�.����

It is a great honor to be nominated and accepted as a Newman Fellow. It speaks to the fortitude and character of its recipients. Named after Frank Newman, one of the founders of Campus Compact and an advocate for civic responsibility, the fellowship celebrates only the most deserving undergraduate students who possess and tirelessly demonstrate similar ideals as Newman. Mohamud embodies these ideals with her philosophy on community: "If you want a village, you have to be a villager."����

Her perspective on volunteering, not as a romanticized activity but as a required inconvenience for the betterment of a community, is one that puts Mohamud beyond her years. Unglamourous actions gain immeasurable results, and Mohamud's understanding of this idea is what made her an undoubtable candidate for this award.����