PARAMUS, N.J. – For his leadership on campus and contributions to the community, Bergen Community College student Derick Diaz has earned recognition as a 2015 Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact, a coalition of 1,100 colleges promoting community service.
Bergen President B. Kaye Walter, Ph.D., nominated Diaz for the award. The president has watched him develop first-hand during a “medical frontiers” seminar that she teaches for honors students.
“From the moment I met Derick, I was struck by his willingness to contribute to his community and make an impact on the lives of others,” she said. “Derick is a driven, committed young man that represents the best of Bergen Community College.”
Diaz, of Englewood, joins 200 peers from 36 states as a Newman Civic Fellow.
“It is humbling to know that projects you do will get noticed,” he said.
Holding leadership roles with on-campus organizations such as the student government association and Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society of two-year colleges, Diaz has spearheaded initiatives that seek to enhance environmental sustainability. Past projects included the installation of solar panels, streamlining computer printing in high-traffic student locations such as the library and adding insulation to walls and ceilings.
A biology major and aspiring pediatric surgeon, Diaz will graduate from Bergen as part of the class of 2015 next month. He plans to transfer to Columbia, New York University or the University of California, Los Angeles.
According to Campus Compact, Newman Civic Fellows represent model service-oriented students through understanding themselves, the root causes of social issues and effective mechanisms for creating lasting change. As a Fellow, Diaz will now have the opportunity to share ideas with peer Fellows through an online community.
Bergen last enrolled a Newman Civic Fellow, Margarita Valdez, in 2013.
Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu) based in Paramus is a public two-year coeducational college, enrolling nearly 16,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip J. Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields.
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