Edison Student Wins Civic Engagement Award

Related Media

Amar Patel

BRUNSWICK, ME (05/03/2012)(readMedia)-- Amar Patel, of Edison, N.J., a junior double-majoring in government and legal studies, and economics at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, received the Maine Campus Compact Pillars Award, which recognizes those students who support the civic efforts of others and take leadership roles in addressing and finding solutions to issues that face their communities through philanthropy, innovation, learning, leadership, action, responsibility, and service.

Maine Campus Compact, a consortium of 18 higher education institutions dedicated to promoting community service, civic engagement and service learning in higher education.

As a sophomore, Patel joined Bowdoin's Common Good Grant committee to explore philanthropy and provide resources to Maine organizations. At the same time he began volunteering for the Volunteer Lawyers Project and Pine Tree Legal Assistance to explore legal work as a possible career.

In the process, he became connected to members of the immigrant community in nearby Portland. Intrigued by the economic issues that cause poverty and inequality, Patel worked with the Maine Center for Economic Policy as a Community Matters in Maine summer fellow to learn more.

An op-ed piece in the Portland Press Herald highlighted a study Patel conducted with the MECEP detailing the benefit of every dollar spent at mom-and-pop businesses in Portland.

http://www.mecep.org/view.asp?news=2003

The Maine Campus Compact awards were presented April 20 at a ceremony at Bates College in Lewiston.