Campus Compact is pleased to announce that EmRhys Jenkins, an undergraduate student in sociology at Colorado College, has been awarded Campus Compact’s Student Leadership Award. The award recognizes undergraduate and graduate students who demonstrate inspiring leadership qualities through civic and community engagement.
Students who receive the award lead change on their campuses and in their communities and inspire their peers to do the same. Recipients of the Student Leadership Awards are selected on the basis of their leadership and community impact, their ability to overcome adversity, their commitment to learning and deep engagement with communities, and their support from campus and community partners.
"EmRhys had been working for a year already with The Place [a nonprofit focused on youth homelessness], the only youth homeless shelter in the city, and I had seen them speak very powerfully at a city council meeting in support of a supportive housing project my organization was backing," said Max Kronstadt, executive director of the Colorado Springs Pro-Housing Partnership in a letter nominating Jenkins for the award. "Getting to watch EmRhys grow into these leadership roles has been a real pleasure. No matter what happens, I can’t wait to get to watch them continue to grow and develop as a powerful change agent in our community."
"EmRhys’ record of community engagement demonstrates their commitment to equity, addressing systemic issues, and overall building community," said Sarah Elsey, student engagement coordinator at Colorado College in a letter nominating Jenkins for the award. "There is no doubt that EmRhys is leading change on our campus and in our community while inspiring others to do the same."
“At Campus Compact, we are consistently inspired by the passion, dedication, and expertise of student leaders,” said Bobbie Laur, president of Campus Compact. “The outstanding students who received the 2025 Campus Compact Student Leadership Award bring this to the next level, demonstrating the power students already have in building a more just, equitable, and prosperous future for all. We are honored to recognize them with this award.”
The Student Leadership Award is presented as part of Campus Compact's Impact Awards, which recognize shining examples of meaningful, impactful higher education civic and community engagement work. Read more about the other awards and this year's recipients here.
The recipients of these awards will be recognized at Compact25, Campus Compact’s annual conference, which will be held in Atlanta, Georgia from March 31st - April 2nd, 2025.