Ole Miss Student Joins Elite Cohort of Newman Civic Fellows

Being named a 2025 Campus Compact Newman Civic Fellow – as well as a Ronald Reagan Civic Leaders Fellow – will help lay the groundwork for her plans.

Newman fellows are nominated by their school's chancellor or president for their public leadership potential and work in their communities. Campus Compact selects 150 fellows nationwide each year.

"My passions lie at the intersection of all things that make community," the Gulfport native said. "This means agricultural development, food access, healthy food access, education, public health care and how all of these strengthen a community."

Morris is a member of the university's Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and a Stamps Scholar who is majoring in public policy leadership and pursuing minors in biology and Southern studies. It's all part of a plan, she said.

"I don't think there's anywhere else in the realm of undergraduate studies where I could be working in the research lab and also doing civic engagement work and also doing public policy and also studying Southern history and taking pictures and talking," she said.

"It has given me unique insight into the importance of bridging the gap between public service and the lived experiences of communities."

Morris is the university's third Newman fellow, following Caroline Leonard in 2023 and Elijah Mudryk in 2024. She was a perfect candidate for the fellowship, said Castel Sweet, Ole Miss director of community engagement.

"Emerson's commitment to honing her skills and abilities to be a leader who makes a positive impact in communities is exactly the kind of dedication this fellowship seeks to honor," Sweet said.

As part of her fellowship, Morris attends leadership and professional development sessions as well as mentorship and networking opportunities to ultimately realize and implement her social impact project.

"I hope this experience provides Emerson with a strong network of peers and mentors who can help her deepen her skills and broaden her perspective," Sweet said. "I also hope it offers her a platform to amplify the impactful work she's already doing through her research and studies."

Morris believes she can make a bigger impact and highlight Mississippi through this fellowship.

"I want to show people why Mississippi is so important and deserves its place on the national stage," she said. "The contributions we (Mississippians) are actively making, not just historic ones, active motion toward a better future for our nation."

She hopes to help find better solutions for some of the challenges facing the state and nation.

"Too often are 'bandage' solutions utilized to address issues in rural communities; they are beneficial in a short burst and do not solve any lasting issue," Morris said. "I am to create 'stitches solutions' that will sustainably address problems through collaborating directly with communities that are impacted."

Her social impact project is called "Community Opportunity Framework" and will provide guidance for extended learning opportunities, career exposure and civic engagement in rural communities that have seen population loss, such as those in the Mississippi Delta.

"I want my project to be something sustainable that can last long after I'm gone, specifically within literacy," Morris said. "I want Mississippians to see the success of community members, have access to growth opportunities and find fulfillment in fellowship with their community."

She interned last summer with the Delta Health Alliance in Hollandale, where she worked with rising third graders on their literacy skills.

"It was incredibly fulfilling, but the school that I was at didn't have a library in the school, and the library in the town has been shut down," she said.

Hollandale is where her project will begin and develop the framework for opportunity-based programs highlighting the lives of its residents. She hopes to repeat and implement it throughout rural and smaller communities.

"I am collaborating with community leaders in Hollandale to reopen their library and provide residents of all ages with access to books and resources for success," she said. "These resources, programming and a shared-space restoration will feature the stories of residents and the history of the town to best preserve the spirit of Hollandale for years to come."

To tell these stories and others, Morris captures images with her camera as a documentary photographer. It gives her a tangible aspect of her involvement.

"It shows me what I'm fighting for, and I hope to show other people what they can fight for as well," she said.

Sweet said she has been inspired by Morris' efforts.

"She brings thoughtfulness, initiative and a deep sense of responsibility to her work, and I've had the privilege of seeing those qualities in action through her engagement efforts," Sweet said.

Morris wants to make sure that Mississippians are uplifted through her work.

"People are the heart of Mississippi," she said. "When we uplift and strengthen our people, more good can be brought into the state."

Emerson Morris, a junior from Gulfport, is the university's latest Campus Compact Newman Civic Fellow. The public policy leadership major is planning to use her fellowship to develop a program to provide learning and career opportunities for residents of the state's rural communities and highlight their successes. Photo by Hunt Mercier/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services