Kalamazoo Times

For Kalamazoo College student Thomas Lichtenberg, community engagement has been at the epicenter of his education and personal endeavors. It also allowed him to become a part of the 2022-23 cohort of Newman Civic Fellows.

Lichtenberg was involved in giving back to the community since his mother signed him up for the Junior Optimists as a child in Farmington, according to the college.  

“I am autistic, so social skills didn’t come as naturally to me as they did to everyone,” Lichtenberg said on the school's website. “Going to things like service clubs was a great way for me to interact with others, as well as do some good for the community.” 

Campus Compact, a Boston-based nonprofit that strives to enhance public service in higher education, runs the 12-month Newman Civic Fellowship that honors students who have shown a knack for answering the call when communities face adversity.

Jorge Gonzalez, Kalamazoo College president, said Lichtenberg was “a student leader who has dedicated his college career to advocating for civil rights, centering his work on advocating for those with disabilities and the expansion of mental health resources. Thomas has focused his academic journey on understanding political and social systems, data analysis, and advocacy.”

The fellowship affords students with resources in order to foster civic endeavors, and Lichtenberg hopes to capitalize on social activism training, the college said.

“I used to be involved in programs like the Junior Optimists, which really didn’t take advantage of that and didn’t recruit new members,” Lichtenberg said. “A lot of the work I’ve done since then has been in organizations that already had that down. I’d like to get that perspective on how to build that movement up for myself.” 

Lichtenberg is currently involved in a senior integrated project that is centered on mental health law in university facilities, according to the school.  

“When I was working at Bazelon, I found some colleges that did not follow the Americans with Disabilities Act or the Rehabilitation Act,” he said. “It was shocking, as a student with autism, to see that such atrocities could be committed.”