Nazareth junior Ivy Dulysz selected for civic engagement fellowship
Nazareth junior Ivy Dulysz ‘23 (they/she), a music therapy major, has been selected for a Newman Civic Fellowship to recognize and advance their work pursuing equity for people with autism and other marginalized groups. Dulysz joins 172 student civic leaders from 38 states, Washington, D.C, and Mexico to make up the 2022-2023 cohort of Newman Civic Fellows.
The Newman Civic Fellowship recognizes students who stand out for their commitment to creating positive change in communities locally and around the world. Nazareth College President Beth Paul nominated Dulysz.
Dulysz has interned with the Kerry Magro Making a Difference Foundation, served as the Nazareth Undergraduate Association’s vice president of diversity initiatives, and is a student ambassador for Nazareth’s Bias Reporting, Response, and Education team. Dulsyz’s service work with those identifying with autism and other marginalized groups fuels them to pursue equity and justice for all.
“Since I was in elementary school, I have dedicated my time to numerous anti-bullying and anti-discrimination education groups,” said Dulysz. As their understanding of the complexities within these endeavors grew, so did their desire to continue community work to promote the equity of marginalized groups.
As a high school student, Dulysz volunteered as a student aide in special education and formed close friendships with students and saw “inequities they faced within the school district itself, and what I could do to change that.“
Since then, Dulysz’s activism has grown. “I’m moving beyond classroom accessibility into real-world situations and spaces, and now onto college campuses and the classrooms that I take space in as an autistic person. It truly has come full circle, but my work is only beginning.”
Dulysz has helped to advance this mission as co-founder of Accessing Inclusion, which collaborates with the College’s Student Accessibility Services. Dulysz helped create workshops to raise awareness about the experiences of students with disabilities.
Through studies and experiences while at Nazareth, Dulysz has shaped their life’s work to involve research on the intersectionality of gender and autism.
Dulysz looks forward to the opportunity to learn from other activists, legislators, and political leaders. This opportunity will “better prepare me for when I begin lobbying legislative bodies for the rights and equity of disabled persons.”
Campus Compact provides fellows with a year of learning and networking opportunities that emphasize personal, professional, and civic growth. Fellows participate in numerous virtual training and networking opportunities to help provide them with the skills and connections they need to create large-scale positive change.
The cornerstone of the fellowship is the Annual Convening of Fellows, which offers intensive skill-building and networking over two days. The fellowship also provides pathways to apply for exclusive scholarships and post-graduate opportunities.
The Newman Civic Fellowship program is supported by the KPMG Foundation. Campus Compact is a national coalition of colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education. The fellowship is named for the late Frank Newman, one of Campus Compact’s founders, who was a tireless advocate for civic engagement in higher education.
For More Information
Julie Long | Senior News & PR Officer | jlong2@naz.edu | (585) 389-2456 | (585) 781-8186 (cell)
Nazareth University is an inclusive community of inspired learners, educators, and changemakers who for nearly 100 years have been driven by a bold commitment to action, empathy, equity, and leading innovation for the common good. Impact experiences are at the heart of a Nazareth education, preparing each student to discover within themselves the potential to cultivate positive change in their life's work, in any career field, and in a world that is constantly evolving and infinitely interconnected.
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