A Passion for Purpose
Matthew Herrick ’27 awarded a prestigious Newman Civic Fellowship
At heart, Matthew Herrick ’27 is a systems guy, always searching for ways to make the campus civic organization he leads more collaborative and helpful to student volunteers and the community members it serves.
His efforts as executive director of the Colby Community Health Program, which partners with the Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter in Waterville, have garnered national recognition. The psychology major recently received a Newman Civic Fellowship, awarded by Campus Compact to inspiring college students from across the country who stand out for their leadership potential and commitment to creating positive change in their communities.
Campus Compact is a coalition of colleges and universities committed to civic and community engagement.
“The Newman Civic Fellowship recognizes one exemplary changemaker and civic leader from our campus. Matthew has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to building community capacity and bridging the gap between academic theory and real-world impact,” said Elizabeth Jabar, the Lawry Family Dean of Civic Engagement and Partnerships. “His work embodies intellectual rigor, lived experience, and tireless dedication to systemic change.”
The most recent Colby student to receive the fellowship was Abigail LaBrash ’21.
Reshaping an approach to community health in Waterville
Herrick, who plans to attend medical school after graduation, is in his third year leading the Colby Community Health Program. Under his leadership, the program switched its focus from harm reduction to education about general health and wellness. Rather than offering lectures to guests at the Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter, Herrick and the other Colby volunteers now facilitate conversations and workshops on topics such as healthy habits, nutrition, goal-setting, and accessing resources. They also share snacks and play games like Jeopardy!, breaking down walls between the campus and the Waterville community and reducing the stigma of being unhoused.
‘I’m pretty excited for the year and hope I can make the most out of the fellowship. Hopefully, I can try to use some of that time to inform the decisions that I’m making, and make the Colby Community Health Program the best that it can be.’
Matthew Herrick ’27
This semester, he and the student volunteers are planning to talk to shelter guests about upcoming changes to MaineCare and the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Federal funding cuts and new work or volunteer requirements mean people will need more information about what they need to do to get help.
“It’s super relevant to them right now,” Herrick said. “We want to walk them through the information, because it’s pretty dense. We need to walk them through the information that’s useful to them. There’s a case manager from the shelter who’s going to be there with us, because we’re not experts, but we can help get the conversation going. We can get everyone to brainstorm together, showing them they can think of good ideas, and I think that will be a really helpful session.”
Rooted in purpose and lived experience
Herrick has a special ability to offer thoughtful, practical help and to see the person rather than the stereotype. This is especially important to him because of his own background and family history.
“Growing up in rural Maine in an unstable and often unsafe family environment shaped my understanding of how structural inequities affect families and communities,” he wrote in the personal statement on his fellowship application. “Those experiences drive my commitment to building systems that expand opportunity and dignity.”
That commitment and personal perspective set Herrick apart, Jabar said, adding that his history informs his mission to address the root causes of inequity rather than just treating its symptoms.
For students who work hard at and care deeply about their volunteer efforts, like Herrick, the Newman Civic Fellowship program is an important recognition, according to Sasha Alcott, the associate director for faculty affairs.
“It’s an opportunity to realize that they’re part of something larger, and that there are other people who are doing similar work,” said Alcott, one of Herrick’s campus mentors. “I’m very excited for Matthew to be part of these broader conversations, recognition, and opportunities.”
She has appreciated his leadership approach in the Colby Community Health Program, especially his constant critical thinking about how to improve it and make it more effective, efficient, and impactful for students and for shelter guests. This kind of broad, systemic thinking will serve him well in medical school and beyond, Alcott said.
Over the course of the fellowship, Herrick will be invited to participate in numerous learning, mentorship, and networking opportunities, including the annual convening of Newman Civic Fellows in Washington, D.C., later this fall, a three-day event offering intensive, in-person skill-building.
“I’m pretty excited for the year and hope I can make the most out of the fellowship,” Herrick said. “Hopefully, I can try to use some of that time to inform the decisions that I’m making, and make the Colby Community Health Program the best that it can be.”
