Student Jamie Raczynski lifts community stories and propels social change
Senior history major Jamie Raczynski has been named a 2025 Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact, a national coalition of higher learning institutions committed to building democracy through civic engagement.
Raczynski is one of a select group of students nationwide recognized for a commitment to solving public problems and creating positive change in communities. The year-long fellowship provides students with learning and networking opportunities, including leadership development, skill-building events, and access to funding for social impact projects.
Raczynski was nominated for her work with Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia, a Mellon Foundation-funded and Virginia Tech-hosted initiative that creates monuments to tell community stories that have been historically ignored or misrepresented.
“Jamie Raczynski is a student leader dedicated to addressing the root causes of social issues through community-based research for public history and public health,” according to her nomination. “Her work centers local voices and demonstrates how history can fuel civic participation and social change.”
Over the past year, Raczynski played a central role in Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia’s 23/54 Project, which honors the 23 Black parents from Pulaski County who in 1947 sued the school board for better educational facilities for their 54 children. The lawsuit was a pivotal moment in the fight for educational nondiscrimination in the region.
The 23/54 Project brings forward untold stories of Appalachian communities through formal oral history interviews, informal story-gathering events, community quilt making, online and touring exhibitions, and resources for Appalachian communities interested in conducting similar processes in the future.
“Jamie’s work and contributions were essential to the success and completion of the 23/54 Project," said Clay Adkins, director of research for the Calfee Community and Cultural Center, the lead community sponsor of the project. "She spent countless hours researching local histories, communities, families, and experiences to bring the multifaceted project to a wider audience and local Appalachian communities.”
Raczynski helped research the legal case, connect with descendants of the families involved, and guide them in creating quilt squares that reflect their family histories and values. The resulting quilt and digital exhibit highlight the community’s stories and serve as a powerful example of how public memory can be shaped by those who lived it.
“By using historical research conducted by fellows like me, along with the stories and ideas brought on by the community, the 23/54 Project has bridged the gap between academic and community-based engagement work to successfully create a project where the community tells their own story,” Raczynski said.
Raczynski’s approach to civic engagement is rooted in collaboration and respect for lived experiences.
“I approach social issues relevant to our public memory projects — such as racism, generational trauma, financial disparity, and lack of accurate historical representation — by working with the community and individuals affected,” she said.
The Newman Civic Fellowship is named for the late Frank Newman, a higher education leader who championed civic engagement and student leadership. Fellows are selected based on their potential for public leadership and their demonstrated commitment to working with communities for social change.
This is the second consecutive year that a Virginia Tech student has been selected for the Newman Civic Fellowship, underscoring the university’s commitment to fostering student leadership through community engagement.
