Christopher Newport University

The Honors Program is a four-year program that provides a rich and challenging forum for academic initiative to talented and highly motivated students at Christopher Newport University. The Honors Program enables students to identify their intellectual interests and to pursue them through special courses, research opportunities with faculty, international travel, and a vigorous intellectual and culturally-expansive community. Read More

Pre-Health & Pre-Med

The Pre-Med and Pre-Health Program, overseen by Dr. Harold Grau, prepares students for postgraduate study at the best medical schools as well as other health career programs (from dentistry to physical therapy and beyond). Read More

Making Her Mark Through Service

Kathryn Fitzgerald (’12), business major with a concentration in economics and a double minor in leadership studies and Spanish

Chris Fox, assistant director, President’s Leadership Program

Kathryn Fitzgerald was looking to be involved. The Richmond, Virginia, native knew wherever she attended college, she wanted to get her feet wet. And while this was her goal, opportunity for involvement at CNU wasn’t the primary reason she chose to attend. “In my opinion, CNU had the complete package. I loved the campus and the students I met when visiting. Everyone was so friendly, so I felt at home on campus,” she says. Being selected for the President’s Leadership Program (PLP) and becoming a prestigious Canon Scholar sealed the deal for Kathryn.

New on campus, she visited Chris Fox in PLP. “I met Kathryn during her first semester of her freshman year. She came to my office with a question about getting involved, and from there, she got involved heavily in the program,” Chris says. Kathryn was looking for ways to participate in community service projects and campus activities, and Chris presented the perfect opportunity. He connected her with the Community Service Initiative for PLP, the committee that organizes the group’s community service activities. “It allowed me to not only be active in the service events but also take more of a leadership role by helping plan and organize some activities,” she says.

Kathryn’s involvement didn’t end there. During her freshman year, she was co-junior vice president for the Direct Marketing Association through the Joseph W. Luter, III School of Business. The stellar work she did for that organization caught the attention of her fellow members, and she was elected to the position of vice president for her sophomore year. Kathryn also plays intramural soccer and is a member of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

One of the qualities Chris recognized in Kathryn was her passion for service. “She is really focused on social justice, global perspectives and issues such as world hunger,” he says. “She has experience being abroad and has seen these issues at hand.” He also saw Kathryn’s passion for engaging students and her desire to widen her peers’ perspectives to create a more global point of view. “She wants to bring these issues back to people here at CNU and get them involved,” Chris notes.

Seeing that desire in Kathryn, he approached her about PLP’s spring break trip to South Carolina to help the Hilton Head Regional Habitat for Humanity. She was fully on board, helping to plan and execute the trip where participants joined Habitat for Humanity in building homes for impoverished families. Through this trip Chris got to know Kathryn personally. He notes, “Working closely with students on projects such as this allows us to develop relationships with them on a personal level, and then we can challenge them to do certain things.”

Chris knew this type of service project would be perfect for Kathryn. “She provides a lot of energy to the things she does,” he says. And for Kathryn, working with Chris provided an unparalleled opportunity. “He has been an amazing mentor because he likes to let the students lead the committees but is also always there to help if we need him,” she says. “Because of Chris, I have gotten involved with many organizations and learned so much I wouldn't have otherwise.”

Through the Habitat for Humanity trip, Chris witnessed Kathryn’s influence and leadership. “I like to call her ‘The Duck’ because when you look at a duck sitting on a pond, it appears to be all calm and serene, but if you look beneath the surface, you see its little legs working as fast and as hard as can be,” Chris says. “Kathryn is the same way. You may not be able to see her effect and influence until you look underneath the surface.”

Now in the middle of her college career, Kathryn has grown immeasurably. “She’s an ambitious person and has great goals,” Chris notes. “Her confidence has grown. She’s always had great ambition, and now her confidence is growing to match it.” That growing confidence has led Kathryn and three other students to launch a Habitat for Humanity chapter at CNU.

Kathryn has definitely made the most of her CNU experience so far. “My freshman year flew by, so I would advise all future students to make the most of their time here. Get involved, meet the faculty and have fun!”