Student Civic Leadership Award Recipient is Changing Lives

Madilyn Rosaline Fisher, a graduate student in social work who manages the Eastern Washington University Food Pantry, is receiving a 2025 Student Civic Leadership Award from the Washington Campus Coalition for the Public Good.

Fisher, who is pursuing master’s degrees in social work, is one of two students at EWU chosen for the honor by President Shari McMahan. The other student, Steven McCray, who is completing his undergraduate degree in Social Work, will be highlighted in an upcoming story.

As an awardee, Fisher will travel to Seattle for a recognition ceremony on March 28.

At the food pantry, Fisher is doing hands-on work to improve food security for the 300-400 students and university employees who visit each week. She has also volunteered for several nonprofit organizations that serve children with disabilities and medical needs.

“It’s nice to know that the work I’m doing is making an impact and that people are seeing that,” Fisher says.

The Student Civic Leadership Awards recognize outstanding student leaders at campus coalition member campuses for their work in civic engagement and social entrepreneurship, according to the organization’s webpage. The coalition’s focus is “advancing the public purpose of colleges and universities, educating students for the workforce and civic leadership, and working in partnership to cultivate vital and sustainable communities.”

Fisher manages the food pantry’s daily operations, recruits people to volunteer, secures donations and fosters community partnerships. Her efforts have driven successful campus food drives, with more than 800 pounds of food collected by campus partners over the winter holidays.

Fisher’s work at the pantry is part of her Graduate Service Appointment at EWU. The appointment provides both financial assistance and additional hands-on experience for Fisher, who, in addition to her work at the food pantry, helps students navigate DSHS applications to obtain help from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The work also counts as a required practicum for Fishers’ graduate program as she focuses on her education and future career. “This job is one that’s been instrumental in both my education and just getting me through life,” she says.

Fisher’s passion for helping others extends beyond the EWU Food Pantry. While volunteering at Camp Korey, a program in her hometown of Mount `Vernon, Washington that serves children with life-altering medical conditions, Fisher began envisioning a career as a social worker helping children and families.

“I had a great time working with all of the kids,” Fisher says. “Just getting to know them and learning all of the different supports that were out there for them and the different ways we could make things accessible.”

Fisher has also volunteered for Communities in Schools of Spokane County, mentoring fifth-grade students, and has helped at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital.

The work was rewarding and, at times, both fun and difficult, Fisher says. “My main job there was to give kids a chance to play and be normal kids, which when you are a 3-year-old who has cancer, you don’t get that much normalcy play.”

That dedication as a student and volunteer earned Fisher a scholarship award to support her graduate studies, for which she’s extremely grateful.

Fisher, who participates in the EWU Archery Club, likes Eastern for its smaller campus, caring faculty and staff, and sense of community.

“I enjoy the culture. I enjoy all of the supports we have on campus,” she says.