Amanda Britter and Shailey Shah were selected as recipients of the 2025 Engaged Student Leader Award for the Western Region Continuums of Service Engagement Awards.
This recognition celebrates student leaders who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to civic and community engagement, the advancement of educational equity and the development of sustainable, reciprocal partnerships that address critical community issues.
Britter and Shah, both fourth-year Smittcamp Family Honors College students, have made a remarkable impact on their campus and beyond through their roles as LEAD California Community Engagement Student Fellows. Together, they dedicated over 400 hours of service to the planning and development of the first-ever “Student Track” for the 2025 CWestern Regional Continuums of Service Conference in Seattle. Their work included designing subcommittees, collecting and analyzing data, curating student presentation proposals and securing a keynote speaker — demonstrating vision, leadership and a commitment to student empowerment across the region.
Recognizing a need for student-focused spaces at national conferences, Britter and Shah created a platform where student leaders could present, network and collaboratively address community challenges. Their work not only sets a new standard for student inclusion in professional civic engagement spaces but also paves the way for future “Student Tracks” at the conference.
Outside their fellowship, Britter and Shah are engaged in academic, research and service initiatives. Britter, a religious studies major, is active in sustainability and philosophy clubs, volunteers in faith-based and animal welfare efforts, and plans to pursue a master’s degree in seminary and nonprofit leadership at Yale University in the fall. Shah, a biology major and aspiring physician, conducts research with UCSF, mentors youth and leads service initiatives through the Jan and Bud Richter Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning.
Their shared belief in the power of service to transform individuals and communities is evident in every facet of their work. The Engaged Student Leader Award is a testament to their innovation, empathy, and dedication to fostering civic-minded, socially responsible student leadership.
During the 2023-24 academic year, more than 4,200 Fresno State students participated in 198 service-learning courses – helping the university provide over 1 million hours of service to the community for the 15th straight year.
(Story by Taylan Parker, Richter Center)
