St. Bonaventure University

Claire Fisher, a St. Bonaventure University senior majoring in Communication, Social Justice and Advocacy, will receive the San Damiano Servant Leadership Award from the Franciscan Mission Service (FMS).

Fisher will be honored at the Mission Service’s 35^th anniversary World Care Benefit on Thursday, April 3, in Washington, D.C.

The senior from Scotch Plains, New Jersey, who also minors in Theology and Political Science, was the co-winner March 18 of the Jandoli School of Communication’s Woman of Promise Award.

The San Damiano Servant Leadership Award recognizes young women and men with “empathetic and service-oriented hearts” who, like St. Francis, heed Christ’s call to rebuild his church.

In applying for the award, Fisher wrote: “For much of my life, I struggled with the question: can I combine my love for God with my love of justice? Now, I wonder, how can I not? The two are eternally intertwined. I am able to love and advocate for others primarily because of the love God showed me first. How silly would it be to not extend that to all of His children?” 

Maggie Conley, executive director of FMS, said Fisher “recognizes the connection between faith and social justice … Her clear commitment to weave service into each activity that she leads is why we are proud to honor her. Claire leads and serves joyfully, always inspiring others to hope for a better world.”

Fisher attended the Franciscan Justice Leadership Conference in 2023 and her experience in environmental lobbying inspired her to advocate for social justice with a heart of faith, Conley said.

Fisher has been the co-president for Her Campus at St. Bonaventure since May 2023 and the co-president of Jandoli Women in Communication since October 2022. She established a service branch of SBU’s Her Campus chapter to provide monthly service opportunities in local soup kitchens and animal shelters.

Beyond campus, Fisher is a communication intern for Mt. Irenaeus focusing on content creation, as well as a Mountain Community Leader at the Franciscan community 20 miles from campus.

Last summer, she traveled to Italy with the Summer Study in Sorrento program, during which she created an integrated marketing campaign for a local Franciscan church and archive.

The FMS prepares and supports lay Catholics for two-year international, one-year domestic, and one- to two-week mission service opportunities in solidarity with impoverished and marginalized communities across the globe.

______________

About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure is a community committed to transforming the lives of its students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a commitment to academic excellence and lifelong civic engagement. Out of 167 regional universities in the North, St. Bonaventure was ranked #6 for value and #14 for innovation by U.S. News and World Report (2024).