Alvernia grad student’s self-started toy drive brings cheer to local children
Alvernia University graduate student Sol “Max” Horn ’21 MBA ’23 (Hicksville, N.Y.) has earned national recognition for his local service endeavors by being named a 2022 Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact. He joins 173 students from 38 states, Washington, D.C., and Mexico to form the 2022 cohort. Horn is the tenth student in university history to be named a Newman Civic Fellow.
“Throughout his time at Alvernia, Max has been engaged in serving our local community,” said Alvernia University President John R. Loyack. “He is committed to Alvernia’s mission of serving the underserved as showcases through his service as a student ambassador and role as the Graduate Assistant for Alvernia University’s O’Pake Institute, where he creates sustainable community service opportunities for others.”
Horn graduated from Alvernia in 2021 with bachelor’s degrees in communication, marketing and sport management and returned to Alvernia for the 2021-22 year as a graduate assistant in the O’Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship while pursuing an MBA.
“Throughout my time as a student, I have served the community and reflected on how important it is to support those in need,” said Horn. “I’m honored to be recognized by Campus Compact and grateful for the service-based culture and supportive faculty and staff at Alvernia who have helped with these service initiatives during my time.”
As an undergraduate, Horn served as an ambassador was a member of the O’Pake Institute’s Fellows Program. In this role, he provided direct business support to over 10 nonprofit organizations and small businesses in Berks County.
Horn is also the founder of Holiday Hugs, an annual initiative that brings joy to children in need during the holiday season. Every year, he organizes a large-scale toy donation drive and partners with children’s hospitals, children’s homes and recreational centers.
“We are proud to name such an outstanding and diverse group of students Newman Civic Fellows,” said Campus Compact President Bobbie Laur. “Their passion and resolve to take action on the wide range of issues challenging our neighborhoods and communities is inspiring and deeply needed. We cannot wait to engage with them through this transformative experience.”
In 2020, after completing over 200 hours of service, Horn was honored with a Franciscan Servant Leader Certification through the Holleran Center. Those service hours include projects in his home state of New York, where he has volunteered with the Special Olympics and the New York Blind Metro Hockey Team and assisted children within after-school programs.
The Newman Civic Fellowship is a year-long program for students from Campus Compact member institutions. provide these students with a year of learning and networking opportunities that emphasize personal, professional, and civic growth. Each year, fellows participate in numerous virtual training and networking opportunities to help provide them with the skills and connections they need to create large-scale positive change. The cornerstone of the fellowship is the Annual Convening of Fellows, which offers intensive skill-building and networking over the course of two days. The fellowship also provides fellows with pathways to apply for exclusive scholarship and post-graduate opportunities. The students selected for the fellowship are leaders on their campuses who demonstrate a commitment to finding solutions for challenges facing communities locally, nationally and internationally.
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