Fall Bonner Congress 2025: Engage Now, For Our Shared Humanity

More than 120 student leaders representing their Bonner Scholars and Leaders Programs convened at the Loyola University Chicago Retreat & Ecology Campus for the Fall Bonner Congress 2025 on October 10-12. These students participated in an engaging three‑day gathering focused on leadership development, career and alumni connections, and action planning. Student leader representatives from over 60 campuses forged connections, discussed their roles, attended professional development workshops, and left with concrete strategies to strengthen campus‑community impact in the year ahead.

A Weekend of Connection and Purpose

Congress opened Friday evening with an all‑group gathering, "Engage Now, For Our Shared Humanity," setting the tone for a weekend centered on belonging, civic responsibility, and collective action. Students reflected on how they will show up on campus and in their communities this year and built connections that carried through the weekend. Keynote speaker Adrianna Aziz, a Wilkes University Bonner Leader, reminded us how important it is to remember our humanity as we continue to engage on our campuses and in our communities.

We offered two strategy sessions that guided campus teams to translate their learning into plans:

  • Student Leadership in Bonner and Beyond: Students clarified and reflected on their roles within their Bonner programs, discussed effective peer leadership structures, and identified ways to strengthen their campus programs and engagement.

  • Purpose to Paycheck: Translating Civic Impact into Marketable Skills: Students mapped the skills they are gaining through service for career preparation. They discussed ways enhance their resumes, interviews, and networks, connecting their competencies to finding internships, graduate pathways, and mission‑driven careers.

Each campus team drafted short and long term action plans to bring back to campus, outlining priorities for program development, campus‑wide engagement, and professional development. These sessions were facilitated by the Bonner Foundation Staff team along with two 2025 National Summer Interns (Naya Adla and Michael Deem Jr), as well as two Bonner alum — Aranxa Parra, Centre College ‘19 and Halle Gensler, Berea College ‘25.

During elective workshop blocks featured on Saturday and Sunday, presenters showcased models and best practices across the network. Student leaders from Davidson College, Oberlin College, and Rider University engaged participants in identifying ways to strengthen their leadership structures, build inclusive teams, and sustain campus-wide student involvement. Representatives from national and graduate school partners, including Youth250, Washington University of St. Louis, and the Clinton School for Public Service, highlighted their platforms and models. Workshops tackled issues like "Co‑Creating Gen Z's Role in the US 250th" to "Nurturing Communal Care: 'The Obie Needs Closet.'" Check out workshop materials on our Meetings Archive page on the Bonner Wiki.

During the National Grad School and Partner fair Students had the opportunity to connect with a few representatives to learn about various benefits that Bonners could receive post graduation. Programs highlighted scholarships, fellowships, service years, internships, and admissions guidance tailored for Bonner students and alumni. Organizations and graduate programs included:

During the fair, our National Bonner Alumni Advisors supported career preparation with live resume reviews, with Andy Han (Macalester College ‘19), Aranxa Parra (Centre College ‘19), and Dominique Cressler (University of Richmond ‘20) devoting their time to talking with students. To learn more about what our various partnerships offer, see our graduate school partnerships and national partners profiles.

Career Connections: National Bonner Alumni Advisors (NBAA)

This year featured a hard launch of our National Bonner Alumni Advisors (NBAA). Students joined sector-based breakout sessions aligned to the eight career sectors to meet alumni advisors, conduct a mock informational interviews, and map next steps as individual and as campus representatives. Alumni who joined us, each representing a sector:

We also hosted a first‑ever alumni hour, An Hour with Bonner Alumni: Meet, Mingle, Move, with six alumni joining students for fast‑paced conversations and open networking where student had the opportunity to learn more about each alum and ask any questions they had.

Evening social programming offered space to recharge and build relationships. Students gathered for a camp fire & s’mores, music, Bingo, arts & crafts, games, and conversation—creating moments of joy that complemented the weekend’s focus on purpose and action.

As Congress concluded on Sunday, students affirmed one another through a reflective circle (called Taps) and committed to specific next steps on their campuses. Campus teams will share progress updates with the network in the coming weeks. For access to slides and the printed program, visit our Bonner Wiki meeting archive: Fall Bonner Congress Meeting. You can also contact your campus liaison or the Bonner Foundation for materials.