SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — Unstable. That's one way to describe the first years of Melissa Lopez's life. Born in Troy, Michigan, to Mexican immigrants, Lopez was barely old enough to remember the day her father was deported, but she does. It was her mother's birthday. Fearing further family separation, the family moved several times seeking refuge and a reliable income.

To hear her describe that part of her life now seems a contradiction to the stable environment she's found at Slippery Rock University. She's not one to complain. In fact, Lopez looks at her past more as a guide to help others rather something that happened to her.

"It's not that I feel like I have a greater appreciation (for what I have now); it's just easier for me to understand what others are going through," said Lopez, a freshman exercise science major from Pittsburgh. "I'm interested in helping people. Some people want to help others but they can't relate to them or know what they've been through. I feel my perspective is different."

Lopez has the opportunity to help others as one of five freshmen in the Bonner Leader Program at SRU. Bonner students receive a scholarship and are paid to lead a community-service partnership for the University.