Bonner Foundation
Robert Hackett
Rutgers University New Brunswick Hosts Summer ...

The 2026 Bonner Summer Leadership Institute brought together over 350 changemakers from more than 60 colleges to explore civic engagement, social innovation, and the future of democracy on the banks of the Raritan River. Highlighting Bonner’s commitment to community‑focused learning, the week featured plenary discussions, workshops, and networking events that equipped participants with practical tools and collaborative networks to advance equity and public service on their campuses.

Rutgers University New Brunswick Hosts Summer Leadership Institute 2026
Student Profile
Robert Hackett
Rider University Senior Completes More Than ...

Madilyn McGreevy’s college journey at Rider University is defined by her extensive service as a Bonner Community Leader, where she dedicated over 2,100 hours to supporting children and families in high‑need communities. Through Bonner, she led tutoring initiatives, mentored peers, and completed an Impact Internship, experiences that have prepared her to work as an educational specialist after graduation.

Rider University Senior Completes More Than 2,100 Hours of Service Through Bonner Program
Student Profile
Robert Hackett
From the Great Lakes to the East Coast: ...

Nyrobi Whitfield ’26 has found purpose through hands-on learning beyond the classroom with Oberlin’s Center for Engaged Liberal Arts (CELA). Through early research in aquatic science and later marine ecology work, Whitfield has turned coursework into tangible climate and environmental insights. Service as a lifeguard and swim instructor, along with sustainability leadership on campus, has deepened Whitfield’s commitment to community engagement. After graduation, Whitfield plans to pursue a PhD in marine ecology and continue building a career in climate change research.

From the Great Lakes to the East Coast: Connecting Research and Service
Campus Profile, Student Profile, Staff Profile
Robert Hackett
Sewanee Bonner/Canale Program Teaches Students ...

The Bonner/Canale Program at Sewanee cultivates a community of student leaders dedicated to service and relationship-building with local organizations. Through a structured four-year experience, students engage in significant community projects, gaining skills in leadership, cultural awareness, and civic engagement while fostering trust between the university and surrounding communities.

Alumni Profile
Robert Hackett
Berry College Bonner Alum, Dr. Emily Melchior ...

Berry College, Bonner Alum, Dr. Emily Melchior (16C), has established herself as a prominent figure in animal health research, serving as the Manager of Global Outcomes Research at Zoetis Animal Health. She is recognized for her contributions to ruminant microbiology and nutrition, and she actively supports young professionals through mentorship and her involvement in various organizations.

Berry College Bonner Alum, Dr. Emily Melchior Recognized as the 2025 Outstanding Young Alum

University of Mississippi's First Bonner Program Cohort Gets to Work

University of Mississippi's First Bonner Program Cohort Gets to Work

OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi has its first-ever cohort of Bonner Program students who have started their four-year campaigns to transform their campus and community through service projects.

The university’s Bonner Program, housed at the new UM Center for Community Engagement, is part of a diverse, multistate network of colleges and universities with their own Bonner programs. The program is part of the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation, which works to “transform students, communities and campuses through service.”

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Paul Schadewald, Senior Program Director for Community-Based Learning and Scholarship, earns National Book Award

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Paul Schadewald, Senior Program Director for Community-Based Learning and Scholarship, earns National Book Award

In 2021, Paul Schadewald, Senior Program Director for Community-Based Learning and Scholarship at Macalester College and a Field Leader with the Bonner Foundation and Network, was awarded the NCPH Book Award, along with colleagues Rebecca Wingo and Jason Heppler, for the new book Digital Community Engagement: Partnering Communities with the Academy. The NCPH Book Award recognizes outstanding scholarship that addresses the theory and/or practice of public history or that includes the products of public history work. Digital Community Engagement: Partnering Communities with the Academy was recognized as the best book about or growing out of public history published in 2019 or 2020. Schadewald works within the Macalester College Civic Engagement Center, a center that was established more than thirty years ago and is home to a Bonner Leader Program.

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Berry Bonner Alumna has been selected for Georgia Trend 2021 40 Under 40

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Charlotte Collins Davis, Bonner 2014 alumna from Berry College has been selected for Georgia Trend's annual "40 Under 40" list of the state's top young leaders. The Deputy Director of Governmental Relations at the Georgia Municipal Association spends her days lobbying in the State Capitol, volunteering as a track coach and mentoring student-athletes at Berry.

Alicia Painter, Earlham ‘11, named CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County has selected its next leader. Alicia Painter will become chief executive officer in January following Bruce Daggy's December retirement, according to a news release. She will be only the fourth leader — and the first female leader — in the Boys & Girls Clubs' 64-year history. Painter graduated from Earlham College '11 and was a Bonner Scholar at the school. She has served multiple roles, including camp director, program director, unit director, senior unit director and, most recently, director of operations, during her 10 years with the Boys & Girls Clubs.

These Nursing Alumnae Created a “LifeLine” for Aspiring Medical Professionals

After successful nursing careers at Widener, two graduates joined forces on social media to share their medical journeys and mentor future health care professionals.

Bonner alum from Widener University, Ricki Boateng ‘21 and Priscilla Adenugba ‘21 are the creators behind LifeLine, a social media account aimed at offering guidance and day-to-day insight for aspiring medical professionals. The former classmates launched the platform in their final year at Widener to shine a light on the often hard-to-navigate path to medicine, particularly for minorities.

The Shop at The College of New Jersey awarded $100,000 grant

The Shop @ TCNJ, a food pantry that opened its doors in February 2019, recently received a $100,000 grant to continue the fight against food insecurity on TCNJ’s campus and in local communities. The grant, which is part of Governor Murphy’s “Hunger Free Campus” initiative, will allow The Shop @ TCNJ to expand programming around hunger and homelessness awareness, add more fresh food options, add a mobile/drop-and-go service, and reconvene its hunger task force.

The Shop @ TCNJ has been a collaborative effort between the college, the AmeriCorps Scholars program within the Bonner Institute, and the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank.

Implications for Bonner Program Practices Based on Data about Bonner Students’ Service Experiences

More than 100 Bonner students and seven recent graduates of the program shared their service experiences with the Foundation Staff this Summer, highlighting the role the Bonner program played in their growth as students, advocates, and civically-engaged professionals. Their responses bring to light specific program aspects such as “exposure to or experience with diversity,” “long-term community engagement,” and “community-defined service-projects” with implications for program structure and practices. The program implications are discussed through two research briefs (included), prepared by Rollins Bonner Leader Emily Curran who served as the Student Impact Intern, and Rachayita Shah, Community-Engaged Scholarship Director at the Bonner Foundation.

University of Richmond Bonner Scholar Receives Grant Support For Environmental Justice Project

University of Richmond Bonner Scholar Receives Grant Support For Environmental Justice Project

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND — University of Richmond students McKenna Dunbar, a junior from Washington, D.C., and Indya Woodfolk, a senior Bonner Scholar from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, received a $10,000 Davis Projects for Peace grant to support a project empowering minoritized peoples related to environmental justice.

Projects for Peace is an initiative supporting college students on grassroots projects that are designed to build peace.

Centre Bonner Students Complete Local Summer of Service Internships

Centre Bonner Students Complete Local Summer of Service Internships

Five Centre College Bonner students completed Summer of Service internships at different non-profit organizations around Danville, Kentucky.

Aidan Isaac ’24 (Lexington, Kentucky) interned with the Boyle County Farmers’ Market; Jonathan Gambrel ’22 (London, Kentucky) worked with Clark’s Run Environmental Education Corp. (CREEC); Lyric Hyde ’23 (Campbellsville, Kentucky) was a CentreWorks intern on campus; Cynthia Nieto ‘23 (Phoenix Arizona) worked with Shepherds House; and Melissa Perello ’23 (Louisville, Kentucky) worked at Blue Bird Market.

$5.5 Million Grant Helps Fund New Center for Community Engagement at High Point University

$5.5 Million Grant Helps Fund New Center for Community Engagement at High Point University

HIGH POINT, N.C., Aug. 16, 2021 – High Point University dedicates thousands of hours annually giving back to the community in many ways. The university will now be able to grow its community outreach programs thanks to a generous grant.

Oak Foundation is helping fund the creation of the HPU Center for Community Engagement which is expected to begin operating in the fall. The $5.5-million grant is one of the largest in HPU’s history. The international organization has funded more than 5,400 grants worldwide since it was founded in 1983.

HPU Supports Nine AmeriCorps VISTAs in Serving the City

HIGH POINT, N.C., Aug. 16, 2021 – High Point University is welcoming nine of its recent graduates, two of which are Bonner alumni, as AmeriCorps VISTAs, who will dedicate a year of service to the city of High Point. For the ninth year, High Point University is hosting these AmeriCorps VISTAs (Volunteers in Service to America) to provide thousands of hours of service to local organizations.

Concord University Bonners Summer Service Featured

Concord University Bonners Summer Service Featured

West Virginia Daily News — August 9, 2021

While summer provides an opportunity for vacations and being away from school, the season proved to be a good time for Concord University Bonner Scholars to assist campus and community through volunteer service.

A total of 27 Concord Bonner Scholars served in a variety of settings this summer. Among these many locations are Pipestem State Park, Pipestem, W.Va.; CU Upward Bound Program, Athens, W.Va.; Planet Extreme Teen Center, Princeton, W.Va.; Big Creek People in Action, War, W.Va.; McDowell Commission on Aging, Welch, W.Va.; Hinton Area Foundation, Hinton, W.Va.; City of Oceana Youth Programs, Oceana, W.Va.; and, Bluefield Community Center, Bluefield, W.Va.

Students selected to participate in the Bonner Scholars Program not only have opportunities for community service and leadership development, they also enjoy the benefits of financial aid that helps them pay for their education.

“The summer service component of our Bonner program is unique; there are few scholarships that provide aid or funding for students outside of the traditional academic year,” stated Kathy Ball, director of Concord’s Bonner Scholars Program.

Averett Bonner Alumni Completes Three Internships

Averett Bonner Alumni Completes Three Internships

Jasmin Tinnis wasted no time – literally – during her four years at Averett University. She graduated Saturday, May 8, after triple-majoring in aviation, business and criminal justice/sociology. She also completed three internships, hundreds of volunteer hours and several service-learning projects.

“I completed all three of these internships while maintaining a full course load,” Tinnis said.

Tinnis completed her internships – one with the Danville Police Department (DPD) and two with the Danville Life Saving Crew (DLSC) – all while taking the maximum number of credit hours possible each semester for her majors. She was also a member of the Averett Bonner Leader Program.

Third-Year Oberlin Bonner Receives Davis Projects for Peace Grant

Third-Year Oberlin Bonner Receives Davis Projects for Peace Grant

After winning the Davis Project for Peace prize of $10,000, rising junior Gideon Ampofo is gearing up to start the Springboard Scholars program in Accra, Ghana, this August.

In 2007, internationalist and philanthropist Kathryn W. Davis created Projects for Peacewhen she committed $1 million for one hundred Projects for Peace. Since then, the award has invited undergraduates at participating partner institutions to apply, and encourages student initiative, innovation, and entrepreneurship focusing on conflict prevention, resolution, or reconciliation.

Guilford Recognizes Three Graduating Bonner Scholars

Guilford Recognizes Three Graduating Bonner Scholars

Congratulations to the Guilford College’s graduating Bonners - Hsar “Ree Ree” Wei, Moe Reh, and Exel Valle-Estrada! Their time at Guilford has been marked with change and challenge, but their perseverance shines through in their success. Below, get to know the recent graduates and find out how they're planning to go out into the world.

Bonner Jasmine Rangel profiled by UVA Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy

Bonner Jasmine Rangel profiled by UVA Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy

Jasmine Rangel considers herself lucky; she’s never been without a place to live. But when she looks back on her childhood, she often feels amazed by the tenuousness of that good fortune.

“If any small thing had gone wrong, my life now would be completely different,” said Rangel, who on Friday will receive a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Virginia’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy.

Rangel’s parents emigrated to the United States from Mexico before she was born. Given that her mother was undocumented, fear of deportation loomed. Money was also tight; her father worked in construction and her mother as a housekeeper.

But the neighborhood outside Atlanta where Rangel grew up wasn’t far from a public library. She remembers walking back from visits there with her mother, carefully carrying as many as 10 or 15 books at once as she made her way over the uneven sidewalk.

Since her mother couldn’t drive, if they had lived too far from the library to get there on foot, they might not have gotten there at all. And if that had been the case, she said, “I don’t think I would have had the curiosity that I do – the motivation to learn like I do now.”

Rangel has since become passionate about affordable housing. A first-generation college student, she completed her undergraduate degree with support from the Bonner Foundation, which awards scholarships to diverse, low-income students, and went on to work for the New Jersey-based organization through Americorps.

Oberlin Bonner Awarded Watson Fellowship to Panama, Malaysia, Nigeria, and Brazil

Oberlin Bonner Awarded Watson Fellowship to Panama, Malaysia, Nigeria, and Brazil

Madi Goetzke ’21 will spend a year traveling the world as a Watson fellow to analyze the role of communally-based cultural heritage sites which double as UNESCO-designated World Heritage Sites. Her project, Reimagining Access to Communal Cultural Heritage Sites, will take Goetzke through the Global South, including Panama, Malaysia, Nigeria, and Brazil.

Student-Led Initiative Aims to Address Health Inequities in Chester

Student-Led Initiative Aims to Address Health Inequities in Chester

Ijjae Hill is driven to help others and inspire those around her to do the same.

Before the pandemic, the Widener sophomore had been researching health inequities and disparities in Chester. When COVID-19 hit, and those issues became even more pronounced, she was compelled to take action.

Hill reached out to the university’s Center for Civic and Global Engagement (CCGE) with ideas.

Fast forward a few months, and her drive has led to Widener securing a grant to fund COVID-19 tests for uninsured Chester residents; to support research to gain a clearer picture of health access, resources, and gaps in the city; and to host an educational panel to discuss the issues.

First-year UT Bonner Markets Glazer Children’s Museum

First-year UT Bonner Markets Glazer Children’s Museum

Every Tuesday and Thursday, after Brin Robinson’s morning class wraps up, she walks across the Cass Street bridge to the Glazer Children’s Museum.

With a cup of coffee in hand, Robinson ’24 starts working on her tasks for the day as a marketing intern at the museum: whether it’s inputting data to target future goals for the museum, working on marketing content to showcase exhibits or assisting fellow museum team members. Each day looks a little different, but Robinson always spends the final 20 minutes of her shift hanging out with kids who are visiting the museum or talking to parents about their experience.

While Robinson spends only a few hours of her time each week at her internship, the experience has been invaluable.

“I have gained an incredible amount of experience since I started working at Glazer,” said Robinson, of McHenry, IL. “Being in a professional environment surrounded by highly educated, passionate and helpful colleagues has helped me grow both personally and professionally.”

Robinson, an international business/marketing major, is part of the Bonner Leader Program, which provides University of Tampa students with an opportunity to serve the community while gaining valuable work experience. Students in the program are placed at local nonprofit organizations at the start of their first year at UT and work for the organization nine hours a week for the entirety of their college career. Students in the program earn paid wages from UT’s work-study funding, as well as an annual $2,000 scholarship.