Over 320 students, staff, faculty, speakers, alumni, and partners from 91 different institutions and organizations came together for the 2024 Summer Leadership Institute, hosted at Oberlin College and Conservatory from June 7 to 10. With Oberlin’s rich history of civic engagement and student activism as the backdrop, student leadership took center stage at this year’s Summer Leadership Institute.

Cali VanCleve, a Rhodes College sophomore majoring in international studies and Russian, has been selected to receive the Boren Scholarship, which funds study abroad with the goal of immersing students in a language critical to U.S. national security interests. In the summer and fall of 2024, she will study Russian in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, as part of the School of Russian and Asian Studies’ Russian as a Second Language Program. VanCleve is from Nashville, TN, and her experience in civic engagement involves making positive changes for immigrant and refugee communities across Tennessee. Through the Bonner Scholars Program, she works as a community organizer serving on the Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope’s (MICAH) Immigration and Inclusivity team.

Hailing from Red Hook, New York, Gifford’s wanted to continue her service journey into college. Leading her to choose Siena College, after being selected into their Bonner Leader Program. Gifford values authentically building relationships and making a difference, and felt the Bonner Program was a perfect place to do both.

Bonner majoring in physics at TCNJ, Michael Polania ’25, has been named a Goldwater Scholar for 2024–2025, a prestigious national designation for students in science and engineering. Among his many research interests, he has a particular focus on dark matter. Polania, who has been involved in numerous research projects from the start of his college career, plans to pursue a PhD in theoretical astrophysics post-graduation.

For Bonner Leader Devin Brown’s capstone project, a geography student at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, he is developing a plan to create a sustainable “dish library” on campus for event planners to utilize instead of purchasing disposable paper and plastic tableware that end up in the landfill. The Bonner Program, along with some state funding, is supporting Brown’s paid internship at Zero Waste Hawaiʻi, a local nonprofit with a mission to help Hawaiʻi Island communities achieve zero waste.

Aidan Isaac has always held service close to heart. 

Even before his service as a Bonner Scholar at Centre College, the senior and Lexington, Kentucky, native earned the rank of Eagle Scout and served his local community. 

He highlighted his service as a Bonner Scholar at Centre College and a lifetime of community involvement in his application to the American University School of International Service, a top-10 program for international affairs and Bonner Foundation graduate school partner.

Danielle Aira Savellano, a Bonner Scholar majoring in Biology and double minoring in Computer Science and Global Health Studies at Allegheny College, was recently selected for the prestigious Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship. As a 2024 fellow, Danielle will be participating in the data analytics track for the Junior Summer Institute in Carnegie Mellon University - Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy.

Noah McQueen, Morehouse Bonner Alum 2019, was recently featured in a highlight from President Obama showcasing Noah’s role in the My Brother's Keeper Alliance – a story of mentorship, togetherness, and community.