Meet our 2025 National Bonner Summer Interns! Michael Deem Jr. from Rider University brings his expertise in film and storytelling, while Spelman College's Olivia Gray focuses on advancing educational equity. Oberlin's Joseph (JP) Liddy contributes his experience in event coordination and community building, and Centre College's Kayla Rogers brings her passion for policy advocacy and civic engagement. Together, these talented student leaders will support the Bonner Foundation's mission while gaining valuable professional experience in the nonprofit sector.
Maranda C. Ward, Ed.D., MPH, Spelman College Bonner Scholar ‘02 Alum has been awarded Campus Compact’s Ernest A. Lynton Award for the Scholarship of Engagement. Dr. Ward is the assistant professor and director of the Equity Department of Clinical Research and Leadership at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
TCNJ’s Bonner Community Scholars Program launched 20 years ago, it started with just 12 Bonner Scholars — students who commit to 300 hours of community service annually in exchange for needs-based scholarships. Now, with close to 100 participants each year, the TCNJ program is one of the largest and most successful in a nationwide network of Bonner college programs.
In celebration of Elaine Wheeler's retirement, we honor her invaluable contribution to the Bonner Foundation. Her commitment and mentorship have been instrumental in our growth as a Foundation and the Network we have today. As she embarks on her retirement, we celebrate her legacy of dedication and look forward to the path she has paved for us.
With over three decades sharing campus examples, guides, and documents to download, the Bonner Foundation is excited to announce a recently updated Bonner Resources Wiki.
This summer, the five National Bonner Summer Interns at the Foundation — Anu Baskar (George Mason ‘24), Camila Guayasamin (The College of New Jersey ‘24), Dominique Dore (University of Houston ‘22), Mikaela Chin (High Point University ‘24) and Selah Ndouta (Capital University ‘22) — worked with the Foundation staff to refresh the look of the wiki’s homepage and, more importantly, update campus examples and other documents.
They devoted particularly attention to the Bonner Program Management and Community-Engaged Learning sections. In addition, Mikaela and Dominique also created a short video on how to navigate this wealth of knowledge.
On July 28 to 31, the Bonner Foundation welcomed twenty-one staff and faculty to the Bonner Network during the 2024 New Bonner Staff Orientation hosted at the Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey.
Participants include representatives from seventeen institutions of higher education, including eight with established Bonner Scholar Programs, eight with established Bonner Leader Programs, and one school that is expecting to start a Bonner Program this fall.
This summer, three Bonner Scholars, Gabe Miller, class of 2025 at Washington & Lee University, Olivia Norten, class of 2025 at Davidson College, and Danielle Savellano, class of 2024 at Allegheny College, were recipients of the selective Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Junior Summer Institute Fellowship at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy. The PPIA Junior Summer Institute is a national fellowship program that prepares students for an advanced degree and ultimately for careers and influential roles serving the public good. The PPIA-JSI is a rigorous seven-week training offered each summer for rising college seniors, with coursework focused on quantitative, analytical, and communication skills.
While the executive director role may be a new one for him at the Madison County Arts Council, Brandon Johnson is certainly not a "new face in a new place at the nonprofit organization." He moved to the area in 2006 when he went to Mars Hill University as a Bonner Scholar, a program in which students participate in service, leadership development and meetings/trainings for approximately 10 hours a week. Johnson's community service in the Bonners Scholar program led him to the Bluff Mountain Festival, where he started as an intern in 2007, and in later years emceed the event and also performed.
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.
The College Presidents for Civic Preparedness consortium is a collective of diverse higher education leaders dedicated to equipping students with essential civic skills for effective participation in democracy. They focus on three civic commitments: educating for democracy, preparing students for a diverse society, and protecting free inquiry. Centre College President Milton C. Moreland joins the consortium to advance these goals, emphasizing the importance of engaging students in democratic practices and civil discourse.
Madison Crowell, one of High Point University’s incoming first year Bonners were interviewed by the NBC News network. Crowell is an 18-year-old from Hinesville, Georgia, who has been accepted into 231 colleges and awarded $14.7 million in scholarships. She will attend High Point University in North Carolina on a full tuition scholarship to study exercise science. Despite coming from a low-income area, Madison's commitment and organization helped her achieve these extraordinary results. She offers three tips for high school students: prioritize self-care, stay organized, and maintain a positive outlook.
Bonner majoring in Biology, Mariana Luna-Martinez has never forgotten the support her family received after their Newark home burned down. This experience, coupled with volunteering alongside her grandmother, ignited her passion for community service. During her four years at Montclair State University, Luna-Martinez has been a dedicated member of the Bonner Leader Program, participating in numerous service projects, including beach cleanups and toy drives. She also balanced multiple roles, including serving in the Student Government Association and working three jobs. Luna-Martinez, who will graduate at Spring Commencement on May 13, attributes her passion for public service to her experiences at Montclair. Her future plans include pursuing a master’s at one of our partner graduate program in Urban Planning at NYU’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.
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.
Morhouse Bonner, Ke'Aun's selection for the 2024 Frederick Douglass-Daniel O'Connell Global Internship program, is a testament to his exceptional abilities and potential. Competing against a pool of outstanding candidates, Ke'Aun, emerged as a deserving recipient of full funding for his internship placement, academic coursework, housing, airfare, and a living stipend. This comprehensive support ensures that he can fully immerse himself in this life-changing experience without financial constraints.
Oberlin Business Partnership is conducting a survey in collaboration with Oberlin College second-year and Bonner Scholar Amanda Cabrera Benitez in order to gather feedback from campus community members about their opinions on small businesses in the City of Oberlin. Cabrera Benitez said that she was inspired to create this project as a way to support both students and business owners.
Nine Bonners have been awarded the 2024-2025 Newman Fellowship. The 2024-2025 Newman Civic Fellows comprise of student civic leaders from 38 states, Washington, D.C., and Mexico. This fellowship, supported by The Allstate Foundation, is a yearlong program that recognizes students who stand out for their leadership potential and commitment to creating positive change in communities. Fellows are nominated by Campus Compact member presidents and chancellors, who are invited to select one exemplary community-committed student from their campus each year.
Bonner from the Swearer Center at Brown University was awarded the Truman Scholarship, a prestigious graduate scholarship for aspiring public service leaders in the U.S. One of the recipients, Jay Philbrick, a Bonner Fellow, Laidlaw Scholar, and member of the Student Advisory Committee, aims to use economic research and software development for social change. He hopes to use evidence-based economic policy to improve people's living standards, especially in retirement support and worker benefits. The scholarship will contribute significantly to the joint JD/PhD programs he plans to pursue after Brown.
The Bonner Foundation has selected five exceptional interns for the 2024 National Bonner Summer Internship program. These interns, from various universities and diverse academic backgrounds, will contribute to the Bonner network by developing resources, assisting in event planning, and working on strategic initiatives. The Bonner Foundation looks forward to the unique contributions these young leaders will make to the network.
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.
X Braithwaite, grew up in Newark, New Jersey, a city characterized by crime, poverty, and environmental inequities, sparked my passion for justice. Their involvement in high school activism, education reform, and the Bonner Scholar Program has shaped me into an advocate for change. They recognized the interconnectedness of social and environmental justice, they now strive for equitable access to clean air, water, and green spaces as an Environmental Justice organizer at Clean Water Action.
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.
