Student Profile
Robert Hackett
Five Bonners Selected as 2025 National Bonner ...

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.

Five Bonners Selected as 2025 National Bonner Foundation Summer Interns
Alumni Profile
Robert Hackett
Spelman College Bonner Alum, Dr. Maranda C. ...

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.

Spelman College Bonner Alum, Dr. Maranda C. Ward, Awarded The Ernest A. Lynton Award for the Scholarship of Engagement
Campus Profile
Robert Hackett
A Banner Year for Bonners: TCNJ Bonner Program ...

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.

A Banner Year for Bonners: TCNJ Bonner Program Celebrates 20th Anniversary
Staff Profile
Robert Hackett
From the Heart of The Bonner Foundation: Elaine ...

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.

From the Heart of The Bonner Foundation: Elaine Wheeler's Retirement Celebration
Robert Hackett
Announcing the Refreshed Bonner Wiki

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.

Announcing the Refreshed Bonner Wiki

Northern Girl Turned Southerner: How Moments Make Your Journey An Adventure

Northern Girl Turned Southerner: How Moments Make Your Journey An Adventure

Underprivileged. Low-income. Uneducated. These are words that I heard daily by those who didn't know my plight. I came from a home environment where my parents always encouraged me to reach higher, no matter what my skin looks like, no matter what my religion is, and no matter what my socio-economic status is. Since I was in sixth grade, I knew I wanted to attend a university because education is the key to success. Fortunately, when I learned about Michelle Obama’s Beating the Odds Summit, I was excited, curious, and thankful. I was grateful that someone who looks like me believes that all youth deserve to and should aspire to dream big in life. The summit was an opportunity that should be offered to all teenagers. Mrs. Obama encouraged us to not only grow intellectually, but to grow as human beings by enhancing our networks, reaching out to resources, and discovering our passions. I remember thinking as I left, “It’s not about your major, your extracurriculars, or about where you come from—it's about who you are as a human being and what you are capable of doing.” I left with a mindset of openness and readiness to take on the challenge of college.

New Graduate School Partnership with Carnegie Mellon University Heinz College

Corella & Bertram F. Bonner Foundation announces new graduate school partnership with Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy that will provide a minimum scholarship of $30,000 Bonner alumni admitted to the school.

Heinz College logo OFFICIAL 2019.jpg

The Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy is home to two internationally recognized graduate-level institutions at Carnegie Mellon University: the School of Information Systems and Management and the School of Public Policy and Management. This unique colocation combined with its expertise in analytics set Heinz College apart in the areas of cybersecurity, health care, the future of work, smart cities, and arts & entertainment. In 2016, INFORMS named Heinz College the #1 academic program for Analytics Education.

Bonner Scholar/Leaders, alumni or staff interested in pursuing a master’s degree are encouraged to apply for admission to any of Heinz College’s master’s degree programs and will receive the following partnership benefits:

  • Application fee waiver

  • A minimum scholarship of $30,000 (with further consideration for additional merit-based scholarship support)

Join our email list to receive information about Heinz College. To learn more, prospective students can connect with us today or review details about our application process.  You may also email David Eber, the Executive Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, directly at deber@cmu.edu.

For more information on Bonner graduate school partnerships, please contact Liz Brandt, Community Engagement Director, Bonner Foundation at liz@bonner.org.

Natasha Main, Bonner Scholar '16, Leads Small Business Relief Program in Colorado Springs

Natasha Main, Bonner Scholar '16, Leads Small Business Relief Program in Colorado Springs

Leading a community relief program for small businesses devastated by a crippling pandemic was not in Natasha Main’s job description. She had plenty on her plate since becoming executive director late last year of Exponential Impact, a Colorado Springs-based, nonprofit incubator/accelerator for tech startups.

But she’s more than stepped up to the challenge, says Exponential Impact co-founder and chairman Vance Brown, who developed the Survive & Thrive relief program, which is being administered by XI. In fact, he says, “she’s crushing it.”

Five Bonners Selected as 2020 Bonner Foundation National Summer Interns

Each summer, the Bonner Foundation welcomes four to eight motivated, passionate, and talented Bonner summer interns from our network of 65+ Bonner programs. During this eleven-week internship, these young professionals bring their Bonner Program experience and share it by developing new resources and strategies for the national network. This year, we are delighted to welcome five exceptional Bonner summer interns:

• Aly Bonilla, University of Lynchburg ‘22

• Grace Fischer, Widener University ‘21

• Robert Green, Macalester College ‘23

• Raj Toor, The College of New Jersey ‘21

• Sunny Toreihi, Rollins College ‘20

You can read each intern’s bio on our Bonner Foundation staff page.

Summer interns responsibilities already shift in focus from year to year. Given the global pandemic situation, we are adjusting to meet current challenges, such as anticipating moving the internship online and focusing on resource development for capacity building projects and capstones (which can be conducted online). The interns will also be involved in supporting the 2020 Virtual Summer Leadership Institute and several other Foundation initiatives, such as Bonner Alumni Network development. We will provide a community cohort experience through regular Zoom calls and other online platforms. 

We are delighted to work alongside (even virtually) such talented young professionals this summer, and we know that their work will have a long-lasting impact on the Bonner network.

Three Bonners Publish Essays in International Undergraduate Journal for Service-learning, Leadership, and Social Justice

Three Bonners Publish Essays in International Undergraduate Journal for Service-learning, Leadership, and Social Justice

The Spring 2020 volume of the International Undergraduate Journal for Service-learning, Leadership, and Social Justice features three reflections pieces by Bonner Leaders at Siena College including:

The Journal has been downloaded over 10,600 downloads from 142 countries. The Journal is dedicated to providing undergraduate students a venue to discuss their service-learning projects and experiences.

Findings from 2019 Bonner Student Impact Survey Released

Findings from 2019 Bonner Student Impact Survey Released

March 17, 2020 — The Bonner Foundation is pleased to release a new report that showcases the findings from the 2018-2019 implementation of a newly revised Bonner Student Impact Survey from across its national network of 65 institutions. Since 1990, the Bonner Program has provided colleges and institutions with a viable model for supporting college access for diverse, low-income students. Integrated into the work-study and scholarship of their financial aid packages, this cohort-based program enables Bonner students to participate in a rigorous, developmental progression of community engagement which is reinforced with regular training, education, and reflection. The Bonner Program has also helped campuses integrate community engagement campus-wide by providing a variety of models for scaffolded learning in both curricular and co-curricular student life, with student leadership as a core feature.

Read full story here.

Designed to share widely, the report expounds on these findings. Download a PDF copy here.

17 Bonners Named Newman Civic Fellows

17 Bonners Named Newman Civic Fellows

Bonners from 17 campuses in our national network were among those who received the 2020 Newman Civic Fellows Award from the Campus Compact.

Centre-in-Washington internship opens doors of opportunity for Stephanie Akoto Bamfo ’21

Centre-in-Washington internship opens doors of opportunity for Stephanie Akoto Bamfo ’21

As part of Centre College’s Centre-in-Washington program, politics major, international studies minor and Bonner Scholar Stephanie Akoto Bamfo ‘21 (Lexington, Kentucky) is working for the Capitol Hill Consulting Group as a legislative intern.

Based in Washington, D.C., Capitol Hill Consulting Group is a bi-partisan government relations firm dedicated to providing comprehensive and individually tailored strategies to meet the diverse needs of their clients. They offer specialized lobbying services in tax, trade, financial services, appropriations, environment, energy, health care and aerospace, among other sectors.

“I was invested in earning this internship due to the nature of work that is done in this firm and the diverse clientele list,” Akoto Bamfo said. “I’ve been afforded the opportunity to work with clients from across the world and be the middle-man between them and members of Congress. It’s insightful to see the coordination between the private and public sectors in maintaining the interest of the American taxpayer.”

James Shields Recognized for 20 Years Leading Bonner Center for Community Service at Guilford College

James Shields Recognized for 20 Years Leading Bonner Center for Community Service at Guilford College

James Shields ’00 is the Director of the Bonner Center for Community Service and Learning at Guilford. In more than 20 years, James has established new partnerships and helped secure grants to support the work of Guilford students in the community. He has made a difference in hundreds of lives of students, faculty, staff and other Greensboro community members. James is committed to community building, diversity, civic engagement, social justice, international perspective and spiritual exploration and is the epitome of Guilford’s commitment to providing hands-on learning experiences for students to learn critical problem-solving skills to thrive and make a difference as you serve the world's greater good. He received the Guilford College Alumni Excellence Award in 2016 for his work.

14 Schools Earn Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement

14 Schools Earn Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement

The Carnegie Foundation has announced that 14 schools in the Bonner Network are among the 119 U.S. colleges and universities to receive the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification in the 2020 cycle, an elective designation that indicates institutional commitment to community engagement.

Currently, 33 colleges and universities in the Bonner Network are currently active holders of this important classification. See full article here.

Spelman Bonner Scholar Named Andrew W. Mellon Undergraduate Curatorial Fellow

Spelman Bonner Scholar Named Andrew W. Mellon Undergraduate Curatorial Fellow

A Spelman College art history and international studies double major and Bonner Scholar is the second student from the College to earn a 2019–2021 Andrew W. Mellon Undergraduate Curatorial Fellowship.

Destinee Fillmore joins an incoming cohort of 12 students selected to participate in the competitive program, which was designed to encourage undergraduates to pursue graduate studies in art history and curation.  

Fillmore began her two-year fellowship at Atlanta’s High Museum of Art this fall where she works with curators and staff on exhibitions, collections and programs. 

A Legal Career Inspired by Service in the Bonner Program

dianegremillion.jpg

Before becoming an attorney in Washington D.C., 2019 W&L Law grad Diane Gremillion was a Bonner Scholar at the University of Richmond with a major in Leadership Studies. 

“Bonner…made me question why different forms of poverty and inequality existed in my community,” Gremillion said. 

““The regulatory backbone of each problem made me appreciate the power of the law to have very real impacts, often disproportionately on vulnerable persons,””
— Diane Gremillion, Washington and Lee University School of Law ‘19

 Gremillion’s community service in Richmond sparked the realization that the lives of the people in need were directly affected by government structure and minutiae, “even the least interesting parts of the law and its various regulatory regimes.” 

As an attorney at Venable, LLP, Gremillion is working in the regulatory/administrative law realm.  Her summer internship with the firm as a law student confirmed that Venable was well-placed to make a difference.   

“[During the summer] I worked on a pro bono case, defending an immigrant family after nearby construction flooded their home, which culminated in mediation at the Venable office building,” Gremillion said. “Being with a large firm allowed us to defend the family with first-rate legal representation against multiple large corporations in ways that we would not have been able to otherwise.”  

Gremillion’s experience as a Bonner Scholar still informs her personal life and her career as an attorney. 

“Bonner instilled in me an appreciation for what is gained personally by helping one’s community. I gained so much more than I ever could give from those experiences. I’m also now aware that, even when I’m not working day to day and seeing poverty in my community, it is there. With my JD, I access the law and advocate in a way that is inaccessible to so many.”

If you are interested in pursuing a law degree, contact the Office of Admissions at W&L Law to learn more. We are proud of our new partnership with the Bonner Foundation, and we look forward to seeing more Bonner alumni in the law school student body. 

Washington and Lee Law Admissions 

lawadm@wlu.edu  

(540)458-8503

W&L Law School’s coverage of the partnership found here.

UNC-Charlotte Bonner Leader Receives “Civic Trailblazer” Award

UNC-Charlotte Bonner Leader Receives “Civic Trailblazer” Award

Senior Bonner Leader Neariah Mandisa-Drummond is the 2019 recipient of the John H. Barnhill Civic Trailblazer Award. Since 2011, North Carolina Campus Compact, a statewide network of colleges and universities, has presented the award annually to one college student in the state who has created and led innovative projects that address community needs.

While at UNC Charlotte, Mandisa-Drummond has developed a passion for serving people as a member of the institution’s inaugural class of Bonner Leaders. Along the way, she combined community service with her academic studies, motivated her peers to join in the work and created new programs and partnerships that will continue to engage students and impact communities even after she leaves Charlotte.

In her first year as a Bonner Leader, Mandisa-Drummond worked at Friendship Trays, a meal-on-wheels program for people in Charlotte experiencing food insecurity. Mandisa-Drummond worked with her team to research the possibility of developing a food rescue program connected to Friendship Trays. In her second year of volunteering at the nonprofit organization, she used her skills as a communications major to work on a social media and video marketing strategy.

SRU Bonner Leader’s Life Experiences Provide Motivation to Serve Others

SRU Bonner Leader’s Life Experiences Provide Motivation to Serve Others

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.

Political Science Grad Raises the Bar at Berry and Beyond

Political Science Grad Raises the Bar at Berry and Beyond

Like many college students, 2015 graduate Amanda Petersen Barney came to Berry with a plan. She entered as a communication major with the intent of becoming a journalist, but after taking several political science and government classes she discovered a real interest in the law. Now, Amanda works as an associate attorney with Becker & House, PLLC in Scottsdale, Arizona.

At Berry Amanda threw herself into intense study, majoring in political science and minoring in communication all while participating in the esteemed Honors Program. Her Honors thesis focused on the political empowerment of women in Rwanda, Nepal and Nigeria and was instrumental in helping her to acquire a portion of her scholarship to law school.

But she didn’t limit herself to hitting the books. An accomplished equestrian, she helped lead the team to a national victory just before she graduated. She was also a Bonner Program scholar, spending much of her free time working in several community-oriented organizations in Rome.

W&L Law Offers New Scholarship for Bonner Alumni

W&L Law Offers New Scholarship for Bonner Alumni

One of the smallest of the nation's top-tier law schools, Washington and Lee School of Law is located in a college town in the majestic Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, a three-hour drive from Washington, DC and within an hour of several other metropolitan areas. The Washington and Lee University School of Law seeks to cultivate broad-minded, highly skilled, and honorable practitioners of law. We do so within a diverse and collaborative intellectual community exemplifying rigor, trust, and civility. In partnership with the Bonner Foundation, W&L School of Law will offer: 

  • An application fee waiver to all eligible applicants, regardless of admission decision. No additional steps are required for Bonner Scholars or Leaders to request an application fee waiver. 

  • Bonner applicants selected for admission will receive a scholarship from W&L of at least $10,000 for each of their three years of law school, provided the student is enrolled and maintains a standard of behavior representative of prospective member of the legal profession. Students may also earn additional assistantships, fellowships, or other awards based on their academic credentials and/or performance in law school; however, the total funding that a student receives cannot exceed the cost of tuition and fees.

New Graduate School Partnership with Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas

New Graduate School Partnership with Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas

In 2004, President Clinton launched the Clinton School of Public Service, a (non-partisan) graduate program in the Univ of Arkansas system designed for people around the globe who are passionate about developing public service solutions in a world of need.

The Clinton School offers both a 100% Online Masters of Public Service, and an In-Person Masters of Public Service (with distinct scholarships available to admitted Bonner students & alumni!): 

  • the in-person Masters of Public Service (MPS) degree

  • the 100% online Clinton School Online (CSO) Masters of Public Service degree for mid-career professionals (those who have had at least 3 years of professional experience – this can be perfect for Bonner Alumni who desire to work full-time and live anywhere in the world while pursuing their Masters degree).

Bonner Scholar Athletes Contribute To Oberlin, Both On And Off The Field

Bonner Scholar Athletes Contribute To Oberlin, Both On And Off The Field

When imagining the typical college experience, volunteering for night shifts in churches to help care for individuals in need is not the first thing that comes to mind for most. But for College fourth-year Nae McClain, this was part of a normal day during her first two years as a Bonner Scholar at Oberlin. She balanced not only her academic and athletic responsibilities, but also dedicated 140 hours per semester to community service. Working in the church until 6:30 a.m., she would return to her room and sleep until 8 a.m., attend classes, and then head to athletic practice later that afternoon.

The Bonner Scholars program is a four-year community service scholarship program that was created to annually provide 15 first-year students with the opportunity to “develop as leaders and change agents in the local community,” according to the Oberlin Bonner Scholars website. The program aims not only to provide selected students with leadership and volunteering opportunities, but also to nurture a support network for students to utilize throughout their Oberlin experience. Students complete 140 hours of community service per semester, and are required to spend two summers participating in at least 280 hours of service.

Like McClain, College fourth-year Maya English is a thrower on the seven-time NCAC Champion Women’s Track and Field Team; both have balanced commitment to their sport and community service throughout their time at Oberlin. When not in class or at practice, English mentors students from Oberlin High School and is part of the Bonner Leadership Team. Being an athlete has allowed her to connect with her mentees, who also play sports.

“Having that element of our relationship lets us talk about how we balance going to school, being an athlete, extracurricular activities, and still having a social life,” English said.