The educational experience of 60 Waynesburg University students once again involved community service projects and the chance to be campus leaders throughout the school year.
College of St. Benedict Bonner Leader Sydney Walker chosen as a Truman Scholar
Growing up in Watertown, South Dakota, Sydney Walker always had a keen interest in education – largely because her parents are both teachers. She came to the College of Saint Benedict, where her mom, Tricia (Koob) Walker, was a 1993 graduate, and started out on the same career path. But going to CSB and Saint John’s University quickly broadened Sydney’s worldview.
“I’ve always had a passion for learning – I think my parents have instilled that in me since I was little,” said Walker, who is finishing her junior year as a political science major. “I knew I could create an inclusive classroom myself, but it is hard for a single-classroom teacher to have a broader impact on the education system. Over time, I realized my influence could be broader from a public policy level.”
Very soon she will have opportunity to develop that influence as the latest on a short list of Saint Ben’s Truman Scholars, and having accepted a summer internship with the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.
W&L's Bri Mondesir ’22 has found her purpose as a scholar in the Bonner Program
Three Bonner Students at Averett University Recognized for Academic Honors
Faith Marable '21 at Carson-Newman Featured in 'The College Tour' TV Series
Bonner Scholar Alum, Faith Marable, was recently featured in a segment of Carson-Newman University’s episode on The College Tour TV series. Faith graduated from Carson-Newman in 2021 with a Psychology major. Her hometown is Murfreesboro, Tennessee. In the segment, Faith shares about her experience as a Bonner Scholar at Carson-Newman University and how that’s translated to her career aspirations as a mental health counselor. Faith is currently working as an Admissions Representative while pursuing her a masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Carson-Newman.
Chancellor Celebrates Launch of University of Hawai'i at Hilo's Bonner Leader Program
The University of Hawai‘i at Hilo has thrived by cultivating relationships with the local community. We serve our community through giving access to higher education, but also through the support we give community projects in our research, volunteerism, and service projects.
UH Hilo is a placed-based university, meaning the importance of place is foremost in our strategic planning efforts now underway. Equally important to us are the relationships we build, which are at the core of everything in education; the most effective teachers are those who can establish rapport and meaningful relationships with students.
One project that really brings place and people together in a powerful way is the Bonner Leadership Program.
Announcing the 2022 Summer Institute on Teaching Social Action • June 28-30, 2022
The Bonner Foundation is pleased to announce that we are hosting a virtual Teaching Social Action Summer ‘22 Institute on June 28-30. This three-day institute will introduce faculty and staff to an approach for incorporating social action campaigns into either a semester-long course or co-curricular workshop series.
There is no cost to join the Teaching Social Action Summer ‘22 Institute. The formal application to join the summer ‘22 cohort is due by June 15, 2022. Click here for more information.
Community-Engaged Learning Gaining Momentum in Bonner Network
The Bonner Foundation’s Community-Engaged Initiative is going strong in its third year. Thirty-five institutions are leveraging grants and endowment funds to integrate community-engaged learning (CEL) in a wide range of projects and programs across the campus.
More than 200 faculty members have been involved in cohorts on their campuses. These faculty have worked in collaboration with local, state, national, and international partners on courses, degrees, innovative programs, and institutionalization.
MSU Sophomore Bonner Leader, Samantha Wilk, Featured in 'The College Tour' TV Series
Montclair State University Bonner Leader, Samantha Wilk, was recently featured in a segment of Montclair State University’s episode on The College Tour TV series. Samantha is double majoring in Psychology and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies and minoring in Leadership through Civic Engagement and Italian. Her hometown is Flemington, New Jersey. In the segment, Samantha shares about her experience as a Bonner Leader at Montclair State University, including her community engagement work with local nonprofits and participation in the week-long service-based orientation, a signature program in the MSU Bonner Leader Program.
The College Tour is created by Emmy-nominated and multi-award-winning producers. Hosted by Alex Boylan, each episode of The College Tour tells the story of a single college through the lens of its students. From academics, housing, sports, career preparation, campus life/location and much much more. Montclair State University was recently selected to be featured on The College Tour. You can learn more and watch Montclair State University’s full episode here.
Lights, Camera, Activism: Ranee Sang '21 Rollins College Bonner Leader
Renee Sang ’21 may be a local, but her Rollins experience took her well beyond the boundaries of Central Florida in her quest to illuminate social justice issues through documentary filmmaking. . .
Her first year at Rollins, Sang joined the Bonner Leaders—a four-year, cohort-based community service scholarship program—and that single decision set her on a path that would form the basis of her work for the next four years.
Bonner Community-Engaged Learning Grant Supports ‘Books with College Buddies’ at St. Cloud COP House
Anna Watt, Reagan Bos and Maria Hall all will be teachers in the not-too-distant future, and part of their training other than education coursework at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University (CSB/SJU) includes real-world exposure to potential students.
This can mean shadowing teachers in the classroom and, eventually, student teaching. These three CSB undergrads, however, are going above and beyond what is required to engage with diverse children in St. Cloud as part of a grant-sponsored “Books with College Buddies” program.
Terri Rodriguez, in her ninth year as an education professor at Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s, started the program in the spring of 2021 with $3,000 in support via funding from the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation and the Optimist Club of St. Cloud.
Elizabethtown College Launching Bonner Program in Fall 2022
Director of the Elizabethtown College Center for Community and Civic Engagement (CCCE) Javita Thompson is piloting a service leadership program for incoming first-year Etown students.
The Bonner Leader Program was started by the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation in 1990. The overarching goal is to improve relations between students and communities by bridging the gap between the basic needs of nutrition and educational opportunity.
The Bonner Leader program will become a multifaceted program that allows Etown students to gain leadership skills while performing service initiatives to improve relationships with community organizations. The program is one of many initiatives to help with the College’s strategic plan, specifically the theme of “inclusive excellence.”
New ASPPH Report Highlights Bonner Alumni Enrollment into Public Health Graduate Schools and Programs
Over the years, the Bonner Foundation has developed partnerships with over 20 graduate schools across the nation committed to supporting diverse, low-income, first-generation students. Bonner’s graduate school partners span a diverse array of academic disciplines and professional studies, from law to public health. Through mutually beneficial relationships between partner organizations and our network, we provide greater opportunity for social mobility to deserving students throughout the nation.
Bonner students and alumni receive financial assistance, such as application fee waivers and partial- or full-tuition scholarships to alleviate the economic barriers to pursuing a graduate degree. The majority of Bonner’s graduate school partners offer an application fee waiver and scholarships ranging from $5,000 to $40,000 annually. For more specifics on Bonner graduate school partnership benefits, please visit: http://www.bonner.org/graduate-school.
Nathan Hand, DePauw '03, Lending Help to Worthy Causes
He grew up in a service-oriented family, undertook activities required to become an Eagle Scout, won Bonner and Holton scholarships at DePauw for service and coveted a life of helping others.
But Nathan Hand ’03 wasn’t convinced he could make a career in philanthropy, at least not one that would enable him to comfortably raise a family and have the earning potential that his peers pursuing more lucrative fields would enjoy.
He thought about becoming a patent attorney. Or going into biology. He spent time pursing education studies, then geology. He ultimately landed on a communication major and political science minor, and undertook enough internships, volunteer opportunities and extracurricular experiences to persuade himself that working in nonprofits would bring him joy and a comfortable life, if not necessarily riches.
“I just felt like there was an urgency there to get my career started, but also explore as many different causes as possible to find what I liked,” he said. “I needed to prove to myself that I could make a living doing this, the idea of volunteering and nonprofit service. It’s a big shift to go from a fun side hobby … to want to make a career out of this.”
Mountain Mover: Roman Rojas, '21 Mars Hill University Bonner Scholar
Roman Rojas ‘21 says he found a second home on the Hill. As the Mars Hill University’s first DACA student, he faced some unique challenges, but persevered and fulfilled his dream of earning a college degree, graduating in May with a business administration major and a certificate in community engagement. Through his experiences as a Bonner Scholar, an Alpha Chi member, and a DKT brother, he found numerous opportunities to move mountains through Mars Hill University.
9 Bonners Selected for 2022-23 Newman Civic Fellowship
The Newman Civic Fellowship recognizes and supports community-committed students who are changemakers and public problem-solvers at Campus Compact member institutions. Fellows are nominated by their president or chancellor on the basis of their potential for public leadership.
Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides students with training and resources that nurture their assets and passions and help them develop strategies for social change. The yearlong program, named for Campus Compact founder Frank Newman, includes virtual learning opportunities and networking as part of a national network of engaged student leaders and an optional in-person convening.
Campus Compact views the Newman Civic Fellowship as a core component of our strategy to build a national network of engaged student leaders who can support one another in building transformational partnerships between campuses and communities.
Below we have included the personal statement from each of the nine Bonners who are part of the 2022-23 cohort of Newman Civic Fellows.
Connections Through Healthcare: Olivia Pelaez '21 Davidson College
Today, Pelaez, a Davidson Bonner Scholar, works at the Charlotte Community Health Clinic, bringing healthcare, testing and more to low income and underinsured populations in Charlotte, as she prepares to apply to physician assistant programs.
Guilford College Spotlights Bonner Scholar Ben James ’22
Bonner Scholar Ben James ’22 had plans to play soccer for a college in his home state of Pennsylvania when he realized he needed to make a bigger change.
“There was a lot of transformation going on, but by the time I made all of these decisions, it was the spring of my senior year, and the recruiting is all but closed by that time,” he says. “During a tournament in February of 2018, the assistant coach from Guilford contacted me and said they were still looking to fill the recruiting class, so I applied.”
Ben didn’t have a chance to visit Guilford before making the decision, but the opportunity to play soccer, as well as the financial aid that went along with being a Bonner Scholar, made it an easy choice.
Study Finds Spike in Pediatric Firearm Injuries During Pandemic
Davidson College Bonner alumnus, Xzavier Killings’ 16 and other researchers have found spikes in firearm injuries sustained by and inflicted by children during the pandemic, a time when gun sales to first-time owners also were rising. Increased rates of firearm ownership, school closures, and a suspected decrease in supervision during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic place young children at increased risk of firearm injuries. They measured trends in firearm injuries in children and inflicted by children discharging a firearm during the pandemic and correlated these changes with a rise in firearm acquisition.
Carnegie Community Engagement Classification 2024 Launched
The Carnegie Community Engagement Classification central office announces that the first time and re-classification applications for the 2024 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement are now available on GivePulse. Interested campuses must initiate an application by October 31, 2022. The deadline to submit an application is May 1, 2023. Click on the GivePulse logo to access the application portal.