Bonner Profiles:

Name: Thomas Shannon
Hometown: Newport News, VA/Montgomery, AL
Class Year: 2009
Major: East Asian Studies, Comparative American Studies
Service Site: Family Planning Services.

“I can honestly say becoming a Bonner was the best decision I ever made. The Bonner experience has provided me with so much emotional support, especially when I had to take a semester off for medical reasons.  I cannot thank the Bonner Foundation, my director Donna Russell and my fellow Bonners (many of whom are my dearest friends) enough.  I have a Bonner experience that is too rich to fully put into words, but will always stay with me because of the impact it has allowed me to have through community service.”

Name: Melissa Hines
Hometown Champaign, IL
Class Year: 2007
Major: Education for Social Change
Service Site: Tutor/Senior Bonner Meeting

“I have really benefited from connecting with the larger Bonner community through attending conferences and serving as a Congress Representative for the Bonner Scholars Program. It is a great national network as well as a great community here on the Oberlin campus.  Being a Bonner has really allowed me the opportunity to get engaged in this community as a college student, which has been an invaluable experience.”

Name: Anthony Miller
Hometown: Lorain, OH
Class Year: 2008
Major: Biology
Service Site: Murray Ridge Center

“My experience as a Bonner has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have had in my life.  The program has taught me some valuable lessons about priorities, time management and commitments.  Yet the greatest impact that it has had on me is that it has given me a sure foundation from which my interest in aiding those with special needs has grown into a passion that has become intrinsically linked with who I am.  It is a passion I will have for the rest of my life.

Name: Charlotte Collins
Hometown: Rose Valley, PA
Class Year: 2008
Major: African American Studies, Religion, Economics
Service Site: Senior Intern/Congress Rep, OC mentors.

"Growing up in the world today, we learn at an early age that there are things we have to do, and things we love to do. Sadly, it is usually what we have to do that overrides what we love, what is in the blood.  The beauty of the Bonner Program is that it eliminates the sacrifice of one for the other.  It allows my love of service to flourish, while aiding in my overall success in the world."

Name: Jesse Gerstin
Hometown: Berkeley, CA
Class Year: 2007
Major: French and Third World Studies, Minor in Geology
Service Site: America Reads, SITES

"I joined the Bonner Scholars Program my sophomore year and was already actively involved in community service through America Reads.  Joining the Bonner Scholars Program enabled me to expand the work I was already doing in education to pursue additional projects.  What I have enjoyed most about the Bonner Scholars Program is the flexibility.  It allowed me to do things I am passionate about.  It is also a great way to connect with similarly minded individuals who are motivated to be more than passive college students.  The Bonner Scholars Program has definitely had a large impact on my years here at Oberlin and these experiences will influence what I choose to do next."

Name: Katharine Sontag
Hometown: Hastings-on-Hudson, New York
Class Year: 2009
Major: English
Service Site: Save Our Children, Immerse Yourself in Service

"My experience as a Bonner Scholar has enabled me to do a lot of really cool things. I volunteered at Save Our Children in Elyria for my first three years and now work as a Ninde Scholars’ tutor with Oberlin High School students. This past winter term, I did a service trip to Indonesia. My first winter term I went to New Orleans with Immerse Yourself in Service.  Then I acted as their site coordinator and led a spring break trip back to New Orleans that year.”