Wofford Bonner Scholars celebrate 20 years of service
330 Bonner alumni carrying the impact forward Terra Brannon ’12 and Rickey Jones ’12 volunteer with The Spartanburg County Foundation’s Citizens Scholars program. They serve as mentors for at-risk youth and are researching and implementing best practices to help all students in the program succeed in high school and make a successful transition to college. Atticus Fehl ’12 wears many hats at St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic, where he has volunteered for the past three years. Fehl has accepted ever-increasing responsibilities at St. Luke’s until some of the staff affirm that, if circumstances required, he could run the place. Now he and Jessica Gardner ’13 are streamlining volunteer recruitment and training to better meet the clinic’s needs. From scratch Kathrine Moore ’12 developed, taught and tested an interactive financial literacy curriculum for elementary school students. She continues to work with socio-economically vulnerable students.
Corella Bonner
Bonner Scholars today
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ccording to new Wofford Bonner Scholars Coordinator Ramón
Galiñanes, more than 100 colleges and universities across the country now have some form of Bonner program, the motto of which is “Access to Education; Opportunity to Serve.” Wofford’s Bonner Scholars program, a part of the college’s Center for Global and Community Engagement, works toward change in five priority issue areas: Educational Opportunity
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ver the past 20 years, Wofford Bonner Scholars — such as Brannon, Jones, Fehl, Gardner and Moore — have contributed more than 500,000 hours of collective service to Spartanburg and other communities. “Doing good in this world without making any special fuss, sharing what one has with others and finding joy in doing so, these… are the heart and soul of the Bonner Scholars program,” says President Benjamin B. Dunlap. “I believe the world is a better place because of Wofford College. I am certain it’s a better place because of the Bonner Scholars program.” The first Bonner Scholars joined the Wofford community in the fall of 1991 after the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation of Princeton, N.J., chose Wofford as one of its first Bonner
Scholars colleges. Dr. Larry T. McGehee, Dr. Joab M. Lesesne Jr. and Dr. Talmage B. Skinner ’56 (respectively vice president, president and chaplain of the college at the time) championed the program and were instrumental in the Bonner Foundation’s decision to fund the scholarships. Then and now Bonners spend 10 hour each week during the academic year and 280 hours per summer (for at least two summers) in community service in exchange for a scholarship that meets 100 percent of their demonstrated financial need. “The program is designed to maximize the positive community impact of students’ work and their development as community servants and change agents,” says Jessalyn Wynn Story, director of the Bonner Scholars program and service learning at the college. “Bonners provide game-changing
support to the community, build their understanding of social issues, and gain valuable skills and connections that will serve them and the communities they will eventually call home.” Around the world more than 300 Wofford Bonner alumni provide servant-leadership in their communities — they teach, heal, raise families, advocate, volunteer, fight fires, and manage companies or non-profit organizations. For example Bonner alumna Rachel Himmelstein ’10 supervises Wofford Bonners as an eligibility specialist helping Spanishspeaking clients coordinate medical care with AccessHealth in Spartanburg. “It is fascinating being on the receiving end of the volunteer work.... As a Bonner, I did not realize how much my service work really meant to a non-profit,” says Himmelstein. “It is only now I
see as an agency how we depend on the collaboration of volunteers to run as effectively as possible.” In typical Bonner fashion, Himmelstein excels at her job and this spring was awarded a scholarship to attend a medical interpretation program. Her day doesn’t end at 5 p.m. either. In the evenings she volunteers as a counselor and group leader at the Spartanburg Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission. “The most valuable lesson I took from the Bonner program is a deep awareness to the needs in my own community and globally,” says Himmelstein, who says serving as a Bonner definitely shaped her career path. “It allowed me to take what I learned within Wofford and apply it outside to the reality of human lives.” by Jo Ann Mitchell Brasington ’89
(Below left) Bonner Scholars prepare for their work with Christmas in Action. (Below) Members of the Bonner Scholars Class of 2012.
Energy & the Environment Health & Healthy Living Poverty Reduction & Alleviation Diversity & Pluralism
Winter 2011 • Wofford Today • 9