Bonner Leaders, Tiara Samuels and Brooke Sinyard, attended the Summer Leadership Institute (SLI) at Montclair State University in Montclair, NJ in May. Workshops at SLI provided a comprehensive and enriching curriculum for students, faculty and staff to develop and enhance their leadership skills through interactive activities and discussions. The conference and workshops were built on the Bonner Foundation common commitments of civic engagement, community building, diversity, international perspective, social justice, spiritual exploration and wellness.
Networking opportunities at SLI were also invaluable and fostered thinking creatively and ambitiously with more than 300 attendees from 58 colleges and universities. Attendee Brooke Sinyard stated, “Attending SLI at Montclair State University was an immensely beneficial experience as an Athens State University student. The program expanded my knowledge and skills while nurturing my passion for community leadership and human rights activism.”
The Bonner Leader Program is a nationally recognized fellowship program for students that have financial need, exhibit a capacity for leadership development and show an interest in community service. Bonner Leaders at Athens State University collectively logged 1,270 hours with their Community Learning Partners (CLP) in 2022-2023. A new cohort of Bonner Leaders will be selected this summer for service in 2023-2024 where they will join seven returning Bonner Leaders. Additional information about the program is available at www.athens.edu/bonner.
