Bonner Senior Presentations

Arraya Tull, Nate McManus, and Donzahniya Pitre

Location: Main Level Presentation Space • Time: 10:15-10:45 AM

Arraya and Nate: As Bonner Scholars & project coordinators, Nate McManus & Arraya Tull have encountered various challenges throughout their college career. From beginning as freshman in search of leadership to growing into leaders themselves in the community, the journey for both prove the true power of the bonner program. Raised in the city of Philadelphia, Arraya and Nate took their experiences with hunger and were able to connect them with the service done in Greensboro pertaining to food insecurity amongst veterans. This presentation allows for them to express their long and rewarding journey of growth amongst themselves and within the Bonner community.

Donzahniya: Donzahniya Pitre will be focusing on the highlights and challenges of her experiences within the Bonner program as well. She will also focus on her academic growth and how Bonner has shaped what she will do in society after graduating. Her education service work within her home community in Oakland, CA has played a significant role in the service she chose to focus on at Guilford.

Eliza Stevenson, Marimar Mantuano, Isabel Gutierrez

Location: Main Level Presentation Space • Time: 10:45-11:15 AM

Eliza: This presentation will discuss work Eliza has done in the realms of environmental/food justice and reproductive/gender justice, including an internship with the National Parks and coordinating the YWCA program for two years. In light of her experience in Bonner, Eliza will explore the differences between ‘interdisciplinary’ and ‘intersectionality’ and the important distinction between these lenses and their importance to her understanding of social justice.

Marimar: A recent study (Mantuano, 2017) showed that Guilford English Language Learners (ELL) college students report higher levels of self-esteem than Guilford English-native-speaker college students. This current research project investigated reasons why ELL students report such levels of self-esteem among the immigrant and refugee community. My service learning experience with Bonner has encouraged me, and provided the resources to develop this research along with the Education Studies Department.

Isa: I will touch on various aspects of my life that Bonner helped me improve on. As a chemistry major, I was unsure of a path that could connect all my passions until I worked at the farm. There I learned more about food production, farmworkers rights, and issues regarding food scarcity. As part of Project Community, I gained skills that helped me in other areas of personal growth such as academics, athletics and interpersonal relations. I have also worked with tutoring sites that have assured me that science is my passion.

Hector Suarez, Sav Dew, and Jamie Skjoldager

Location: Main Level Presentation Space • Time: 11:30 AM-12:00 PM

Hector: How are you able to work under societal expectations? My name is Hector Rivera Suarez, and today I will be presenting a culmination of the work that I have done the past three years at Guilford College. This work will range from the service that I have done through Bonner, to the service that I have done to impact my community here on campus. It wasn’t always easy when you constantly hear microaggressions, but nonetheless it is possible. I will talk about how that was possible for me.

Sav: Working with New Communion over the last 2 years, I have seen what separates beneficial community engagement practices from toxic acts of charity. To understand the difference, the first step is acknowledging we cannot just “serve” communities as a good deed or show of character. The second step is knowing that there are no quick fixes. To address issues associated with food insecurity, you must understand these issues are systemically rooted and will take time to solve.

Jamie: This presentation will look at the importance of service-learning in an academic setting. After describing her work at Ashton Woods tutoring, Mobile Market, and youth leadership and diversity organizations, Jamie will share her experience of facilitating trusting and open environments within the stress of everyday life. Jamie will discuss the larger oppressive contexts in which these communities resist, share personal challenges, and discuss why this work is necessary.

H'Lois Mlo, Risuin Ksor, Jose Bernal Munoz

Location: Main Level Presentation Space • Time: 12:00-12:30 PM

H’lois: I am the first person from my family to go to college the encouragement from my two Montagnard refugee parents (the indigenous people of Central Vietnam) from the Ede tribe. I am a community activist working with community members who often need help in the basics of understanding American life, like learning to speak and read English. I have been involved in many projects to empower refugee, immigrant and minority youth that reflect the principles and values I learned from Guilford and the Bonner program.

Risuin: The Bonner program provides an opportunity to explore and grow from our community service learning work. Over the past four years, we have discovered ourselves in becoming leader to our community and have the opportunity to serve as role models. Our group has focused on serving the refugee and immigrant population in the triad. It is also a main sources of network that the Bonner Scholar exposed to with their involvement with different organization.

Jose: Jose’s presentation will discuss the work he has done in the realms of immigration policy and rights development, including his internship with American Friends Service Committee and as the Immigrant Assistance and Resource Center Program Manager at FaithAction International House. Using his experiences as a Bonner Scholar and in working directly with the local immigrant and refugee communities, Jose will shed light onto the stark reality many immigrants and refugees have to endure locally and nationally. He will also explore the importance of advocating and serving immigrant and refugee communities. Jose will draw upon his advocacy work for immigrant rights and overseeing the daily needs of the Immigrant Assistance Center, and the services he provides through case management to help clients with food, housing, healthcare, detention and deportation guidance, domestic violence assistance, as well as employment readiness needs and teaching ESOL classes.