Second-year students in the University of Lynchburg’s Bonner Leader Program met with Bonner Leaders from other Virginia universities on Feb. 7 and 8 for the annual Second-Year Exchange. The event was held at Eagle Eyrie, a local retreat center, and involved students from Lynchburg, Richmond, Emory & Henry, Averett, and Christopher Newport universities.
During Second-Year Exchange, the Bonners participated in breakout sessions and presented research on four issues: immigration, public health, environmental sustainability, and education.
Lynchburg’s Penelope Ayala ’27, an accounting major with a double minor in public relations and Latin American studies, researched immigration. A child of immigrants, she said the topic “interested me personally,” but she also wanted to “learn and hear the perspectives of the other students.”
The breakout sessions were facilitated by experts from the various issue areas. Dr. Nichole Sanders, who teaches Latin American history courses at Lynchburg, facilitated the discussion on immigration.
“The students are presenting the research and the experts are … facilitating the conversations, but they come with a deep knowledge about the issues,” Tasha Gillum, Lynchburg’s director of leadership development, said.
“They help draw some similarities. For example, what do immigration or environmental sustainability issues look like in Abingdon, where Emory & Henry is, or how is it similar at the University of Richmond?
“They help the students make connections around what these issues look like around the state and start thinking about things on a national policy level as well.”
For their presentations, the Bonners interviewed community partners “to really understand what that issue looks like in our community,” Gillum said, adding that Second-Year Exchange also gives students the opportunity to see Bonner at work on a larger scale.
“When they see the volume of what Bonner looks like here in Virginia, recognizing they’re not doing this work alone and kind of see the magnitude, they see the real impact of Bonner in our state,” she said.
“If you think of it happening in multiple states around the county, you can understand how pervasive Bonner’s impact is.”
During Second-Year Exchange, the students networked with other Bonners and talked about how the program operates on their campuses. “Each school is built differently, so Bonner doesn’t look the same from campus to campus,” Gillum said. “They enjoyed learning about that.”
Ayala described Second-Year Exchange as “super fun and engaging” and said she wished it lasted more than just two days.
“I was able to connect with different students from other campuses and felt overall more connected to the larger Bonner network,” she said. “In general, I feel that being a Bonner Leader has given me so many opportunities to grow personally and professionally.
“I used to be a very shy person that had a lot of thoughts, but [I] would keep them to myself. Through Bonner I have learned to speak up and be comfortable in sharing my thoughts.
“The Bonner experience has been so inviting and unique because I was able to instantly connect with students coming into my freshman year — not only to students my age but also to upperclassmen that were more than happy to mentor me.”
Ayala, communications intern in Lynchburg’s Bonner office, plans to work in the nonprofit sector after she graduates from Lynchburg, likely in an accounting role. She believes Bonner is already helping her realize that goal.
“It has helped me so much with professional skills, such as public speaking and developing meaningful relationships with those I work with,” she said. “I’m learning a lot about nonprofit work and volunteer coordination.
“I’m also learning about how much of an impact students have on the nonprofits in the area. This is important to me because I’m hoping to work in the nonprofit sector, specifically in the accounting side of it. Money moves, especially in the nonprofit world.”
