For immediate use
Campus Y announces 2014-2015 Bonner Leaders
(Chapel Hill, N.C. – Sept. 23, 2014) – The Campus Y at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announces thirteen students who have been selected for the 2014-2015 Bonner Leaders Program. The Bonner Leaders Program leverages federal work-study awards earmarked for community service to support students interested in transformative work in the community, enabling more students regardless of socioeconomic background to connect their academics with their passion to create social change.
Students in the Bonner Leaders Program commit to intensive and sustained community service, complemented by training and enrichment activities that lead to rising levels of civic engagement. As members of the Campus Y, the Bonner Leaders have access to capacity-building workshops, lectures, and a network of alumni and community partners that support their ability to orchestrate sustainable social justice initiatives. The Bonner network currently encompasses more than 80 colleges and universities and supports more than 3,200 students.
2014-15 BONNER LEADERS BY N.C. COUNTY
Caldwell
Travis St. Brice of Hudson graduated from South Caldwell High School. During his junior and senior years, Travis served as both the Beta Club vice-president and the student council vice-president and built an outdoor classroom for a local elementary school. As a Bonner Leader, he will be working with Farmer Foodshare to increase access to fresh, healthy, local food in the greater UNC community.
Duplin
Destinie Pittman of Rose Hill graduated from Wallace-Rose Hill High School. As a senior, Destinie tutored students in a local community center, served in student government, and volunteered to share her musical talents with assisted living home residents. As a Bonner Leader, Destinie will be working with the Jackson Center, assisting with a food bank, archiving oral histories, and assisting with Youth Fusion Radio.
Forsyth
Deanelle Thompson of Winston-Salem graduated from Parkland Magnet High School. As a senior, Deanelle served for the National Honors Society, volunteered at a local food bank, raised money to fight diabetes, and served as a student representative for her school’s Parent Teacher Student Association. As a Bonner Leader, she will be working with the Rogers-Eubanks Neighborhood Association (RENA) in their after-school tutoring program.
Gaston
Erica Elliot of Gastonia graduated from Ashbrook High School. She has organized efforts to lift spirits during the holidays by bringing treats to assisted living homes. She has worked with youth through Holy Angels, and she created an international sidewalk at her school. As a Bonner Leader, she will be working with the Student Coalition for Action in Literacy Education (SCALE) to promote literacy in the community.
Guilford
Oluseun (Seun) Omitoogun of Greensboro graduated from The Early College at Guilford. During high school, Seun served as Student Council President, volunteered to empower and inspire local youth, and assisted in a recovery center for veterans. As a Bonner Leader, she will be working with Volunteers for Youth’s mentoring programs.
Tiffany Turner of Greensboro graduated from Grimsley Senior High School. During her high school career, she assisted in a wide variety of service projects through Teens Active in Greensboro Service and served as secretary for a local literacy advocacy group. She will be working with TABLE as a Bonner Leader, to provide food aid to hungry children in the Chapel Hill area.
Mecklenberg
Alaowei Amanah of Charlotte graduated from East Mecklenberg High School. During his senior year, Alaowei interned with the local police, helped educate his community about the importance of dental hygiene, and volunteered for the Crisis Assistance Ministry. As a Bonner Leader, he will be working with local nonprofit EmPOWERment, Inc. to address housing concerns in the greater UNC community.
Kamille Vargas of Charlotte graduated from Myers Park High School. As a senior at Myers, she donated many hours of service to a wide variety of local causes, including the Ronald McDonald House, Centro Medico, and the Jewish Community Center. As a Bonner Leader, Kamille will be working at the Hargraves Center, assisting with afterschool programs for local students.
Pitt
Caroline Owens of Greenville graduated from D.H. Conley High School. As president of Mu Alpha Theta, Caroline organized food drives and donated her time to help students in need of tutoring to attain mastery of math concepts. As a Bonner Leader, she will be working with Farmer Foodshare to increase access to fresh, healthy, local food in the greater UNC community.
Wake
James Street of Fuquay-Varina graduated from Fuquay-Varina High School. As a senior, James served as president of the National Achievers Society, vice-president of the National Honor Society, and he founded his school’s Relay for Life team. As a Bonner Leader, he will be working with Sacrificial Poets to promote literacy and self-expression for the youth of North Carolina.
Out-of-State
Aryana Bolourian of Bethesda, Maryland, graduated from Walt Whitman High School. Among other things, Aryana has worked as a tutor, raised money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and even danced to fight Leukemia. As a Bonner Leader, she will be working with the Rogers-Eubanks Neighborhood Association (RENA) in their after school tutoring program.
Kalli Bunch of Richmond, Virginia, graduated from Atkins Academic & Technology High School. As a senior, Kalli served as co-chair of the Public Relations department of the Winston-Salem Youth Advisory Council, worked in a community garden, and organized holiday food drives. Kalli was a recipient of a Global Gap Year Fellowship, and spent last year volunteering at Dya Nivasa, a center for women and children with disabilities in Sri Lanka. As a Bonner Leader, she will be working at the Human Rights Center, working with afterschool programs and helping immigrants build and connect to communities.
Alexander Peeples of Daphne, Alabama, graduated from the Alabama School of Math and Science. During high school, Alexander ran social media for a nonprofit against greyhound racing, and he also founded the Mobile Bay Biodiversity Education Initiative. As a Bonner Leader, he will be working with the Jackson Center, including assisting with a food bank, archiving oral histories, and contributing to Youth Fusion Radio.
-Carolina-
UNC-Chapel Hill Bonner Leaders Program: http://campus-y.unc.edu/get-involved/bonner-leaders-program
Campus Y contact: Richard Harrill, (919) 962-7535, rharrill@email.unc.edu
Bonner Leaders Program contact: Lucy Lewis, (919) 962-2084, bonnerleaders@unc.edu
Campus Y media contact: Tom Sowders, (919) 962-4506, tsowders@email.unc.edu
Communications and Public Affairs contact: Helen Buchanan, (919) 962-2092, helenb@unc.edu