Steph MangoldJunior Karen Bonin, an early childhood/elementary education major, recently received the Charles A. Mastronardi Service and Leadership Award. The award is given to students who are dedicated to community service and are leaders in the community who set a positive example for others.
Bonin was nominated by the Wolfington Center for this award and received it on Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Cabrini Day events. Another member of the Cabrini community, Josh Taggart, received this award for his work with the Wolfington Center and the Boarder Experience in Mexico this summer.
As a freshman, Bonin was looking for a work study job and it seemed like the Wolfington Center was the only place that was looking for people. “I never thought I would be this involved,” Bonin said. “But I encourage every one else to get involved and help others.”
Bonin is the community outreach student facilitator of the Wolfington Center, which means she assists people in all their community service projects. She works about 16 hours a week, plus any other work she does from her room, such as sending out additional e-mail or doing some more planning for events. While she is in the Wolfington Center, she helps assist in community projects, answers question for the people that come in, sends emails and makes flyers.
Education of the heart is really important to Bonin, who plans on being a teacher.
“Education of the heart is not only education but also your spirit,” Bonin said.
Community Outreach Saturday and Bonner Leaders are some of the activities that she is involved with. This semester she is working hard on two main projects. Christmas All Year, which she the facilitator for and the Hunger and Homelessness Campaign, which she is the co-chair of.
“Service is more than going to a soup kitchen, but to educate others on why there are soup kitchens and why people around the world are hungry and all the ways in which to help these people,” Bonin said.
The Boarder Experience is another program that she took part in. She traveled to Mexico where she stayed and interacted in shelters where people were trying to recover themselves economically, learned about how to make a budget for a family and helped to cook for her peers.
“It is truly a learning experience all about education of the heart, and I encourage other people to go on it,” Bonin said.
Posted to the web by Steph Mangold
