Lindsey Wilson University

Lindsey Wilson College Bonner Scholars Logged more than 3,800 Hours of Community Service in Fall Semester

COLUMBIA, Ky. – If the Bonner Scholars program helped attract Jaydelynn Woodall to Lindsey Wilson College, participating in the service-leadership program helped convince her that she had chosen to attend the right college.

Woodall is one of this year’s Lindsey Wilson Bonner Scholars, 30 students who are involved in leadership development and in service in the region.

“I’ve always served my community at home. Knowing that I could serve while I was at college was awesome,” said Woodall, who is a freshman from Somerset, Kentucky.

In fact, Woodall discovered her major through her work as a Bonner Scholar. Shortly after getting involved with the program, Woodall decided to become a human services major because of her work with area schoolchildren.

“I originally thought about being a teacher, but when I learned about other ways I can impact kids and their lives I realized that I wanted to work more on the mental side of education,” she said. “I’m very blessed and very fortunate to have what I do. Being a Bonner has taught me how to look at things differently.”

Having an impact is central to the Lindsey Wilson Bonner Scholars Program, according to Director of Civic Engagement, Student Leadership and the Bonner Scholar Program Kisha Burton.

“The Bonner Scholars Program is a program of impact,” said Burton. “Service is reciprocal in nature. Throughout their time in Bonner, students realize they receive as much as they give.”

Along with Bonner Assistant Director Yayi Sonnabend, Burton oversees the Bonner Scholars, who are working this school year with more than a dozen organizations in Southcentral Kentucky, known as community partners. During the 2024 fall semester, the Bonner Scholars combined to volunteer more than 3,800 hours at the organizations.

“The practical experience that the Bonner Scholars Program offers through its cohort-based internship model is invaluable to students as they approach graduation and enter the workforce, but it is also about all of the stories along the way,” said Burton. “The relationships our students form with one another, our community partners and the clientele of local nonprofits are a big part of the experience of being a Bonner Scholar. Those relationships can have such a profound impact on our Bonner Scholars, as well as our community partners.”

As Burton points out, one of the Bonner Scholars Program’s strengths is its developmental structure, which allows first-year students “to ease their way into direct service.”

“This way, they will develop their understanding of community engagement and service by stepping into leadership positions, challenging comfort zones by serving in other states and countries, and addressing change right in the community they call home as a Blue Raider,” she said.

Another one of the Bonner Scholar Program’s strengths is the diversity of its members. In addition to their community service, Bonner Scholars are also involved in athletics, student government, academic support, and the fine and performing arts.

“Students who are drawn to the Bonner Scholars Program are typically those who have a heart for service and change,” said Burton. “Of course we’re proud of their service, both to the campus and the larger community. But most of all, we’re proud of who our Bonner Scholars are as people and for accepting the call to serve others while managing everything else they are involved in – and doing so with grace and resilience.”

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