Bonner Associate Director to move on from CSB+SJU after eleven years

One of the original eight students in the Bonner Leader Program, Adia Zeman Theis, is leaving her position as the associate director of community leadership initiatives for the program, where she had been working for the past 11 years.

During her time at CSB+SJU, Theis also worked as assistant director of Experiential and Professional Development (XPD). After leaving her alma mater, she will be starting a new position with Iowa and Minnesota Campus Compact, as an Americorps Vista program manager. Iowa and Minnesota Campus Compact is a regional affiliate member of the National Campus Compact organization. The Bonner Leader Program’s mission is to educate and transform the lives of students, members and their community through the acts of service and leadership. The pilot program began in 2008 with eight students, one of them being Theis, and has continued to grow since.

Today, the program has 36 students from a variety of grade levels and majors. Students work at 15 different locations, completing more than 1,000 hours of service every year. The work study award offers a $2,500 scholarship for each year students are in the program. Theis participated in the Bonner Leader program all four years that she attended the institutions.

“The fact that she did go here and participate in this program allowed her to create such a community in this program that no one will ever be able to do,” SJU junior Wes Kirchner said.

Last year, the Bonner Leader Program gained permanent funding.

“Getting to continue working with this program and being a part of other students’ journeys has been an incredible privilege,” Theis said.

Working with these programs, specifically the Bonner Leader Program, Theis has connected with and helped many students. SJU junior Zachary Staver had nothing but positive things to say about Theis.

“One thing that is so nice and cool about Adia is that she knows so many people inside and outside of campus. She’s an ‘I know a guy’ type of person who has had so many connections, which is a great quality I’ve learned,” Staver said.

After announcing her departure at the last meeting, many students, faculty and supervisors verbalized their support and happiness for Theis.

“She lives her life as a servant leader, and I cannot wait to see the great things she does in this new position of work,” Kirchner said.

Theis hopes that these programs she has worked so hard on over the past decade continue to grow as well as all the students that come through the programs.

“I would not be the person I am today without having been a part of this program as a student and a professional,” Theis said. “I guarantee students have taught me more than I could have ever taught them, and I am a better person and professional because of it. I may be moving on to a new role, but I will always be a Bennie and Bonner.”