Leadership program hosts student exchange

On Saturday morning, CSB+SJU Bonner students welcomed students from Macalester to Collegeville for an annual student exchange.

Approximately 10-15 Macalester students joined a group of CSB+SJU Bonner students, primarily sophomores, for a day of learning from each other.

Bonner leaders chose to emphasize the unique environmental justice focused nature of CSB+SJU. Throughout the day, students tapped trees for syrup in the Arboretum, visited the Eco-House living learning community in Marmion House and toured the Full Circle Greenhouse.

“It was really all student led. The people who work with the OLC in Bonner helped with all that, showing us how to tap trees and how the syrup gets made,” said SJU sophomore and Bonner student Joe Fuller. “Everyone seemed pretty intrigued by all that, even me. I hadn’t done that before.”

At St. Ben’s and St. John’s, the Bonner Leadership Program has emerged as a community of student leaders committed to service, social justice and civic engagement.

Since its introduction at CSB+SJU in 2008, the Bonner Leader Program has grown steadily, welcoming students from diverse backgrounds, majors and grade levels. There are currently 36 students in the program.

Students in the Bonner Leader program at CSB+SJU engage in a variety of service activities, contributing over 1,000 hours of service annually to more than 15 different community organizations. From tutoring and mentoring youth to volunteering at local shelters and food banks, Bonner leaders play an active role in addressing critical social needs in the area.

Other Minnesota colleges also have Bonner programs, including Macalester and Augsburg. Each year, the Bonner program participates in a student exchange, when Bennies and Johnnies travel to other participating college campuses to learn about other community scholar programs.

“It was basically just a social time between two different Bonner groups to compare how we each do things,” Fuller said. “You get to meet a lot of new people.”

The impact of the Bonner Program extends beyond the hours of service logged by students. Through regular training sessions, reflection activities and mentorship opportunities, participants deepen their understanding of social issues, develop leadership skills and cultivate a strong sense of civic responsibility.

For many students at CSB+SJU, the Bonner Program serves as a catalyst for personal and professional growth.

“The most beneficial thing that the program brings to a student like me is the people I have encountered through my experience,” said junior Lydia Mattern, a member of the Bonner Program.

The relationships created through the Bonner Program extend beyond campus boundaries, fostering lifelong connections grounded in shared values and a commitment to the common good.

“I think the most beneficial part is just the environment that we create with each other. It’s a very open space and the people in Bonner are judgement free,” Fuller said. “We have meetings that feature polar opposite topics, like it can go from watching the Extending the Link premiere to an urbanization presentation led by a student.”

The Bonner Program at CSB+SJU provides financial support to students, offering work-study awards in addition to a renewable scholarship of $2,500 for all four years of participation. This financial assistance not only recognizes students’ dedication to service but also ensures that they can continue their educational journey while making a difference in their communities.

Beyond direct service, the Bonner program promotes a culture of academic excellence and intellectual inquiry. Through integrative experiences that combine coursework, research and community engagement, students gain valuable insights into complex social issues while developing innovative solutions to address them.

Looking ahead, CSB+SJU remains committed to expanding and strengthening the Bonner Program, creating new opportunities for students to engage meaningfully with local and global issues. By nurturing a culture of service and leadership, the program reinforces the institutions’ mission of holistic education and community engagement.

“We kind of just try to keep our face out there on campus and known a little bit. The people who want to know about it, know about it, and the people who don’t really have interest in it don’t pay attention to it,” Fuller said. “That would be a great thing to change in the future, but I think the people in it are there for a reason, and it’s a great thing.”