Bonner Growing

A Blog By James Agee

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Saturday Session - April 20, 2013

Yesterday was the Saturday Session for April for the Upward Bound program. The day started off with a very long bus ride because we needed to stop at multiple locations throughout Mercer County to pick up students from all of the schools. Three busses went and the bus that I was on had 28 students total on it along with us volunteers and two Upward Bound employees. My function would be to help chaperone all of the students, there were over 80 students total, so I was glad to be able to help.

Our first stop on the trip was West Virginia State University. Once we arrived, we were a little late, the staff gave us all a quick tour of the campus and explained details about the academics of the school to the students that were with us on the trip. Some of them seemed very interested in the college, they were asking questions about the cost of attendance and specific programs that they hoped to participate in. I think the trip to the college was very beneficial. It was also nice that the day was warm outside!

After the tour of the university, we took the students to the West Virginia State Capitol. We parked in front of the Governor's Mansion and then walked to the capitol. Some of the students picked to go to the cultural center instead of the capitol, but I went with the group that picked the capitol because some of them had never been there and I wanted to see their reaction to it. Since we have such a beautiful capitol, I was not surprised that the students who had never seen it were amazed. They really seemed to enjoy getting to learn about our states history and explore the marble halls of our state capitol.

Finally, to finish off the day, we took the students to the Charleston Town Center Mall and gave them two hours to spend there. Surprisingly, a lot of them had never been their either. I was excited for the students to get to experience some of what our state capitol has to offer, especially for the students who had never been to Charleston before in their lives. Upward Bound is such a great program and it allows students the opportunity to learn, experience culture, and further their educations in a way that they can relate to. I am glad to be a part of their volunteer workers and look forward to the future working with Upward Bound and their amazing students.

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Public Speaking Bonner Meeting

Moments ago I was at a training and enrichment activity for the Bonner Program. We all were told at the last Bonner meeting to prepare a 2-3 minute speech on something pertaining to Bonner.

Everyone did a fantastic job at presenting their speeches and I feel like it was a great opportunity to get to know some of the other Bonner Scholars more. I had to go first since my last name made me first alphabetically and I think what I learnt most about myself while giving the speech was that I need to relax more when speaking in public.

I got the point across that I wanted to make, but it was a little rushed. I think that this meeting has helped me to learn what I need to do better on when speaking in public. The great part though is that it was in front of a fantastic group of people who are super supportive, that's one of the best things about Bonner!

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A Lecture On Homelessness

This evening everyone on campus was given the opportunity to attend a lecture (presentation) on what it is like to be homeless. Two of the speakers had previously been homeless, so they were speaking from experience.

When we first walked into the room the main thing that we all noticed was the cardboard signs that were everywhere. I think that was a neat way to get facts and information across that was not only affordable, but related to the idea of homelessness.

The two speakers were fantastic at what they did. I probably could not have spoken better to an audience of strangers than they did. The woman there said that she always dreamed of being an actress, and I am honestly surprised that she isn't one, she had a brilliant personality and was very entertaining to listen to!

The man that spoke about his experiences with homelessness was also very likable and was relatable as well. These were just normal people like you and me who had fallen upon hard times. I was glad to have gotten to go to this presentation because it only helped confirm what I saw and experienced in Asheville, NC. Homeless people are NOT like the stereotypes portrayed in mass media, they are just like you and me.

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Reflecting On The Weather & Other Things

The other day while I was at the Upward Bound offices it started to rain. For some reason, this triggered memories from the trip that I took to Asheville, NC. I started thinking about how someone, somewhere, is out in that rain and they don't have anywhere to go.

It's a sad thought, but the people that I met in Asheville that were homeless had very little that they owned, some of them didn't have anything at all. While I was thinking about the homeless people that I had the oppertunity to meet while I was there, I also though of the homeless people that must live in my area.

It's true that you rarely see a homeless person where I live and go to school, but is that because we choose not to see it? I'm not talking about seeing a person that is homeless and you know it but choose to ignore the fact, I am talking about the people that we see and maybe even know who are homeless but don't make it known.

I was just thinking about these things and it bothers me to know that there are homeless people out there who have to endure the bad weather among other hardships that most of us cannot even begin to imagine. It helps to know that there are good people in the world who are working to end homelessness and help those in need.

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Alternative Spring Break 2013 - Volunteer Day 4

Today we worked with an organization that aims to help provide housing for the homeless by setting them up in apartments throughout the city and surrounding areas. It was a really special day because this was their 500th person that they have helped find a home! What a milestone!

When we first arrived they showed us around their facilities and explained the work that they do. After that we went to their storage facilities and picked out furniture to put in his apartment. The local news was there to help celebrate this momentous occasion and we had his new place furnished in no time!

After getting his apartment set up, we got to meet him. He shook all of our hands and said "Thank You!". He was such a nice person and it was great to get to help him out! After that we went to a local church and had a community dinner. The homeless and people who weren't homeless all came and ate at the same tables. Differences were forgotten and connections were made.

It was a brilliant opportunity and I am so happy to have been given the chance to be a part of it all! Alternative Spring Break in Asheville, NC was an experience that will stick with me for the rest of my life.

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Alternative Spring Break 2013 - Volunteer Day 3

Today we did service work at the ABCCM Crisis Ministry. The different types of services that they offer are lunches, food boxes, clothing, and other assistance to the homeless or in need. When we first arrived we were greeted by some old women who work there on a regular basis. They were so excited to see all of us!

I expected the food to be plain white bread and bologna sandwiches, that sort of thing, but I was pleasantly surprised that the food was all very good quality and tasted great! For the first portion of the day my group cut bread into portions and bagged baked goods for the bread cart that sits in the lobby. There was so much bread! It was amazing to see that Panera Bread and Earth Fare had donated very large quantities of baked goods. I understand that they would just throw the food away if they did not donate it, but still it is nice of them to donate it.

We had lunch with the women who worked there and lunch consisted of a variety of wraps, soup, salad, and a very nice selection of desserts! The food tasted great! The regular volunteers are very resourceful because when they were running low on salad dressings they just mixed them all together and made a new flavor! There were mixed reactions to the taste, haha.

After lunch I helped put sugar into individual containers, dog and cat food into their own containers, and stock the bread cart. The bread seemed to come in a never-ending flow, which was awesome. When I took the bread out to the bread cart, I took a few Panera Bread cookies out too and asked a woman if she would like one. She got so giddy (believe me, giddy is the proper term to use here) when I asked her, she giggled and said "I love cookies!".

The people in the lobby were seriously grateful for all of the food and support at ABCCM provides them. It is a miraculous place that I hope continues to serve Asheville for as long as possible, other areas in the USA and the world should follow their example and serve with joyful spirits!

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Alternative Spring Break 2013 - Volunteer Day 2

Today we worked with a Non-Profit by the name of Veterans Restoration Quarters. It is based in what used to be a hotel (they said that Elvis would stay there back in the day). When we first arrived we were presented with a few different things to work on. First, everyone helped move everything out of one of the rooms so that it could be remodeled. There was not too much to move because the residents there are rebuilding their lives and therefore they didn't have too many personal belongings.

After that, a few people (including me) worked on reorganizing the shed that is located near their gardens. Everything was a bit sloppy when we got there at the shed, but after a little reorganizing, straightening, and cleaning, it looked really nice. That did not take as long as we had thought that it would, so the next task was close to follow.

We took a break for lunch and ate with the veterans. Lunch was just a sandwich and a salad if you wanted one, I was ok with it, but it made me think about what the veterans have to eat every day. These are people who served our country and have basically been left to fend for themselves, they should be eating five star meals every day of their lives, yet they were happy to get in line and get a turkey sandwich and side salad for lunch.

Finally, we worked on cleaning every window in the entire complex! It sounds like a lot to take on, but when you have a large group it doesn't take as long as you might think. Occasionally one of the residents would open their door to see what was going on outside where we were cleaning the windows and they would talk to us a little bit.

It was just a great opportunity to serve a group of people who at one time in their lives put their own lives on the line to help preserve our freedom. I am just grateful that there are places like the one we visited today, I just wish they were better taken care of by our country because it seemed wrong in many ways for them to be living in an old hotel when they are heros.

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Alternative Spring Break 2013 - Volunteer Day 1

Today we worked with a really cool community group here in Asheville, NC. The place worked in the community of Emma helps feed the locals and provide fresh food for them. The idea behind our work today was to provide a strong foundation for their future work. For example, many of us worked on getting the garden ready for planting, which I believe is what they are going to do tomorrow, and then the rest of us helped out clearing off the nature trail. One girl even helped repaint the sign! It was really cool how every person played a part in the overall scheme of things.

I worked on clearing off the nature trail. It was completely covered in dead leaves, thorn bushes, fallen branches, etc. and as you can imagine, that is not place for an Elementary school student to be walking. They use the trail to teach the children about nature and science, it's a brilliant idea and I am sure that the kids love getting to go outside! By the time we finished the trail was cleared off completely, briars and thorns gone, and fallen branches removed, it looked really nice! My group consisted of three to four people, and luckily we were all very passionate about the work that we were doing. It's inspiring to be around like minded people.

In between the work we got to learn about the organization, what they do, how it is run, that sort of thing. The idea is that we will not only serve while we're here, but we will gain a deeper understanding and knowledge of what community service really is. The place that we worked at today was one of my favorite places that I have volunteered. I am usually not a fan of being outdoors and that sort of thing, but it was so much fun and working with my group made the time fly by. Before I knew it, we were having lunch, the next time I turn around we're ready to go. We worked most of the day, but it was truly an enjoyable experience knowing that the work that we did will be enjoyed by children for a long time to come.

Alternative Spring Break 2013 - Day 1 - Mission Accomplished! :)

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The Human Experience

Yesterday evening everyone in Bonner was invited to watch the documentary, The Human Experience. The movie was about these two brothers who go on a journey that leads them different places, in an effort to discover what life is about and uncover some of life's biggest questions.

I really enjoyed the movie. I always love learning about other cultures and how people are trying to help those in need. It was very insightful and for me it confirmed that I am doing what I am ment to be doing. I am a Christian, and I feel like my faith has guided me through life and that if I follow that then I will have served a purpose that is far greater than myself alone.

The movie was very well put together and it is something that I think everyone should see at least once in the lifetime. It really made you stop and think about how lucky you are, even when things seem tough there's always someone else who has it worse than you. It was a brilliant film and I am glad that I got the opportunity to view it.

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Saturday Session - Feb 16, 2013

Recently I worked with Upward Bound, my primary volunteer site, as a volunteer for their Saturday Session. I remember Upward Bound coming to my school when I was in high school, but for some reason I never participated in it and now I really wish that I had. It is a great thing to be a part of and I just count myself lucky that I am able to help them at their Saturday Sessions.

The day started out quiet but did not end that way. Once the students arrived I could see that they were clearly excited to be there. I loved seeing them so determined to fill out their FASFA's and learn more about going to college or seeking a higher form of education after high school. There were even a few of the students who said that they wanted to attend school at Concord University after they graduate high school, how great!

After a morning filled with informative lectures and computer tutorials on how to use educational resources online, we took the students to the cafeteria for dinner. I am used to eating in the cafeteria, so I don't get too excited when I go there, but the students really enjoyed the food! I was happy to find that all of the students that I spoke to were very polite and eager to ask questions about what college was "really" like!

One really cool thing I noticed as we were waiting for the cafeteria to open, was that there were a lot of students with novels and books reading them. I love to read myself and am going to become an English Teacher because of my love for literature, so it was great to see so many high school students reading because that is something that they enjoy.

After dinner the students got to enjoy the Concord University basketball game that night. It was a great game and the students took that time to communicate with me and the other staff and volunteers and ask questions. Unfortunately, one of the students fell off of the stands and had to be taken to the emergency room, I hear she is doing find though, so that's great news!

Overall, the Saturday Session was a great opportunity for me to further grow in my communication skills that will be vital when I begin teaching, and to help high school students in their pursuit of higher education! 

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SOWK 350 Projects

I just want to elaborate on how I feel about the projects that we have been doing in my Social Work 350 class. We each had chosen a topic and within our small groups we made a presentation on that topic to better inform the class about the issues pertaining to it. I honestly have one thing to say about this...I absolutely loved it! Each and every presentation that I have seen up to this point has been amazing!

Now, I am not saying all of them were spectacular in appearance and aesthetic wise, but the fact that we all got the opportunity to talk about something that means a lot to us and share that passion for helping with everyone else in the class was a great experience. I myself, will admit that sometimes it is hard to see the bigger picture when it comes to service and volunteer work. Sometimes it feels like you aren't making a difference and if you are that it is so small that nobody will notice. With the projects in my class, we were all able to get a look at the grand scheme of things, put in our opinions, and discuss the issues as a class. 

My favorite part is that the class gets to say how they feel about the issue. It truly gives everyone an opportunity to be herd. I can truly say that I learnt many things myself from seeing everyone else's projects, I now feel differently about a few of the topics, and I got a perspective on things that I might never have gotten if it were not for the presentations everyone has given in my Social Work 350 class! It not only showed how passionate everyone is about service work, but it showed our unity as volunteers and how we are all working towards a bigger picture!

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It Sometimes Rains On Those Who Volunteer

It was an awfully gloomy day here on campus. It was dark and rainy. Alicia and I decided to go to the Gear Up office to see how we could help out, we are all about helping! We herd that they had some paper work that they really needed done, so we figured that we would walk to their office and help them out. The Gear Up office is about a ten minute

walk from my room here on campus, probably less than that, so it isn't very far. Still, when you are in the rain, I think everything takes about five times longer, even walking. I actually wore shoes today, I usually go with flip-flops, so I didn't have to worry about my feet getting too wet, Alicia on the other hand wore open toed dress shoes...not a good idea. Instead of walking, I think she was swimming. Her shoes were throwing out water with every step she took, she wasn't too thrilled with that.

Once we get over to the office, we realize that the people who are usually there don't have their cars in the parking lot...perhaps they were not there? They weren't. I do not blame them because none of us really got together on a specific time to come and help out with paperwork, so I suppose Alicia and I were partially to blame. We didn't get to help out, but we did get soaking wet!!! When I got back to my room, I realized that even though I didn't wear flip-flops, my pants had gotten so wet from puddles of rain that my feet were still wet. I am not a fan of the rain, now the snow, I love the snow, but this was rain. Either way me and Alicia learnt one valuable lesson today...It sometimes rains on those who volunteer. 

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Zoya Naumchik At The RiffRaff

I met Zoya Naumchik a few weeks ago at lunch one day. She started talking about how she loves to sing and perform Christian music, and I began discussing with her that I work with The RiffRaff where people are more than welcome to perform. Soon after I was organizing a concert for Zoya and that show happened to be last night. It was an amazing experience getting to work with someone from school and involve them with the work that The RiffRaff does. Her parents drove all the way from Ohio for the show and brought lots of food for everyone! Tickets were only $7 and the money helped benefit The RiffRaff Arts Collective, and of course food and drinks were included, so it was a great deal! Unfortunately only a few people from the school showed up, but we had a great turnout and everyone there enjoyed the show! Many of the people there have spoken with me since the show and told me how inspired they were now because of her talent and musical skill. 

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Sun Valley Elementary Fall Festival

I went with one of the UNiversity 100 classes on campus recently to a fall festival at Sun Valley Elementary. I was surprised to see all of the people that went, there were so many volunteers there, even though only two were Bonner Scholars, there was still an amazing turnout including the University 100 class that went. 

When we arrived we were greeted by the person selling tickets and told that we would be assigned a work station for the night shortly. When they asked who would like to be over a game that they needed someone to run, I was more than excited to help out. The game was called the Key Game but the children who played it refereed to it was the "Magic Key Game".

They would pay two tickets, choose three keys from a box of keys, and try to open the door to a classroom with the three keys. If they won they got two pieces of candy, and if they lost then they got one. As the night went on and we realized we had an excess of candy we started giving them TWO HANDFULS of candy if they won and ONE HANDFUL if they lost, now that's my kind of game! It was win-win, which in my opinion is the best kind of game for children, nobody likes to lose, especially not a kid!

After a few of the ring leader kids there played the game they had to go tell all of their friends which key it was, of course it was all in good fun so I didn't really mind. There were kids from the ages of 2 to 8 playing the game, and I was actually surprised at the smaller ones and how smart they were in relation to choosing the right key. 

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Post Secret Posted

After working all week with the Post Secret booth, we had collected a very large number of post cards! It was most definitely a success. I feel that it allowed many people to say things that they needed to get out there, but probably had no other way of doing so. It was interesting to see the different designs that people made in regards to their secrets, it helped bring them to life more than just putting words on a piece of paper. Wether or not everyone added illustrations to go along with their secret, it was nice to see that so many people benefited from the project.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret of my own, the one in the image above that is in purple, that was mine, and the one beside of it was my envelope. I know everyone suspected it was someone in the Bonner Scholars Program, but only those reading this will truly ever know. I actually do love being in Bonner as my post card says, it has given me the opportunity to participate in events like Post Secret, meet new people, and gain a brand new perspective on the different aspects of my life. Overall, Post Secret was amazing and I look forward to next years!

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Make A Difference Day

Today was Make A Difference Day for the entire Concord University community and I volunteered at Pipestem to help them get things ready for their guest this fall season. Basically my group raked leaves from the paths and then we used shovels to make the paths more stable and accessible. While it was quite a bit of hard work, we all had fun and it felt rewarding to know that we really did make a difference. I have never really helped on the other end of things at a state park. I have always enjoyed visiting them and taking in the natural scenery, but to have to do the work that allows the public to enjoy the park, it was a very cool experience. 

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Post Secret

Today I helped out at the Post Secret booth for Bonner in the student center. I grabbed a Columbian Coffee from Starbucks and went over to the booth prepared for the project. I love the entire concept of Post Secret, how you can share something very personal and nobody ever know that it was you. It gives the person a chance to get their problem out there without everyone having to know that it's directly their problem. 

During the time that I was there about 10 people came by to get a postcard to write their secret on. We made the whole process simple by even having postage paid for. Who doesn't love prepaid postage? Some people were apprehensive about the idea of letting their secrets out, even anonymously, but I completely understood. I intend on writing a secret or two of my own on one of those postcards and sending it in. We all have secrets, no matter how big or how small, but the goal is getting them out there and knowing that someone really cares about them.