As a Siena Bonner, I complete 10 hours of service every week at a local non-profit. I love being able to serve my community and discover myself in the process. I'm blessed for all of the things that I have learned both about my community as well as myself. There are some of the things I have learned while being in the program at Siena so far

1. Non-profits are awesome

I serve at a local high school and I can say that the amount of work and time the staff put into the community is unbelievable. After my experiences, I even changed majors with the end goal of owning a non-profit in the future.

2. You have to set some goals.

At the beginning of the each semester, we all set goals for our sites as well as our academic life. It's a great reminder to challenge yourself and get the most out of your time at your placement. I normally write them out on a Post-It and place it on my desk so I look at it every day.

3. To be early is to be on time

This is a very common saying in the program. When you are early to something, it makes things run smoother and makes a good impression to the people you are working with.

4. Networking, Networking, Networking!

I'm naturally introverted so I would be too afraid to talk to people. During the freshman year, I was able to attend a networking mixer with some of the professors on campus as well as people who work in the nonprofit sector in the Capital Region. Since then, I always carry my business card in case I meet someone who wants to work with my site or wants to share their resouces. I also created a LinkedIn profile and was able to connect to someone who works at the Bonner Foundation.

5. You have to take care of yourself and that's okay.

I used to think that I can just serve and go to my classes and only relax during vacation. That caused me to burn out and shut down all the time. Now, I make sure that I plan an hour a day to do something for me like go to the gym, do a face mask and clean up my bullet journal so I can stay on top of things without having a complete breakdown.

6. You're not alone.

There were times when I wondered why I decided to do this program due to some personal things I was going through. Every time this happens, someone in the program would let me vent to them and do something to make me feel better. It can be driving to Dunkin' Donuts and get an iced coffee, trying out a new place nearby campus or playing around in the toy and bike section of WalMart. Our Bonner family will help you no matter what.

I can honestly say that this program holds a special place in my heart and my college experience would not be complete without it.

Interested in the Siena Bonner Program? Here's some more info for you.