{"id":14130,"date":"2025-11-19T16:09:35","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T16:09:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/?p=14130"},"modified":"2026-02-23T19:13:34","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T19:13:34","slug":"community-building-in-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/2025\/11\/19\/community-building-in-action\/","title":{"rendered":"Community building in action"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Current students from across campus model for photos promoting ShareShop. (Photos by Braden Williams ’26<\/b>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Camera lights flashed. Augsburg students struck modeling poses, alternating between runway-approved stoicism and wide grins. As each image appeared on the camera\u2019s digital screen, the clothing they wore looked good.<\/p>\n

Really good.<\/p>\n

Lee\u2019RayVone G\u2019everdloaahn \u201926<\/strong> smiled wider than anyone as the reality of months of work was being realized in front of him. The smile was well-earned: He had spent much of his junior year creating connections with organizations across campus in support of Augsburg\u2019s ShareShop<\/a>, an on-campus resource that repurposes clothing, household goods, and other necessities for students for free.<\/p>\n

As part of that work, G\u2019everdloaahn discovered that many students assumed the ShareShop\u2019s clothing was too low-quality for them to add to their wardrobe. To ensure students understood that wasn\u2019t the case, G\u2019everdloaahn created the modeling program, showcasing members of the campus community in fresh looks from the ShareShop.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing everything come together was very fulfilling,\u201d he said. \u201cThe whole experience with the ShareShop showed me how well I can lead and how much I can give back if I\u2019m given the opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Person
Beti Milashu ’27<\/b> works at her Bonner placement, Sisterhood Boutique, just across Riverside Avenue from Augsburg. (Photo by Courtney Perry)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s also a shining example of the kinds of experiences dozens of Augsburg students have each year as part of the Bonner Community Leaders program<\/a>. Augsburg transitioned in 2023 from the Leaders for Equity, Action, and Democracy (LEAD) Fellows program to Bonner, which is part of a national network of colleges and universities<\/a> that work on campuses and with local community partners on a wide range of issues.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a wonderful, two-sided kind of impact: the impact on the student and the impact on the community,\u201d said Coral Ramos<\/strong>, Bonner\u2019s program manager at Augsburg. \u201cFor students, they\u2019re able to have a group of peers who care and are making time for doing things on and off campus that relate to helping and engaging with the community. Through that, students can learn new things or deepen their knowledge. And the people we work with outside Augsburg gain a dedicated young person giving their energy and time to improving their local community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Four years of growth<\/h2>\n

The journey from Puerto Rico to Minneapolis is a little over 2,400 miles. During her first year at Augsburg, Genesis Loza \u201927<\/strong> said the distance often felt longer\u2014that is, until her roommate mentioned the Bonner program. Intrigued, Loza dug deeper, discovering a ring of familiarity with her home culture.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo much of what I was raised with in my country and family is similar to what you do with Bonner. You get to work with the community, exploring and investing in the area you\u2019re part of,\u201d Loza said.<\/p>\n

Now in her third year in Bonner, Loza has invested not only in the community but in her own development as a leader. Her experience with 826 MSP\u2019s after school program exemplifies why Bonner has been and remains such a strong realization of the university\u2019s mission to educate students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. Bonner sits at the intersection of all those outcomes.<\/p>\n

\"Person
Teresa Kemp ’25<\/b> presents at Zyzzogeton. (Courtesy photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all about you wanting to better yourself and your community. You commit fully to gain an experience that you won\u2019t forget,\u201d said Teresa Kemp \u201925<\/strong>, who recently partnered with the Brian Coyle Community Center in Minneapolis. \u201cThe possibilities for friendships and connections that you wouldn\u2019t have gotten any other way are huge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bonner students generally start in their first year at Augsburg and go through a cornerstone activity each year: a first-year trip to places like Chicago; a second-year exchange with Bonner students at other colleges and universities; a third-year leadership experience; and a senior capstone. Through it all, selected students\u2014who typically come from lower-income or first-generation backgrounds\u2014are paid to partner and work with a wide range of campus and community organizations.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to show up on the regular, do whatever needs to be done, and be willing to share not just your skills but some of who you are. Learning will happen in that process, no matter what,\u201d said Jenean Gilmer<\/strong>, program manager for community engaged education, who said Bonner stands on a decades-long foundation of community partnership between Augsburg and the surrounding Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. \u201cSo much of this kind of experiential learning is about feelings and relationships. It requires flexibility and openness, authenticity, and being clear about what you have to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Supporting students in their development of that authenticity is part of regular meetings and touchpoints for the Bonner students on campus, Ramos said. The program\u2019s cohort model and intentional community-building help students build a tight-knit network of friendships and professional relationships, as well as leadership skills.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was such a supportive group, especially for me when I first got there,\u201d Kemp said. \u201cTransferring in as an older student, it was hard to make connections. I was fortunate in the Bonner program: Everyone was so welcoming, open, and wanting to learn from each other. It helped me settle in at Augsburg and became a community I really relied on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those communities extend beyond Augsburg and Cedar-Riverside as well: As a national organization, Bonner connects students in its programs to institutions throughout Minnesota and the United States, especially during the sophomore year exchange. And with opportunities like Bonner Congress in Chicago, where case studies and solutions to community challenges are presented and studied, students widen their networks and broaden their ideas.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe range of opportunities and experiences you can have as a Bonner student are pretty amazing,\u201d Loza said.<\/p>\n

\u2018So much more than that\u2019<\/h2>\n

Back on campus during his senior year, G\u2019everdloaahn appreciates the opportunity to talk about the value of his experience with Bonner. In fact, it\u2019s at the heart of his senior capstone experience. As a student programming assistant with Bonner, G\u2019everdloaahn is building on his own experiences to help shape even better ones for those coming after him.<\/p>\n

\"A
Bonner students visit the Longfellow Community Council to learn how the nonprofit’s placement student, Yanis Matan ’26<\/b>, is making an impact within the community. (Photo by Hayley Selinski)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve just started the Bonner Families program this year, where we\u2019re funding three Bonner student leaders to guide their fellow students through their experiences,\u201d G\u2019everdloaahn said. \u201cI\u2019m really excited to see how we can help students connect even more deeply.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe energy of where we\u2019re at [as a program] and where we\u2019re going is really exciting,\u201d Ramos added.<\/p>\n

As G\u2019everdloaahn nears the end of his four years of growth as a Bonner student, his leadership skills, community network, and set of formative experiences have grown. His perspective, too, has grown.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I first learned about and joined Bonner, I essentially just thought it was a job. I didn\u2019t realize it was so much more than that,\u201d he said. \u201cNow I\u2019m doing everything I can to help other students and the rest of our community know it, too. Bonner has exceeded all my hopes and expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Top image: Genesis Loza ’27<\/strong>, Lee\u2019RayVone G\u2019everdloaahn ’26<\/strong>, and Beti Milashu ’27<\/strong> attend their Bonner Leadership Team meeting. (Photo by Courtney Perry)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Camera lights flashed. Augsburg students struck modeling poses, alternating between runway-approved stoicism and wide grins. As each image appeared on the camera\u2019s digital screen, the clothing they wore looked good. Really good. Lee\u2019RayVone G\u2019everdloaahn \u201926 smiled wider than anyone as the reality of months of work was being realized in front of him. The smile <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":588,"featured_media":14134,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-stories"],"wps_subtitle":"The Bonner Community Leaders program helps develop Augsburg students into leaders as they grow with local community partners. ","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/588"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14130"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14130\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14148,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14130\/revisions\/14148"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14134"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}