Bonner Leaders
The inaugural class of Naz students in the Bonner Leader Scholarship Program has explored identity, place, service, and solutions, through classes, team discussions, and weekly community engagement.
Sophia Duran
she/her
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Field: biomedical sciences
Interests: climate change, world hunger, education equity and accessibility, mental health
Naz community engagement: Sophia works as a tutor, mentor, and teaching assistant with kindergarteners at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School No. 9, a bilingual (English and Spanish) Rochester city school through Nazareth's Partners for Learning program. Sophia also serves as a project leader for Rochester's King for a Day, MLK Day of Action.
Christian David Cain
he/him
Hometown: Warners, NY
Field: social work
Naz community engagement: Christian works as a tutor, mentor and teacher's assistant in a kindergarten arts classroom at Rochester City School #42, the Abelard Reynolds School.
Salem Chilton
Ey/Em/Eirs, He/Him/His
Hometown: Duluth, Minnesota
Field: museums, archives, and public history
Interests: raising awareness on sex trafficking, queer rights, maintaining and preserving third-party spaces, local history
Naz community engagement: Salem set up booths and motivated walkers for this year's Walk With Willow, a fundraiser for Willow Domestic Violence Center. Integrating eirs connection to museums and libraries into eirs college experience, Salem hopes to promote access to information by partnering with local libraries.
Gabby Becerra
She/her
Hometown: Marcellus, NY
Field: musical theatre
Interests: Mental Health, Gender & LGBTQ+ Equity, and Cultural Exploration and Identity
Naz community engagement: Gabby is committed to growing a stronger voice and advocating for those who do not have a voice. One of the many “voices of the Bonner program” Gabby shared her insights at the campus MLK Commemoration and serves as the host for Rochester’s King for A Day, MLK Day of Action.
Devin Melendez
he/him
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Field: business
Interests: making an impact in minority communities and bringing more funds, gyms, businesses, and better streets and schools to smaller communities
Naz community engagement: Devin is exploring food insecurity by supporting the on-campus Oak Tree Food Pantry project and connecting with organizations in our community.
Emma Manley
she/her
Hometown: Brockport, NY
Field: communication sciences and disorders major; pre-audiology and dance minors
Interests: access to equitable education, access to language, LGTBQ rights
Naz community engagement: Emma is a leader for Alternative Breaks, leading an alt break to Chicago and a participant on an alt break to Washington, DC. Emma also works as a tutor, mentor, and Site Coordinator for Partners for Learning at the Discovery Charter School.
Gabbie Lawyerr
she/her
Hometown: Yonkers, NY
Field: inclusive adolescence education and history
Interests: education, history, cooking, travel, policy making, educational equality
Naz community engagement: Gabbie is a Site Coordinator with Nazareth's Partners for Learning program. She serves as a tutor, mentor, and teaching assistant with Rochester City School and she supports other Nazareth students as they connect with the community.
Grace Burkin
She/her
Hometown: Rochester, NY
Field: social work
Interests: mental health awareness, equal access to healthcare, education for people with disabilities
Naz community engagement: Grace is a peer mentor with LifePrep at Naz, a program designed to provide students with intellectual and developmental disabilities with a college experience, strengthening their life skills, vocational skills, self-sufficiency, and independence.
Sora Corman
she/her
Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Field: music therapy
Interests: providing support for queer and trans people and struggling women
Naz community engagement: Sora works with Nazareth's Atlas Center on campus, providing a space and programs welcoming to and inclusive of students, faculty, and staff across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. Sora also supports Interfaith dialogue and antiracist programs. Sora is a project leader for Rochester's King for a Day, MLK Day of Action.
Hannah Swayer
She/her
Hometown: Morris, New York
Field: sociology & inclusive elementary education
Interests: poverty, equitable education
Naz community engagement: Hannah works as a tutor, mentor, and teacher's assistant in a kindergarten classroom at Rochester City School #46, the Charles Carroll School.
Libby Squire
She/her, they/them
Hometown: Bedford, MA
Field: psychology
Interests: Social justice, health and wellness, climate change
Naz community engagement: Libby is exploring climate change and health and wellness. Libby is a project leader for Rochester's King for a Day, MLK Day of Action.
Jacob Koles
he/him
Hometown: Penfield, NY
Field: legal studies, community youth development
Interests: equitable education, educational policy, equal STEAM access
Naz community engagement: Jacob works with Leadership Rochester, supporting adult programming for people in the middle of their careers as they learn about issues within Rochester including education, poverty, and government.
First-year Experiences
Hannah Swayer
You don't have to change the whole world to have an impact. “You just have to slowly work your way toward making a difference in your community.”