Final Day Plans and Schedule

Hello Family and Friends,

As we finish up and reflect on this last 11 days and prepare to share some of our experiences with you tomorrow, I wanted to share some thoughts and details!

The students have been great. Every one of them has a unique personality and brought something special to our group. Make sure to ask them to share their thoughts and what they have learned about themselves and the world through the last weeks.

Encourage them to keep doing the things they enjoyed about this program. It could be community service, taking harder courses in school, making new friends, reflecting on experiences, or trying something new.

Thank you for sharing them with us for this short time, we as a staff, have truly enjoyed getting to know them.



Now to the details for tomorrow.

The students have decided to amend the program a little to include everyone's presentations together. There will be 3 groups presenting on their research and observations. Following those presentations we will show you what we have been up to and present the students with something to take home with them.

Schedule 
10:00am - Light refreshments - Business Building Lounge
10:30am - Final Presentations & Closing - Business Building Lounge (where the opening was held)
11:45am - Closing - Business Building Lounge
1:00pm - 3:00pm - Move Out - New Residence Hall
1:00pm - 3:00pm - Optional Campus Tours




We hope to see you all tomorrow! It will be an exciting day!

Brittany and the Bonner Staff

Bonner Blog 8

With only two nights left in the program, how do you believe you have grown, improved, or expanded?

Akash

Through this Bonner experience I have gained new friends and a new outlook on what college life is like. I have improved on my study skills and the ability to concentrate while others are talking. I have also improved on my public speaking and have been able to handle the work load of a college class.     

Amanda

With only two nights left of the program, I definately have seen a change in myself. As far as class goes, I think my mind has expanded. The class has really opened up my thoughts and perception of the world. I have learned so much in only two weeks of the class. I have also been able to read information in articles, and understand what the author is saying, which is a great feeling. I have also grown so much through service. Unfortunately, in high school, i never really had a chance to do a lot of community service because i was involved in many things at school. Proposing ideas to the administrators was a growing process itself. It was awesome to come up with ideas we wanted to change, propose them, and then see them come to life. Physically seeing spaces in the school transform because of us is a really rewarding feeling. Yesterday i was talking to Larry, the head custodian, and he was told me we were making a difference. That comment alone just made me feel like our hard work was changing the community of the school. I have grown as a person because of this program. After driving through Trenton and going to the high school, i have become very grateful of what i have at home. I really want to continue to make a difference and bring joy to the people of this community.

Margot

I have grown by being able to form new friendships and get close to people even only knowning them 2 weeks. I have also seen myself succeed in a college level class and truly enjoy going to class. I have also improved by dedicating myself to community service and completeing whatever task I was given. 

Erica

I’ve learned a lot more than I expected in these past (almost) two weeks. I learned a lot in class and have been able to apply it to my service site. Being in a college setting has also prepared me a lot for the fall. I’ve been so homesick, I’m actually happy I’m commuting my first Semester. I made a lot of friends and learned things about myself I didn’t now before. I’m dreading leaving on Friday, but I know I’ll be okay. Its part of growing up.

Lauren

Through my participation in this program, I have seen myself grow and change. As someone who was nervous about coming to a place where I knew no one, I proved to myself that I am capable of making friends and opening up to people in just two weeks. I also realized that I can't always do everything alone. It's okay to ask for help when you need it and I'm certainly glad I did. During our class, we were exposed to new ways of thinking and I hope that I continue to see the world through this analytical lens. Working at the high school for service has opened my eyes to how fortunate I am and I want to continue making a difference wherever I can.

Melissa

I think that my confidence has improved in the passed two weeks. I don’t really consider myself an outgoing person - at least not until I get to know people. However I feel like I’ve come out of my shell more this year than last year. It feels good I think.

Arielle

I believe that I have grown as an individual throughout my stay at TCNJ. I am no longer frightened by the idea of moving into a college dorm. I have developed confidence in my academic abilities, if I could make it through Doctor Bates class I can make it through any college class! I have made friends at this program, which is something I have not had to do for a very long time….I am now confident that I will survive my years in college.

Hailey

Over the course of this program i have learned about this wonderful thing called time managment, namely the idea that i have none. Eventually i figured out that the best way to keep on track was to have arielle "kidnap" my ethernet conection so i can foucs soley on my work. Hopefully this will allow me to actually get my work done quickly and not having to stay up till one to finish everything (like what im doing now!).

Max

Well with only two days left in this program... I'm sad. I had an amazing time--yeah the work stunk but the friends I made, the connections I formed, and the experiences gained made it definitely worth while..and money :). I know I improved or improving on my public speaking skills. I've heard some great tips and strategies that will be very helpful the next time I have to speak to a larger audience. I got a great peak into what college is like, well the generalness of it. I am in love with TCNJ and am going to make it my priority to get accepted as well as try to get accepted into the Bonner Program. I now have a whole new outlook on community service.. I love it :). The smiles you receive and the families that you know you helped put a smile on your own face no matter what.. well at least it does for me. Even just typing this. I love everyone here, the students and ALL the staff, everyone is incredible and has made my time wonderful. 

Matt

I have had a great time here as part of this program at TCNJ.

I think a huge part of the experience lending itself to feelings of fulfillment is the socialization aspect of the program. Although I hate to admit it, my past summer vacations have been marked by a real lack of socialization. Simply put, meeting and getting to know everyone here (the people at TCNJ, fellow Bonner participants, those in Trenton and the ASA, etc.) has been a real treat. All in all, I think I have grown a bit here socially.    

Tom

With only 2 nights left of the Bonner Summer Fellows Program, I feel that I have grown a lot more social with people and independent with my work.  I used to play video games very often and I used to have my parents help me out with homework I could have potentially done on my own.  Thanks to this program, I have been able to get to know a bunch of people here better and be able to do some of the work here on my own.

Akila

With only two nights of camp left I'ver belived I grown in  terms of how I do my work how I am able to manage my time.

Eric

So far I feel like I've grown as a person as whole and that I have really matured throughout the course of the program. I have experienced the college lifestyle, and I got a feel for how a college course is run. I also experienced a lot of life altering impacts through the work that I did for Habitat for Humanity. Just being exposed to the impoverished neighborhoods of Trenton shed away my naivety, so I clearly see some of the problems that are going on in this country. And being able to make a difference in the community along with making the residents happy had a tremendous impact on me.

Some Pictures!

Planning for Trenton High Projects

At reflection

Guest Speaker - Rob Fiorella, PEI Kids 

Talent Show - Melissa talking about Dance!

Talent Show - Amanda showing us her Artwork!

In the Van on the way to service! 

Bowling 1

Grounds for Sculpture

Bowling 2

Bowling 3 

Both of our teams made two different newspapers! Check out the Trenton Times photos! 

http://photos.nj.com/the-times/2012/07/tcnj_bonner_center_east_trento_4.html

Last day of the project, BBQ celebration! 

Some more dancing at the BBQ! 

BBQ with the community members! 

Bonner Blog 7

If you were the mayor of Trenton, what is the first thing you would change and why? 

Melissa

If I was the mayor of Trenton, I think that the first thing I would do would be put more funding toward the schools. I know that this isn’t as simple as it may seem because I don’t know the exact budget of the city, but I think it is an important thing to do. If the children of Trenton are unable to receive a good education, they will not be able to move on to a good college and continue on to be successful. And if more of the children from Trenton continue on to be successful, there will be more people to give back to the city.

Amanda 

If i was the mayor of Trenton, it would be difficult to pick the first thing I would change. Since I have really only been exposed to the school, I do not really know too much about outside the public education. Knowing this, I think I would raise money to renovate the library, make it handicap accessible, and an inspiring enviornment to make students want to read. The library in the school is very old, dark, and a dull place. I think this is a major project in the school that if done, would create a positive chain reaction. This would give the students a chance to really want to learn, and a nice place to go to do so.

Lauren 

If I were the mayor of Trenton, I think the first thing I would try to reallocate money or trying to get more money to change the state of the public schools. Having spent some time in the high school, I've seen how old and dingy the building is. The classrooms don't seem to have any excitement to them, the library is dark and slightly outdated, and the cafeteria has broken chairs and tables If these maintenance things could be fixed, the school would be transformed and a brighter, more pleasant atmosphere would be created. Maybe this facelift would help excite the students and make them more eager to come to school. If more students come to school, the more likely they might be to go to college and break their cycle of poverty. I know that completely changing everything about the school is nearly impossible but just a few major renovations would be helpful. 

Bonner Blog 6

You are half-way done! If you had to pick your top 2 moments/activities here, what would they be and why?

Akila

My top two favorite moments so far were in class talkinmg to the teacher because it felt great to learn and discuss things. And when we played the game Step In The Circle because we go to know a lot things about eachother that we didn't know before.

Matt

When considering my top two moments/activities here (so far), the first activity that comes to mind is the talent show that we put on yesterday night. I really can’t think of anything to say about it other than the fact that it was really fun! The skits were hilarious, especially the ones put on by the staff members who impersonated us. And the team that sang “Just The Way You Are” to Dave was hilarious. When they serenaded Dave’s smile as he sat down stone-faced, I lost it.

I also really enjoyed working in East Trenton with Shaun, Dave, and our Mentor. We had some great conversations, and it was an all-around good time. I really enjoyed getting to know everyone.      

Amanda

One of my favorite activities was the talent show. I enjoyed sharing my art with everyone. Everyone who performed did a great job and it was a funny night. The highlight of the talent show for me was singing to Dave because I think we really made him laugh. Another top activity was Grounds for Sculpture because that is my favorite place on earth. I wish we could have stayed longer, but it was still an awesome experience. Willie Cole's exhibit was also really cool to see because his art was mostly made up from trash like plastic water bottles.

Lauren 

 It's just past the halfway point of the program and I already have made a ton of memories of great experiences. It's rather difficult to pick favorites but I'll try. I think my favorite thing that I have done here so far was something that may not technically have been allowed: swimming in the fountain. Our impromptu decision to go in the fountain was preceded by a late-night walk around campus. I was having a really good time getting to know everyone better when we came upon the Science Complex. We, one-by-one, decided to brave the cold water and enjoyed the thirll of the experience. After the swim, I felt like I had really bonded with the group I was with, a great feeling.

As for my second favorite experience, I cannot decide between two more organized activities. (Sorry! I'm indecisive!) First off, I really enjoyed the talent show. Although I was aprehensive about it beforehand, it turned into a great night. Watching all of the talents was fun and the staff's impersonations were quite accurate. The talent show was a great opportunity to relax and have some fun after working most of the day. On a much different note, I also like Step Into the Circle. Of course, this activity is much more serious than the talent show but I like how revealing it can be. You gain little morsels of knowledge about the people here, things you wouldn't know otherwise. Even if you don't pursue more information, which I never have, it is still nice to gain a greater understanding of who everyone is and what they believe in

Jared

It is extremely difficult to pick my top two moments so far. One of my top two moments so far is definitely the talent show. Everyone in the talent show was so good in his or her own unique way, and I thought it was hilarious when our group sang, “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars to a counselor named Dave. I have never met someone who is so good at keeping a straight face. Another great memory was finishing the house for Habitat for Humanity. The homeowners’ reaction was incredible. They were so grateful for all the work we accomplished and it felt amazing to feel like I made a difference. Another experience that was memorable was meeting the kids today at the Academic Sports Academy in the Martin Luther King School. They thought I was an extremely interesting person and they looked like they were so happy that I took my time out to come visit them. I cannot wait to see how the rest of the week goes.

Eric

My two favorite moments so far are the talent show because it was fun to learn more about other people plus it was just was fun to do and the community service that we did for Habitat for Humanity because I really enjoyed working with the other people to help make a change in the community.

Max

I really liked swimming in the fountain with Tili Margot Akash Jared and Erica. I also really liked the day trip to Grounds for Sculpture. I’ve already planned to go there with my girlfriend later this month. Also really liked the ice breakers in the beginning of the week, great job staff! This has been a lot of fun and I’ve liked everything so far except the homework which just stinks. But this isn't a summer camp.

Bonner Blog 5

What are some of your work/school/team skills? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?

Matt

As far as my work/school/team skills go, I am very good a organizing. In fact, I find organizing (books, papers, supplies, etc.) therapeutic, and almost cathartic in a way. It can be very relaxing to me, and I do a good job at it. I also consider myself to be a good anti-procrastinator; I rarely leave things off to the last minute. When I’m a part of a team, I consider myself good at taking and following instructions.

My weaknesses include: a nervousness and consequent hesitation to take charge and lead a group, physical weakness (I’m not physically strong, which may hinder tasks that involve heavy-lifting, etc.), and a nervousness toward public-speaking. 

Lauren

When working in a team, I am good at stepping into a leadership role in most settings. It normally becomes my job to keep everyone on track and focused. A strength, and sometimes weakness, is my need for things to be as close to perfect as possible. This results in work that is well-done but it leads me to spend a lot more time on assignments than most others do. 

Bonner Bonding Pictures