Connect with Bonnie
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Springfield, Missouri
Majors:
Political Science & Communication
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Student Spotlight: Meet Bonnie Lyons
"The personal investment really shapes the culture of Drury and the way you feel valued in the Drury community."
Bonnie Lyons is certainly invested in the Drury community, and she's found that the community is equally as invested in her. As a political science and communication major, a member of the campus SIFE team, and a resident assistant, Bonnie has learned what she is passionate about through her campus experiences: helping and connecting with other people.
Improving the World
As a member of the Drury SIFE team, Bonnie has had not only leadership opportunities, but the chance to improve the world. Because of her involvement with SIFE, she had the unique experience of traveling to Belize to work on a project. After meeting a group of women that wanted to start a sewing co-op, she returned home and wrote a grant, which earned $5,000 for the women in Belize.
"To be a part of that from start to finish and see how my efforts help empower a group of individuals has been really rewarding and exciting," Bonnie says.
SIFE has not only helped Bonnie help other, but has also prepared her for the future.
"I've been given a lot of firsthand experience that I wouldn't have been getting in other classes that I've had."
Making a Difference on Campus
A self-proclaimed "people person," Bonnie loves helping others however she can. As a resident assistant she has the opportunity to help freshmen transition from high school to college – which she believes has been her biggest impact on campus.
"I'm able to be there and help people and just tailor that first year experience," she says.
Whether she's helping her residents with life away from home and roommates, or decorating Sunderland Hall as Hogwarts for Halloween in the Halls, Bonnie remembers an important life lesson she has learned at Drury – planning is overrated.
"Dorm life is constantly changing," she recalls. "You don't really know what to expect. You can be sitting in your room thinking you're going to do homework and then all the sudden half your hall is sitting outside, playing games or talking and you're going to want to have those experiences and be a part of that."
More than Just Professors
While SIFE and being a resident assistant have provided experiences and opportunities outside of the classroom, the professors on campus are doing the same thing in the classroom.
"One of my classes was constitutional law and [Dr. Dan Ponder] brought in appellate court judges from Missouri and we had to actually argue a case for those judges," Bonnie says. "Getting those opportunities and experiences are a little bit daunting but also really exciting and fun."
Outside of the classrooms, professors are just as invested in their students as they are in the classroom.
"I've found that just walking down the sidewalk; I can talk to any of my teachers. Not only do they recognize me as a student, but they have a personal investment in what I'm doing with my life. I had a job interview a couple of weeks ago, and I had a professor stop me and ask how the interview went. I think that personal investment really shapes the culture of Drury and the way you feel valued in the Drury community."
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