The Bonner Leadership Program at Capital University is a hardworking team of students that strive to make our campus a better place.
Through service and dedication, they pursue a wide range of activities (such as Rickenbacker Woods after-school program and Capital Cupboard) to focus on campus-wide community engagement and change. Their work is often not showcased to the public, but they are one of the most influential programs on campus.
This year, the second-year cohort is turning their attention towards a social justice issue, inequities in education faced by students of color, and intersectionality between racism and other minority identities.
The initiative is coordinated by second-years Kieran Van Vorhis and Aiyana Sly, as well as the director of Bonner, Tristen Davis. Through a variety of events spanning over 15 weeks, Capital students will have a chance to hear voices touch on human welfare, safety, education, intersectionality, and how to be anti-racist.
These topics are crucial to not only students on campus but our society as a whole. Coordinator Aiyana Sly gave a comment, “I think Barriers to Success is going to be a chance to start some important conversations at Capital, involving not just our student body but our entire campus community and beyond. Our discussion will be solution-based and will hopefully inspire even more action focused on social change.”
As for the Capital community, The Bonner Leaders ask for our support by showing up to events and actively participating in the conversation. From Jan. 16 to April 30 there will be weekly events that can be RSVP’d via Corq and Engage. Some events include a variety of speakers such as Capital students, political leaders, and the OSU department of social change.
Students can also follow their Instagram, @barrierstosuccess to stay up to date throughout the semester.
Sly wanted to emphasize that “This initiative is for more than just Bonner. Student organizations are invited and encouraged to host their own events. Organization leaders can reach out to bonner@capital.edu for more information.”
Barriers to Success hopes that by hosting these events they are able to enact real change to campus and Columbus. Once students are educated on these topics they are able to spread the information and subsequent awareness to all facets of the community.
These topics are vital to everyone’s success as a whole and should be discussed and participated infrequently. It’s the success of a society when all groups thrive, and to do so we have to give equal opportunities and allyship to all communities.
If you would like to talk or have any questions, concerns or comments please reach out to bonner@capital.edu. Once again, events will be posted on Corq and Engage for students to refer and plan to attend. It is encouraged that all students participate in at least one event to build knowledge of the struggles of their peers, and how they can better help them, as we are all a family on Capital’s campus.
