天美传媒

by Efe Tanci

Many high school seniors agonize over which college to choose, what to major in and which career path to take. Not Sara Bonne. She knew she wanted to make a difference in the lives of others.

Growing up in West Hempstead, a stone鈥檚 throw from Garden City, New York, she also knew Adelphi was her college of choice. Then she decided to major in based on the strength of Adelphi鈥檚 program. She declared her major in Fall 2012, her freshman year, and from day one has dedicated herself to becoming a social worker.

That semester, she had an experience that further drove home the fact she鈥檇 made the right choices. After Superstorm Sandy hit, the School of Social Work organized a service trip to the hard-hit Long Island community of Long Beach. Bonne and her fellow students and faculty members came to the home of a woman whose photos of family, many of whom had passed away, had been damaged by floodwaters. The simple act of cleaning this woman鈥檚 treasured photos hit home for Bonne. 鈥淚 will always remember that,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat is the type of impact I want to make, because it is the real impact that social workers make in this world.鈥�

Over the course of her study at Adelphi, Bonne has taken full advantage of opportunities to put social work theory into practice. She has been an active member of Adelphi鈥檚 student organization, , which organizes lectures, events and community service projects, such as bringing holiday toys and gifts to children in a family shelter in the Bronx for victims of domestic violence. This year she is president of SWAG, an experience that is enabling her to improve her leadership skills. During her junior year, she participated in Adelphi鈥檚 program, in which students review grant proposals from nonprofit organizations and then make an award decision. She was inducted into the Phi Alpha, the social work honor society, and has participated in the Midnight Run, a yearly event in which social work students collect food, clothes and other donations to hand out to the homeless in New York City.

Bonne has also participated in internships; in this, her senior year, she is at , which serves children between the ages of 5鈥�18. She works one-on-one with children struggling with anxiety, depression and autism spectrum disorders. 鈥淕oing in there, I felt very confident in the work that I was going to be able to do, even though this was my first time,鈥� Bonne said. She credits her social work classes and professors, who go beyond training students to get good grades on tests by 鈥渞eally preparing you for the field.鈥�

Bonne had earned enough credits in high school to be able to complete her in three years. As part of Adelphi鈥檚 program, she plans to then continue straight to graduate school, earning her master鈥檚 after one additional year of study.

Beyond that, Bonne looks to the future with confidence and plenty of passion.

鈥淎fter graduation, I would consider working with adolescents. Besides that, I really want to do volunteer work on human trafficking. But whatever I would do, I want to stay in New York,鈥� Bonne said. 鈥淣ew York has a lot of need.鈥�

听

Bonne (front, third from left) and members of SWAG looking businesslike in their official yearbook photo…

…and cutting loose in the unofficial version.