Lindsey Wilson Bonner Scholar Program

Lindsey Wilson Bonner Scholar Program Spread the Bonner Love Chamber of Commerce, The Center for Courageous Kids and several others.

For the purposes of the Bonner Scholar Program, “community service” is defined as service provided to individuals or communities to meet social, educational, or environmental needs. This service may be provided directly or indirectly through a student-initiated project or a project sponsored by a non-profit or government agency. No less than half of a Bonner Leader’s service hours must be spent in

“direct, hands-on” community service activities such as tutoring, visiting the
elderly, environmental clean-up, building a home, renovating a playground. Some of our Bonner placements include: Summit Manor Nursing Home, Lake Cumberland Head Start, 4-H Youth Development, Camp Casey, and Columbia/Adair Co.

Hasta luego, Chapala!There have been so many new experiences this week and it’s been a blast to see this group transform...
05/14/2026

Hasta luego, Chapala!

There have been so many new experiences this week and it’s been a blast to see this group transform with each passing moment. This group will certainly carry Oak Life, Life In Action, and Mexico throughout their Bonner careers and into lives of service.

We are grateful to Kelsey Overall and Cameron Talbot for leading us with strength and grace. If you’re interested in collaborative international service or missions check out

Welcome to Guadalajara!It’s almost time to pack our bags and say goodbye, but before we do we’re headed to Guadalajara f...
05/13/2026

Welcome to Guadalajara!

It’s almost time to pack our bags and say goodbye, but before we do we’re headed to Guadalajara for a day of exploring.

Our senior Bonners are continuing to soak up the culture of Mexico—this time through the vibrancy of art! Tlaquepaque is an area that runs several blocks which is full of color and life. Our group learned about local sculptors, visited exhibits, and of course browsed shops filled with artisan goods.

Meals are also a part of culture here in Mexico. It’s not uncommon for people to sit around the table for hours. We stopped into a local restaurant for lunch which was certainly one of our best meals this week—simply because we were together.

Bonners have tried so many new foods, but a stand out was probably one you’re least expecting…grasshoppers! Check out our fearless leaders going in for a bite!

From table side guacamole service to fun van rides, we’ll soon close out the chapter on this group’s journey. It’s been a wonderful week building community together.

It’s our last project day and time to put in some work! We’re setting up at the tianguis, a local street market similar ...
05/12/2026

It’s our last project day and time to put in some work!

We’re setting up at the tianguis, a local street market similar to farmers’ markets you’d find in the states. We brought the clothes we sorted from the big sale on Saturday to continue selling today.

In addition to selling clothing and accessories at the market, we also shopped for groceries needed for a special meal we cooked up later in the evening. It was a joy and honor to serve the girls at Love In Action by cooking them dinner, learning to make traditional rice, beans, salsas, and more!

But wait, we’re still not done. What about the room we were cleaning out for the Oak Life transition? While part of our crew stayed for the big sale at the tianguis, most of our group went back to put a fresh coat of paint on the room. This team completed so much this week! We’re so proud! Thanks for sticking it through when it was tough to see the results on the other side. Thank you to Cameron and Kelsey for their leadership throughout the week. You’re wonderful leaders and any team would be blessed to partner with you.

Now let’s go have a well deserved day of exploration...

Day FourWe enjoyed a day cultural day today by visiting La Iglesia del Espíritu Santo, the local church where the girls ...
05/11/2026

Day Four

We enjoyed a day cultural day today by visiting La Iglesia del Espíritu Santo, the local church where the girls at Love in Action attend which is pastored by Señor Frutos, the husband of Mama Ana.

It was a special treat to be here on Mother’s Day which also happened to coincide with Mexico’s Mother’s Day. Cheers to all of the moms. We missed you!

We explored the Malecón at Lake Chapala where some of the Bonners picked up a few souvenirs for friends and family. They have been champs at practicing their Spanish and embracing local culture. We’re so proud of the ways they’re challenging their perspectives and embracing new points of view.

Day ThreeCome out! Come out! Today we’re having a big sale!If you thought the work of our previous two cohort trips was ...
05/10/2026

Day Three

Come out! Come out! Today we’re having a big sale!

If you thought the work of our previous two cohort trips was complete—well, that’s just not how Bonner works. We love that Oak Life believes in capacity building work and has entrusted us with the bazaar as a legacy project. For senior students this is the level of work they have been developmentally growing towards throughout their Bonner career.

Today we held a sale with the clothes we have been sorting for the bazaar. All proceeds from the bazaar go towards Love In Action, extending the orphanage’s ability to do their work.

We aren’t ready for final pictures yet, but we have sorted all of the bags from our first day. We’re making fantastic progress and can’t wait to see everything come together in a few days time!

As a break we took time to hang out with some of the girls and make bracelets together. It’s so precious to be intentional with our time here together, working across language barriers, and finding that fun is universal.

We had a very full first day! Students started the day with an Orientation about Love In Action to understand the histor...
05/09/2026

We had a very full first day!

Students started the day with an Orientation about Love In Action to understand the history and scope of the orphanage’s work, their partnership with Oak Life and the vision for the future.

Love In Action’s origin starts with Anabel Frutos. She’s a caregiver through and through who saw the needs of her community and immediately stepped in the meet them. Anabel’s vision for a healthier community has sprung up additional nonprofits in the area, orphanages, community centers, and more!

Changing laws and legislation have kept LIA constantly evolving regarding their policies and procedures. They’ve found their sweet spot of maintaining a caregiver ratio of 8:1 with girls from ages 4-18. Their primary focus is quality of care over quantity of care, which leads to higher outcomes for the girls in the homes.

Looking towards the future, Oak Life is now a model program for the Karen Purvis Institute assisting with the distribution of TRBI programming throughout Mexico. They are teaching tools through connection with kids on how to recognize their own needs and work through their feelings to cope healthily.

Over the next few years Oak Life will be building a new facility on Love In Action’s property, developing life skills training for girls 12+ to prepare them for transitioning out of the home, and starting their own private school for local orphanages.

Where does LWU Bonner fit into this vision? We are grateful we have the privilege to come alongside Oak Life to transition them into a new office space this year. We are cleaning out previous bazaar storage (which might sound familiar if you’ve followed our previous trips) to make room for Oak Life staff to have an office on site at Love In Action.

We wrapped our final day with a walk on the Malecon, taking in the sights, and enjoying Lake Chapala. Students were able to experience a traditional rain dance which was a special treat! It was a packed first day and we can’t wait to see what the rest of the week will bring us.

To end our spring semester, we hosted our annual Senior Send-Off Celebration! We heard about all the amazing things our ...
04/30/2026

To end our spring semester, we hosted our annual Senior Send-Off Celebration! We heard about all the amazing things our seniors have accomplished during their time as Bonners and got to officially say goodbye as they prepare to walk the graduation stage on Saturday.

We also celebrated our Bonners who went above and beyond by completing more service hours than required of them.

Lastly, Bonners nominated their peers for “superlatives” as a way to share appreciation and highlight each other’s strengths.

We are so proud of all of our Bonners!!

Our last senior spotlight is Allee Harris. Swipe to see all that Allee has done!! Allee, we are so proud of you and the ...
04/29/2026

Our last senior spotlight is Allee Harris. Swipe to see all that Allee has done!! Allee, we are so proud of you and the impact you have made.

Come celebrate our seniors TONIGHT at Senior Send Off, starting at 5:30 at the President’s Home.

Our next senior spotlight is Cassidy Harrison, scroll to see all the amazing things she has done! Cassidy, we are so pro...
04/28/2026

Our next senior spotlight is Cassidy Harrison, scroll to see all the amazing things she has done! Cassidy, we are so proud of you and the impact you have made!

To cap off Spring 2025, we’re celebrating the incredible achievements of our Spring 2026 graduates with Senior Spotlight...
04/27/2026

To cap off Spring 2025, we’re celebrating the incredible achievements of our Spring 2026 graduates with Senior Spotlights 🎓

Our first spotlight is Katie Saylor, read above to learn more about her meaningful work! Katie, we are so proud of all your hard work and the difference you’re making!

This Week in Bonner!!
04/27/2026

This Week in Bonner!!

Address

210 Lindsey Wilson Street
Columbia, KY
42728

Telephone

+12703848065

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