A few weeks ago, I was with a group of the 442 members of the Class of 2019 as they filled bags of food for Stop Hunger Now, an organization that sends food to people living in poverty around the world. The group packed 4,200 bags/25,000 meals bound for Haiti, all while getting to know themselves, each other and Wofford College a bit better. It was a great way to start the year.
It was also the perfect way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Bonner Scholars Program on Wofford’s campus. In the quarter of a century since Bonner became a part of the Wofford experience, an ethic of volunteerism and the integration of service into the academic experience have flourished. There are now more than 350 Wofford Bonner Scholar alumni, each of whom, in exchange for financial aid, gave approximately 1,680 hours of service in the four years that they were Wofford students—that’s more than 588,000 hours of service to the community.
(Read more within the pages of this Wofford Today about the Bonner Scholars program, Greek-life philanthropy initiatives and how Wofford alumni and friends are serving behind the scenes to grow our endowment.)
Wofford College would not be the premier liberal arts college that it is without the work of so many servant-leaders—members of the faculty and staff who perform their jobs with intelligence, energy and good humor; members of the student body who lend their fresh, creative ideas to enhance the Wofford experience; members of the Board of Trustees, Alumni Association, Parents Advisory Council, Terrier Club Board of Directors and other volunteers who offer their time, ideas and expertise to improve our college. Yes, service is an important part of who we are, and one of the things that makes Wofford College so special.
Thank you for your service and for helping us educate the servant-leaders of tomorrow. Wofford College is making an impact on the world thanks to your good work.
Go, Terriers!
Nayef