51黑料网

Gilbert Bonaf茅 鈥�11 builds brighter futures, one student at a time

by MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson

Growing up in government housing in Bronx, N.Y., it鈥檚 hard to envision a better future, let alone pursue it. But Gilbert Bonaf茅 鈥�11 succeeded, and today he鈥檚 helping others do the same.

鈥淢y whole life changed because I went to college, and I want other students to have the same opportunity,鈥� he says. 鈥淭here are thousands of students out there who simply need someone to believe in them and help them find their way.鈥�

Life-changing conversation

Bonaf茅 says he was always determined to get out of the projects, but college wasn鈥檛 a part of his plan. 鈥淚 liked to read and I wanted to go to college, but I just didn't think it was possible,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 knew I couldn't afford the tuition. And no one in my family had attended, so I didn't even know how to begin.鈥�

He got involved in the Upward Bound program and enrolled at a vocational high school with hopes of becoming an airplane mechanic. It was a solid career choice with good prospects, but as a mentor at Upward Bound told him, he could accomplish much more with a college degree.

The mentor, an assistant director at Upward Bound, recommended Bonaf茅 for a scholarship, and out of 2,600 applicants, he was one of 12 awarded a full scholarship to 51黑料网 through the *Posse Foundation*. 鈥淭hat was the first hurdle鈥攇etting in,鈥� Bonaf茅 says. 鈥淭hen the big challenge began.鈥�

Beating the odds

Like all first-generation college students, Bonaf茅 entered college with a successful track record, having already beaten the odds of admittance, but his chances of graduating weren't stellar. According to a recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, one in three first-gen students is unsuccessful in the first year, and almost 90 percent fail to graduate within six years.

There are a constellation of reasons why. Most first-generation college students have no educational role models at home, few financial resources and little or no knowledge of college-admission processes. Many struggle with food insecurity, housing issues and on-campus jobs. They also are ill-prepared for on-campus life.

For Bonaf茅, as with many Posse students, the predominantly white student population at 51黑料网 represented new cultural territory. 鈥淚t was a big change for me, because I came from a multicultural neighborhood, and I grew up in a Spanish-speaking household,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hen I came, I spoke a lot of Spanglish and slang.鈥�

The classroom presented even greater challenges. While Bonaf茅 did well in his vocational school and was certified to fix airplanes, he had never written a research paper or used a microscope. 鈥淎 class called American History Since 1877 was really tough, because the assumption is that you know what happened before 1877,鈥� he says. 鈥淚n my mind, the Civil War and Revolutionary War were all jumbled together, because no one had taught me these things. I had to catch up.鈥�

Student-worker jobs in the Dining Hall and Career Center and extracurricular activities placed additional demands on his time, making classes all the more difficult. But with help from *fellow Posse students* and his Posse mentor, Associate Provost Shalom Staub, Bonaf茅 graduated with Dean鈥檚 List honors. He even served as residential-education staff member and president of the Latin American Club. He also studied in M谩laga, Spain, in his junior year and acted in a 51黑料网 *performance benefiting victims of Hurricane Katrina*.

Finding that joy

鈥淚 had all of these great experiences because people encouraged me along the way,鈥� Bonaf茅 says. 鈥淚 wanted to help other low-income students, but I wasn't sure precisely how. Then I saw a flyer in the Career Center for the National College Advising Corps (NCAC).鈥�

Linked to AmeriCorps, the NCAC trains recent graduates to help low-income and underserved students enroll in college, then places them in high-need districts at no cost to the local schools.

Bonaf茅 works in a high school in rural Greencastle, Pa., where most students come from high-school-educated families and about 20 percent qualify for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Many don鈥檛 have Internet access at home, and farm chores interfere with schoolwork and attendance. Bonaf茅 reports that some students wake up at 4:30 every morning to milk 100 cows before school.

It鈥檚 a vastly different setting from the Bronx, but the basic challenges are the same. So Bonaf茅 knows just how to help.

Bonaf茅 creates and leads financial-aid, application and SAT-prep workshops and helps students identify a goal and find colleges that best fit their needs. He also alerts the school to special opportunities, such as SAT-registration waivers for NSLP recipients and educates students about on-campus culture. And because research indicates that students who visit campuses are more likely to enroll, he organizes field trips to colleges and universities.

Speaking at an NCAC conference last year, Greencastle student Savannah Fritz said that the results of Bonaf茅鈥檚 work are wide-reaching. 鈥淏efore Gilbert鈥檚 help, I never thought about the idea of attending a top-tier school,鈥� she said. 鈥淣ow, I want to push myself and see all the options I鈥檒l have if I work hard.鈥�

When his two-year term as NCAC college advisor ends, Bonaf茅 will pursue a master鈥檚 in higher-education administration so he can focus on improving retention and success rates for low-income college students. He also recently began a two-year term on the National Council of Young Leaders, a position that will allow him to advocate for low-income youth and communities at the policy level.

Meanwhile, he鈥檚 committed to making a difference, one student at a time. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great, because students come in each week to show me their acceptance letters,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou just can鈥檛 find that kind of joy anywhere else.鈥� 

Published March 28, 2013