Bonner Scholar Director Leaves
BY NINA LALLI

Adrian Baustista left the College after serving as the interim director of the Bonner Scholar Program since ’99. Bautista is now working at Lorain County Community College in a new program called Bridges to Success, where he works specifically with first-generation college and pre-college students from Lorain County
Bautista came to Oberlin in ’96 as the Latino Community Student coordinator, a position within the Multicultural Resource Center. .
The Bonner Scholars Program is a national foundation that was started in 1990. The program differs from school to school. At Oberlin, it is more focused than some schools on low-income students and diversity. 
Bonner Scholars perform ten hours of community service every week to supplement financial aid from the college. There are 25 Bonner-supported colleges in the country. Though the program has always had faculty organization, students are invloved at every level, such as a Student Advisory Board, a site outreach group, a recruitment team and an admissions community. 
Bautista said Bonners scholars’ experience often makes them the most informed to make decisions. “The program is also meant to develop group student organization and leadership skills, which is why we try to cutivate it like a student organization,” Bautista said. 
Those who worked closely with Bautista are sorry to see him go. “I loved working with Adrian. He was very grounded and organized, and he had a good relationship with students,” said Beth Blissman, director of the Center for Service and Learning. 
Junior Jackie Downing, a Bonner scholar who works with Oberlin Peace Activists League and does nonviolence trainings said “Adrian rocks. He does everything in his power to get me and the projects I work on financial and moral support. He’s always there when I need something or need to talk something out,” Bautista was Downing’s advisor until his departure a week before Spring Break. 
First-year and Bonner scholar Elizabeth Fry marvelled at Bautista’s commitment to his students. “He’s so busy because he just wants to do so much, but it always amazed me that whenever I wanted to talk to him about any problems, he was always able to make time,” 
Of the Bonner program generally, Fry said, “I really think it’s the most incredible opportunity I’ve had. it’s given me so many experiences already, and allowed me to make a lot of connections. It’s causing me to think about the direction I want to take with the rest of my life.”
Blissman said that she urged Bautista to apply for the permanent position of director of the Bonners Program when the interim period came to an end. Instead he chose to work more directly with the community outside of the College through the Bridges to Success program.
Bautista said working at LCCC presents a better opportunity to work with the community than Oberlin.“I wanted to get into a position more community-based. [Lorain students’] backgrounds are more similar to mine. They didn’t know from an early age that college was something in their future. Part of the appeal is that a community college has a different charge than a private liberal arts school,” Bautista said.
“One thing I found incredible was his great commitment to Hispanic students in Lorain County. This is a way he can live out his values,” Blissman said. She expects that his move will be a way to build more of a connection between Oberlin and LCCC in the future. 
Bautista agreed, saying that his past experience with the Center for Service and Learning is a good foundation for developing a relationship between the schools, and particularly to help Bonner scholars achieve a deeper involvement in the surrounding area . 
“We want to try and build that bridge between the colleges and help the Bonners meet people and work more effectively in the community. I think Oberlin has a chance to further these relationships, it’s been going on and I think it could be better” he said. 
In addition, Bautista will continue to be a part of the OC community. “Adrian is probably one of the folks who knows the most about Latinos in Lorain County, so I imagine we will be calling upon him for Bonner presentations,” Blissman said. 
Bautista still teaches an ExCo about Latino culture and citizenship, focusing on Mexican American and Puerto Rican history in Lorain County. 
The College is currently looking for a new director for the Bonner program. An announcement was posted, and as of last week eight people had responded.