This week’s profile is on Engy Shaaban, a sophomore Special Education and Psychology double major who is a dedicated and hardworking Bonner student.
Ever since entering the program in the fall of her freshman year, Bonner has become a very essential part of Engy’s life. After learning about the program over the summer and thinking about her past volunteer experience, she decided to apply and earned a spot as a Bonner Community Scholar here at TCNJ. She is currently serving on the Education Division at the Academic Sports Academy, an afterschool program run by former NBA player and Trenton native Greg Grant.
She is also working as the Assignment Editor for The Wall, a bi-annual newspaper that works to raise awareness of the issues faced by individuals experiencing homelessness in the Trenton and Mercer County area. Engy spends 10-12 hours a week attending meetings, planning for her classroom, working on pieces for The Wall, and participating at her service site.
Bonner has undoubtedly played a role in shaping who she is today. “I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities that I have had through the program, and the people I’ve met along the way. It is through these experiences and people that I’ve developed an entirely new perspective on things. Because of all this, I look at privilege in a very different way. The things I took for granted are now some of the things I value most in life.”
Engy believes it is important to witness and take part in experiences that you may not typically find yourself in. Bonner and her service in Trenton has afforded her this valuable opportunity, “Sometimes, TCNJ can be a bubble for students, and sometimes that’s exactly what we need but at other times, we learn and become our best selves when we decide to leave that bubble and take that leap. Working in a community like Trenton does just that. And reflecting on that experience is incredibly eye-opening.”
To learn more about the program and how to get involved, visit the Bonner office on the third floor of Forcina Hall on TCNJ’s campus. You can also check out their website: https://celr.tcnj.edu/
You’re doing a great job, Engy keep it up!