About
Rebeca (Becca) is one of our fellow Bonner Leaders graduating this month. She majors in Communications & Media with a minor in Film. She is engaged in on-campus leadership clubs and events, including work as the Editor-in-Chief of The Wagnerian, HawkTalk blogger, sister of AΣA and member of O∆K National Leadership Honor Society. She is passionate about civic engagement and service focusing on communication and marketing strategies that enhance awareness and support fundraising.
Fun fact
Rebeca lived on three continents. Born and raised in Romania, she moved to the U.S. for college, spent three months in Italy studying abroad, and traveled to Thailand for a summer-long internship in 2019.
What made you join the Bonner Program?
I was a sophomore when I heard that Bonner has an open position. I was very excited to be a part of the Bonner community, build friendships and socialize with people passionate about the same things I am. Most importantly, I wanted to help, serve and make an impact in the community.
What were your placements over the years?
1. Holocaust Center
This was my first placement and for sure the one that marked me the most. I did some research and office work, but the most significant thing I did was organize various community outreach projects, ranging from theatrical arts, presentations, speeches, talk-backs and educational events, in memoriam of living Holocaust survivors on Staten Island. I wrote blogs based on the survivors' testimonies, in an effort to keep remembrance of the drastic effects of the Holocaust on modern thought. I also created digital content based on the testimonies, including a short documentary film.
2. Napela
My sophomore year I was a tutor at Napela, a non-profit organization on Staten Island, where I tutored immigrant African women and children, helping them with their English skills and studying for the citizenship exam.
3. Food Recovery Network
I was part of FRN, where we “recovered” leftover food from the Dining Hall. I also helped organize events such as Harvest Day which was a big hit. I managed our Instagram page as well, trying to increase awareness on food insecurity and promote our events.
4. U.S. National Lighthouse Museum
The spring of my junior year, I was an intern for the National Lighthouse Museum, located in Staten Island. I worked on improving and raising the public’s awareness of the museum and lighthouse history by creating content, maintaining social media accounts, writing press releases etc.
5. Marketing Team Leader / BLT Intern
Junior year I started promoting the Bonner Program events and initiatives by writing about them for the Wagnerian. We even made the cover a few times! This year, I got the official title of “Marketing Intern” as part of Bonner Leadership Team (BLT). Last semester I made a blog, as an outlet for us to further promote the program, the Bonners and all the hard work everyone is putting in. The most significant projects are putting together pages for each cohort, with bios for each Bonner, accompanied by their headshot; and the Senior Spotlight series where I highlighted each graduating senior and their experience in Bonner.
Has your Bonner experience helped you gain experience in your area of study/work?
Yes, I definitely count my internships at the Holocaust Center and the National Lighthouse Museum as professional experience, as they helped me gain valuable skills and experience with PR, social media, and writing, among others. From all my placements, I learned how to multitask, work in a team, and handle multiple tasks simultaneously. Most importantly, I worked on projects that I was passionate about.
What is your Senior Capstone Project?
My Capstone Project was a short documentary film based on the testimony of a Holocaust survivor from Romania. Stefania Hecht was 16-years-old when she was separated from her family and sent to a concentration camp to live in unimaginable conditions.
I met Stefania and her family at the Kristallnacht Commemoration in November of 2019 and was deeply inspired by her story, especially since we share the same roots, coming from Romania. After interviewing her in the Horrmann Library, I started working on editing the footage which became a short documentary film that follows her story from where she grew up in the northern part of Romania (then part of Hungary), to Auschwitz and then to a work camp in Czechoslovakia and finally to New York City.
The first screening of the film was on April 14th, at the event organized by the Holocaust Center. Stefania and her family were present, as well as a distinguished group of panelists. Seeing Stefania watch the film was so powerful for the guests and very rewarding to me. I am so glad to have made this my Capstone Project, and be able to contribute to sharing the stories that the world needs to hear.
Rebeca meeting Holocaust Survivor Stefania Hecht for the first time at the Kristallnacht Commemoration in November of 2019.
Looking back on the four years, do you have any advice for younger Bonners?
My advice would be to go for it -- for your dream internship, volunteering opportunity, innovative idea. If you have a plan, you can make it happen. That's what I did with my placements. I took my interests and what I was passionate about and incorporated it in my service. In the end, I helped the community, expanded my skills and felt an incredible joy in doing this. So go for it, because college goes by way faster than you think and there's no better time than now to start working on your dreams!
Comments