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Senior Eva Bonilla keeps busy with double major, campus activities

co-founded the DU chapter of Pi Lambda Chi Latina sorority, cochairs the AUSA Senate campus climate committee, works as a peer academic adviser and interns with the Denver Foundation.

The only way senior Eva Bonilla is ever going to catch a break is when she travels to Greece this fall to study abroad.

“It will be a nice change from having so many commitments,” Bonilla says.

Commitments indeed. The senior Spanish and psychology double major is not only committed to academic success. She co-founded the DU chapter of Pi Lambda Chi Latina sorority, cochairs the AUSA Senate campus climate committee, works as a peer academic adviser and interns with the Denver Foundation.

“Ms. Bonilla is an outstanding example of how cultural and academic experience provide a solid foundation for individual achievement and the development of a strong community,” says Bonilla’s adviser, Miriam Bornstein-Gomez, an associate professor in the department of languages and literatures.

The Mexican-born Bonilla will be the first in her family to graduate from college. In fact, her mother and father have just third- and sixth-grade educations, respectively.

“There wasn’t an opportunity to go to school where they grew up,” notes Bonilla, who says that partly explains why she takes on so much.

Bonilla says her heritage prompted her to get involved with the Latino Student Alliance when she arrived at DU. But, she says, “it was a bit of a disappointment” when she realized that even on a good day there would only be six members at the club’s meetings and events.

So last year, she decided to change things by running for co-president. With her help and the addition of more programming, membership has increased to 25 students. Bonilla plans to pursue a master’s degree in social work at DU and ultimately wants to work at a nonprofit with youth-at-risk.

How does she get everything done? “It’s a struggle,” she says. “I make a lot of ‘To do’ lists.”

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