At first senior Jacqueli Yaurincela Bonete did not consider coming to Hamline University. She said that she thought mostly about the University of Minnesota, but now, as a senior looking back, she attributes many of the opportunities she has had to Hamline.

Recently she attended LEAD at Harvard University, a conference which first reached out to her in the application process.

“Sometimes you feel like you are the only one doing this stuff.” Bonete said talking about her experience at the conference.“I met a lot of Latinas like myself who are very passionate about their community… It was a reminder that there is still a lot of work to be done, but knowing that there are a lot of women like myself around the nation is pretty empowering.”

Bonete reflected on her time at Hamline and the people who have been most helpful.

“The Hedgeman Center has been a really good support for me on campus, because they can relate to what I am going through, or they can guide me to people who can relate to what I am going through. They can really help me in an emotional sense… My first and second year I was just trying to get used to college life, because I was the first one in my family to do that,” Bonete said.“There were times when I felt tired… I felt I had to prove myself. I felt like I was underestimated by a lot of spaces here on campus.”

Rob Routhieaux, Bonete’s advisor has also been a source of support for her. He commented on Bonete’s experience and everyday attitude in a classroom.

“I have enjoyed working with Jacqueli as she has grown in confidence in her abilities and knowledge, and the value she adds to class discussions and activities. Her ability to integrate her work experience with content from class has been very helpful for other students’ learning,” Routhieaux said.

It is clear that Bonete’s values extend beyond her school work, and she talked about the need for well rounded human beings.

“We need to learn: How do we develop ourselves. We are so focused on how we develop our carers, but not how do we develop ourselves as people,” Bonete said.

Bonete’s life is mostly consumed by her studies and her internship at the capital, but she and her family still make the effort to have family time at least once a week. She draws inspiration from them and vice versa.  

“I live at home with my parents and my nine year old sister. She hypes me up to continue to do the things that I am doing… Two weeks ago she was like ‘you always plan something and I wanted to do the same thing. So, I am helping my teacher plan family night,’” Bonete said.

Moving forward, Bonete is preparing for another conference on the east coast, the Yale School of Management Education Leadership Conference, and after that she looks toward graduation and her coming future. She commented that she might go to graduate school and has already made some connections with recruiters at Harvard University’s Graduate Program.

Routhieaux says that he wishes her “An enjoyable, productive and rewarding career with careful attention to work-life balance; good health; loving family and friends; continuous learning and personal development [for her future].”