Adam Braun, author of “The Promise of a Pencil,” will visit campus on September 28 and 29, and 10 lucky students will have the chance to eat with him.
“The Promise of a Pencil”is this year’s All Bonaventure Reads book. After reading the book this summer, each freshman had to write an essay relating to the themes illustrated in the book. A team of eight readers reviewed the essays and collectively determined 10 winning essays.
“Different students stress different parts of the book, and different students stress different connections to their lives, and so each reader was able to connect with various students on different levels,” Chris Brown, director of First Year Experience, said.
The readers selected ten winners who will attend a dinner with Braun when he visits campus. In addition, the winners will have their essays published in a book. Each winner will receive a copy. Adam will also receive a book so he can see how his words impacted St. Bonaventure students. The list of the winners is as follows: Adam Talmadge, Alexus Ulrich, Amy Elizabeth Singh, Courtney Bailey, Diana McElfresh, Kaitlyn Crane, Liam McGurl, Madeleine Feddern, Maria DiSpigno and Sean Stark.
In addition to the 10 winners, each University 101 teacher chose a winning essay to represent his or her class. Those winners will also be attending dinner with the author.
It’s evident Braun’s inspirational story encouraged many people to get involved and chase their dreams, and the students at Bonaventure are no exception. Liam McGurl, a freshman journalism and mass communication major and one of the winners, expressed his aspirations to one day be involved in missionary work and helping others.
“For me it’s huge that I get a personal one-on-one conversation with him, and I’d like to try to use him as my first source of networking at college,” McGurl said. “Even if I can’t get that, just hearing him talk is enough, because it’s good motivation and inspiration to continue doing what I’m trying to do.”
McGurls’s expectations of the dinner illustrate his determined nature to follow his dreams and how “The Promise of a Pencil” has affected his life.
When asked what he expects the author to discuss, he replied “I’m expecting him to talk about his past, his history and give lots of advice on how we could get to a similar place.”
“I think it’s going to be more of an inspirational and motivational speech than him just blabbering on about all the stuff he’s done, because he seems like a very down to earth person,” McGurl said.
The winners have the opportunity to ask questions to the author of his success and absorb all the advice he has. The book has encouraged involvement among students and demonstrates that anyone can make a difference.
At the beginning of each chapter, Braun gives readers words of wisdom. Mantra 21 in “The Promise of a Pencil” states, “There is only one chance at a first impression.”
Adam arrives to campus on Sept. 28 and the winners intend to show him the power of the Bona family.
kolbee1414@bonaventure.edu
