The Center for Nonprofits & Philanthropy’s Bush Board Fellows Program held its annual Pinning Ceremony in December to celebrate the past year’s accomplishments and welcome a new group of service-oriented Bush School students. For the 2025 program year, we are thrilled to have 28 dedicated Bush School students matched with 23 incredible nonprofit host organizations.
The Pinning Ceremony allowed us to bid farewell to the remarkable 2024 cohort who worked tirelessly to serve our host organizations, which include nonprofits such as Project Unity, Twin City Mission, the American Red Cross, the Bryan ISD Education Foundation, and more, by attending board meetings, engaging in discussions, and volunteering at events. Additionally, we welcomed and congratulated the incoming Bush Board Fellows, who received their pins and will serve on a nonprofit board in 2025.
The Bush Board Fellows Program adds value to students’ classroom learning through firsthand experience in board governance by serving as non-voting board members at a nonprofit organization for one year. The program employs students to expand their knowledge of nonprofit organizations and positively impact the community.
This year, we added five new nonprofit host organizations, including the Pride Community Center, the Alabama Free Clinic, the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Brazos Valley, and the Rosenberg Railroad Museum. We are so grateful for the support of our partner organizations and all they do to support, encourage, and teach our exceptional Bush Board Fellows. We eagerly anticipate the positive change our fellows will continue to bring to the nonprofit sector.
“Our Pinning Ceremony was packed with excited students, their supportive families, and representatives from our 23 nonprofit organizations ready to connect and share the missions of their organizations. As the Student Program Coordinator of the Bush Board Fellows program, I was amazed to see the transformation of my fellow classmates after they joined the Board Fellow Program; with it all being displayed at our Pinning Ceremony. It was inspiring to see past fellows interact with the nonprofit boards they had served with and listen to their testimonies of how the program allowed them to enhance their professional skills and empower them to serve in the community.” –Yovanka Gonzalez, ‘25
