This summer, Bonilla served as an advisor with the National Urban League’s Washington bureau through Hamilton’s Policy & Nonprofit Leadership Program. She contributed to work on voting rights and federal legislation while gaining experience in the collaboration required to move policy forward.
Bonilla learned about the opportunity through Hamilton’s partnership with Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty (SHECP). After completing an internship with the Gateway Center in Atlanta through SHECP the previous summer, she knew she wanted to continue pursuing policy work.
“The internship placement and cohort experiences were incredible,” she said. “I knew I was interested in exploring policy, so applying to the PNPL program felt very natural.”
The Washington bureau’s small team gave Bonilla the opportunity to learn how different areas of the organization work together. Summer advisors rotate through the policy, advocacy, appropriations, and executive teams, where Bonilla has assisted with policy research, memos, meeting notes, and social media content.
One of her largest projects was helping to organize a virtual town hall on voter registration for young adults ages 18 to 25 from across the country. As the content and education team lead, Bonilla coordinated meetings, developed presentation materials, and presented the team’s proposal to executive leadership. She also contributed ideas to the organization’s policy work. While discussing the Living Wage for All Act, Bonilla proposed an amendment addressing the costs that corporate data centers can place on their local communities. Her proposal would ensure that corporations are responsible for those costs rather than placing them on the communities hosting the facilities.
Bonilla drew on her environmental studies coursework when developing the ideas, particularly lessons from her courses with Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Kwabena Edusei. “I would say Professor Edusei’s courses have taught me how to ask the right questions,” she remarked.
“I am deeply inspired by those who understand change is a slow process, and they are extremely patient and courageous.”
After sharing her idea during a staff meeting, Bonilla was asked to write a memo outlining the proposed amendment, which was then added to the organization’s recommendations.
For Bonilla, seeing her idea move from a discussion to a formal policy recommendation has been one of the most rewarding parts of the experience. She has also been struck by the amount of collaboration involved in nonprofit and policy work, from partnerships with government agencies and corporations to coalitions with other organizations working in the civil rights space.
“I’m finding that this opportunity has made me see just how many people of all backgrounds have to work to make a vision into reality,” she said. “I am deeply inspired by those who understand change is a slow process, and they are extremely patient and courageous.”
Bonilla plans to continue pursuing work in the nonprofit and government sectors after Hamilton. She is considering graduate study in environmental justice or policy, with the possibility of attending law school later. Whatever path she ultimately takes, she hopes to build on these experiences and keep finding ways to turn her ideas into action.
Posted September 9, 2026
