In Philadelphia, Bodine International Affairs graduate Sonia Lewis has, twenty years later, given her former school the same amount she once received in support — $16,200.
In the early 2000s, Lewis was one of the school’s top students, but because her mother and grandmother were seriously ill, her family was unable to complete the paperwork for financial aid in time for her to enter university. At that point, principal Karen P. Hill decided to combine the school’s internal awards into one sum and use it to pay for Sonia’s first year of study.
Thanks to those funds, Lewis enrolled at Bloomsburg University, later earned a doctorate, and founded Student Loan Doctor, a company that helps graduates manage student debt.
When she returned to the school, she announced that she would cover all graduation-class expenses — from yearbooks to the traditional trip — in the same amount. The gesture became a symbol of continuity and gratitude: the support she once received helped build her career and now returns to a new generation of students.
