Social Innovation

Be the Light: Elizabeth Bonker’s 2022 Commencement Address

Rollins College valedictorian Elizabeth Bonker ’22, who is affected by non-speaking autism and communicates solely by typing, urges her fellow graduates to use their voices, serve others, and see the value in everyone they meet.

From left: Virginia Breen and her daughter Elizabeth Bonker ’22

Raising Her Voice

Elizabeth Bonker ’22 long struggled to communicate with a world that didn’t always understand or accept her. Now, armed with her Rollins education, she’s starting a nonprofit to bring communication assistance to those affected by non-speaking autism.