December 13, 2024
In appreciation of David Bonderman, whose vision broadened horizons and changed lives
David Bonderman encouraged students to go outside their comfort zones and their time zones through the Bonderman Fellowships.
Photo by Web Summit Web Summit, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
We join friends, colleagues and the Bonderman Fellow community who are saddened to learn of David Bonderman’s recent passing. David earned his undergraduate degree in Russian from the University of Washington in 1963. A proponent of the transformative power of travel, he created the Bonderman Fellowship in 1995 to provide opportunities for students to have life-changing, international experiences.
His influence in and talent for business, and his interests in sports and rock-and-roll music are well-documented with far-reaching impacts. The Bonderman Fellowships at the UW are, arguably, the most individually-impactful of David’s visionary interests and gifts. David received a travel fellowship after graduating from Harvard Law School which inspired his vision for the Bonderman Fellowship at the UW.
Bonderman Fellowships offer undergraduate, graduate and professional students at the UW $26,000 for independent exploration and international travel. Bonderman Fellows travel on their own for eight months, to at least six countries in two regions of the world. Their “assignment” is to seek out new experiences and learn about the world around them. While there is frequently a guiding interest that shapes their trip, fellows are not allowed to engage in formal study at a university, conduct research or travel with an organized group.
More than 300 students have been named Bonderman Fellows since 1995. Collectively, they have traveled from Algeria and Argentina to Vietnam and Zimbabwe and dozens of countries in between. Their interests are as wide-ranging as their flight paths and other modes of travel.
“These journeys have created a sense of connection with all of humanity and trust in oneself that can’t be replicated by any other experience,” said Brook Kelly, Bonderman alum and assistant director in the Honors Program who also supported the Fellowship for nearly two decades.
“My own Bonderman journey was 20 years ago, and I first met David just after I’d returned to Seattle from six months of traveling in east and southern Africa. I felt lucky to meet and thank him, and to get a little glimpse into the direct, funny and impact-minded person behind the gift that had changed my life. I feel so lucky to have known him, to have helped to bring his vision to life, and for the ripples my own Bonderman trip continues to create.”
— Brook Kelly
Upon learning of David Bonderman’s passing, Bonderman Fellow Drew Pierce-Street wrote that she “reflected on how every nook and cranny of my present day have been touched by David Bonderman’s generosity, and how vastly different I am from one year ago (almost to the day) when I boarded a plane to discover the greatest internal adventure and period of growth in my life. … Perhaps there is more motivation for me now to keep surging forward with an added sparkle of gusto on the path that the fellowship laid down for me.”
With gratitude, we remember the impact David Bonderman had on more than 300 Bonderman Fellows in providing them with life-changing experiences of international travel.Photo by Bryan Nakata
Bonderman Fellows talk about their gratitude in being able to travel the world; how prolonged, solo travel can be difficult but inspires courage and confidence; how they view the world differently and see the interconnectedness of people more readily; how they want to make a difference in the lives of others.
Bonderman Fellow Bryan Nakata reflected they were “inspired to push boundaries, challenge assumptions and find ways to connect with others across cultures and geographies. I grew immensely as a person, and it was undoubtedly one of the most important experiences of my life. The lessons I learned as a fellow will guide me for the rest of my life, and I am very proud to call myself a Bonderman alum. I believe his legacy will live on through the work we do and the next generations of fellows for years to come.”
Bonderman Fellowships are administered by Undergraduate Academic Affairs and The Graduate School. In 2017, the UW Bonderman Fellowship expanded its impact with a $10 million endowment from David Bonderman. Prior to that he funded the Fellowships annually.
Read President Ana Mari Cauce’s appreciation of David Bonderman.
Learn more about the experiences of Bonderman Fellows through this audio slideshow, created in 2007 for the 15th anniversary of the Bonderman Fellowships.