Bonnie Beukema
From an early age, Bonnie's education, volunteer work, and travel throughout Europe, China, and Africa led her to see issues of poverty, socioeconomic development, and education as inextricably linked. After obtaining her BA from SOAS, University of London and MS from the London School of Economics, she returned to Washington state to successfully defend long-time education champion, Rep. Helen Sommers in her 2004 re-election campaign. Following a brief period in local political consulting, she joined LEV as a policy analyst in 2005 and directed research for the Citizens' Report Card. One part wonk and two parts activist, Bonnie's broad commitment to education is based on a downright dogged belief that educational opportunity for all must be by design, not by luck.
In her spare time, she travels to offbeat destinations, campaigns for issues she's passionate about, serves on the board of Denise Louie Education Center, and explores the Cascades with her best friend, a little Corgi called Vilo. Contact Bonnie at bonnie@educationvoters.org.
Top News
Guest Column: Students' success begins in the belief system
6/30/2008An extraordinary thing happened last month in Granger, a small, impoverished town in the Yakima Valley where most adults and many children work in the fields cutting asparagus, picking cherries and sorting apples. More than 90 percent of the Class of 2008 -- almost all of whom are low-income -- graduated from high school on time. Another couple of students will be graduating this summer.
