Beatrice Bonner
Community Voices - Editor/ Co-HostBeatrice is the Community Voices Editor for NPR Illinois.
Reach Bea at communityvoices@nprillinois.org.
Previously, she was the Leadership Lived student worker for NPR Illinois during the 2017-2018 school year. Beatrice completed the Capital Honors Scholars Program majoring in communications at UIS in 2018.
Beatrice has acted as a multimedia consultant and co-host at Teen Talk Radio Theater in Chicago.
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Mary Kate Smith is a local voice teacher, actress, singer and more. She also owns The Studio on the Square in Petersburg, Ill. where they offer a variety of lessons and classes. Mary Kate spoke to Community Voices about her journey with theatre and music, her experiences in Chicago and L.A. and the success of The Studio on the Square. She also talked about some of the most rewarding productions she's been a part of at the Springfield Muni Opera.
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The Cats' Pyjamas is the new cat café opening soon in Springfield, Ill. The owners are Springfield locals Tom Raymond and Samantha Enz. They spoke to Community Voices about the origins of cat cafes, how to properly engage with cats and what they hope to offer at the café. They also talk about the benefits of having a cat café in town.
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Tim Crawford is a local playwright, director and actor. He is also the current Our Stage / Our Voices Artist-In-Residence for the University of Illinois Springfield Performing Arts Center. Tim spoke to Community Voices about uplifting diverse voices in the community, his playwriting workshop and his upcoming play "Outraged: Terror in Springfield 1908." Tim also discusses the benefits of the Our Stage / Our Voices Artist-In-Residency Program.
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Jill Hawkins-Wright is the Director of The Volunteer and Civic Engagement Center at the University of Illinois Springfield. Jill has a background in public health and previously worked as the Volunteer Coordinator at Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach before she started at UIS in 2018. Jill spoke to Community Voices about her interest in public health, the services the center offers on campus and in the community, and the upcoming Good as Gold event.
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Dennis Rendleman is a local lawyer concentrating on legal, judicial and governmental ethics. He is also well known in the Springfield theatre community, appearing in shows such as "Evita" and "Godspell." Dennis spoke to Community Voices about his work as a lawyer and the most memorable shows he's participated in. He also shared his experience voicing Ebenezer Scrooge in the Hoogland Center for the Arts 2020 virtual presentation of "A Christmas Carol."
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Sean Crawford is the news director for NPR Illinois. He also anchors All Things Considered, which won the award for “Best Drive-time radio show” in the Illinois Times “Best Of Springfield” readers poll. Crawford sat down with Bea Bonner from Community Voices to talk about his career and the mentorship he received along the way.
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Program to celebrate the 10 selected essayists of the This I Believe Essay Program 2023.
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Pamela Lewis Frazier is owner of All In One Laundry Center & Services and All In One On-Site Wash & Detail. Robert Frazier also helps run All In One and is Executive Director of their nonprofit Clean Slate Advocates. Pamela and Robert spoke to Community Voices about their transition from Corporate America to entrepreneurship, the importance of adding the Laundry Center to their services, and their "From Soap to Hope Challenge." They also discuss bridging gaps in the Springfield community.
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Word Up of Central Illinois is an organization that provides tools and board books to low-income families in the community to encourage language and brain development. Founder and Director of Word Up, Linda Johnson, spoke to Community Voices about why the organization started, speech development in children between the ages of 0-3 and the importance of board books. She also discusses how people can donate books.
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4-H Youth Development Program Coordinator Amy Zepp and Youth Development Educator Carissa Davis spoke to Community Voices to discuss the role of the Illinois Extension 4-H program in Logan, Menard and Sangamon County. They also explained the self-driven learning that children engage in through the program. 4-H stands for head, heart, hands and health, and provides an opportunity for children to develop in all four of these areas.