Bond Scholarship

For Dick and Reva Bond, establishing a scholarship just seems like the right thing to do. Reva worked as a tutor at Aims for nearly a decade, and Dick has spent much of his life in academia, as a professor, a college president and most recently as a member of the Aims Board of Trustees.

“Wherever we have been, we’ve felt some responsibility to the institution we’ve been connected with,” Dick said. “We happened to be sold on the importance of community colleges.”

The couple visited Aims recently to meet with the recipient of their scholarship for single parents. “Primarily, we were thinking about supporting those single parents who don’t have the financial or emotional support,” Reva said.

When Krista Kaminski entered the room, the Bonds’ faces beamed with smiles. They hugged and shook hands, and in minutes they settled into a comfortable conversation. Kaminski already has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and returned to Aims to become a Registered Nurse. They discussed anatomy and physiology, as Dick used to teach that subject.

“Krista’s a beautiful example of what we want to happen through our scholarship,” Dick said. “We’re just sorry it isn’t more.”

The conversation drifted to the children. The Bonds talked her about their children, and Krista shared pictures of her 3- and 6-year-olds. “Their father doesn’t pay child support,” she said. “I went to school before I had kids and that, compared to this, was easy.”

Before they part, they all agreed that it was a moving experience to meet each other. “Every one of us stands on the shoulders of somebody else,” Dick said. “When we went to school, we were dependent on someone else to help us out, so we’re passing it on.”

Krista again graciously thanked the Bonds for their generosity. “If I ever get into a position in my life where I can do that, I would definitely make that happen,” she said. “That’s what life is all about, helping others.”