Mentor Spotlight: Faith Boninger

Take a minute to get to know WLI mentor, Faith Boninger by reading the Q&A below!

Please share a few of your favorite things you have learned in the class sessions?

I really enjoyed working with other mentors when we did a bit of teaching. It was more about working together than the content of the sessions, though. As for content, my favorite things are Simon Sinek’s “The Power of Why,” and J.K. Rowling’s graduation speech. I learned a lot about life from Dale’s story of career (which she did at one of the retreats), and I was blown over when Ellen brought in the ERA banner that had been to so many marches for women’s rights.

How have you stayed involved with WLI since your year ended?

I just keep starting a new year!

What is your occupation and have you been able to apply what you learned in WLI to your job?

I’m a research professor in education at the University of Colorado Boulder. In that context I’m both a mentee and a mentor, so I bring what I learn in those roles back and forth between there and WLI. As a mentee, it means taking a lead, and as a mentor it means asking a lot of questions.

Please tell us more about yourself, your family and/or your involvement in the Jewish community.

My husband David and I have two daughters in their twenties, Alisa (who we’ve been so fortunate to have living with us this past year) and Talia (who currently lives in New Orleans). We’ve been members of Temple Solel since Talia was in the 3’s class at the Solel Preschool. Both girls went to Pardes Jewish Day School, and Talia was involved in both the temple youth group and camp. I have long appreciated how our various Jewish activities (including involvement with the Valley Interfaith Project and, of course, WLI) make us feel grounded in the community more generally rather than siloed in any one particular place. It was amazing for me to see, when our kids were in high school, how connected all the Jewish kids were — no matter where in the city they happened to be from. And it is fun for me now when I get a text telling me that this or that old Pardes classmate is on their way over to visit, or already here sleeping in one of the bedrooms.

In your spare time what are some hobbies or activities you like to do? (and/or share some fun facts about yourself)

I really enjoy cooking — which to me is arts and crafts, science, and cultural history. Between my own purchases and gifts I’ve received, I have an embarrassingly large collection of middle eastern cookbooks. It’s my favorite type of food, for sure, but I also love the photographs and the stories they contain. I guess it could also be said that I’m a very persistent runner. I don’t feel like one, but somehow or another I keep going out every 2-3 days and those days have added up to quite a few years! I’m not sure if I have more years running or more cookbooks!