To say Dr. Stephanie Bondi is essential to Stand in for Nebraska’s entire story is an understatement. From the early days of sign-holding stand ins (too many to count—hundreds!), Stephanie and her family have been baseline voices and supporters of human rights and justice in Nebraska.
Gentle in spirit and heart, thoughtful, fiercely resolved and reliable, Stephanie offers a steadiness, a constancy not fueled by ego grassroots organizations need to build and realize potential.
As a fine scholar devoting her entire adult life to justice work, Stephanie loves to get behind and realize innovative programming with a team while laser beam-focusing on policy advocacy. From walking alongside the Roots to Rise program’s brilliant development and serving as a supportive program administrator, to assisting Dr. Anh Le and Cheri Stollar as they launched their highly successful Mindfulness and Trauma Healing course rooted in Buddhist philosophies and practices, to helping “build the SIFN plane while flying it” in terms of macro organizational structures and practices, Stephanie is present, invested, and deeply value-adding. Further, Stephanie’s advocacy efforts within the Niskithe Prayer Camp’s work to resist desecration of sacred indigenous spaces near Wilderness Park prove unyielding and again, egoless—completely in service of her indigenous colleagues leading that campaign.
Knowing white social justice advocates do not get to declare themselves allies—for such a self-identifier is earned from those with whom one aims to forge allyship—Stephanie confirms, without exception, her allyship. She deeply realizes and reveres her subject position as an aspiring ally, where she offers her love and substantial support in service of BIPOC visions and needs.
Stephanie is among the safest and most principled people we know. Demonstrating resilience that would make many white advocates wither and withdraw into self-protection, Stephanie understands that visible, organized, and substantial justice work comes with many resistances, from micro to macro-aggressions—both anticipated and unanticipated. Ever rooted in and demonstrating of our mission and values, Stephanie persists undaunted.
Thank you, Dr. Stephanie Bondi, for the countless hours you have selflessly given to grow this intersectional, cross-cultural grassroots non-profit. Your love, friendship, beautiful spirit and uplifting energies are beyond compare. Our community is served through your incalculable efforts—both subtle and profoun