The 'From The Heart' feature series takes an in-depth look at St. Bonaventure student-athletes and coaches. Named for the beloved Merton's Heart that overlooks campus, this series will tell the stories of Bonnies athletic programs on and off the field. Click here for previous installments in the series.  


At St. Bonaventure University, Franciscan values are an important part of the student experience.  

The ideas of compassion, integrity, and wisdom, among many others, are widely taught to all students in their time as Bonnies. In recent years, the St. Bonaventure Athletics Department has taken extra steps towards instilling these values in their student-athletes. The most recent step is the Bona Way. 

The Bona Way is a year-long program for St. Bonaventure student-athletes. The program's mission is to create a value-based culture within the Bonnies' athletic programs, where student-athletes embody the university's Franciscan mission through excellence in sport, service, and academics. 

"We felt that it was really important that our student-athletes remember who we are, who we serve, and what our purpose is," St. Bonaventure Vice President and Director of Athletics Bob Beretta said. "Our Franciscan values need to stay at the forefront of who we are." 

In its first year, 50 student-athletes applied for acceptance into the Bona Way program. Of the applicants, 30 participants were selected to be included in the inaugural group. Those who were selected represent a variety of the Bonnies' men's and women's athletic programs.  

"We try to take what we do in the sessions and implement them in our team," said Kelly Barnes, a women's tennis team member who graduated in May. She was also the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee president the past two years. "Whether its having integrity and more sportsmanship on the court and on the field, or compassion and making sure everyone's involved within our team and has a safe space, we bring the ideas back to the team."  


Fr. Steven Kuehn, St. Bonaventure University Chaplain, talks to Bonnies student-athletes during a meeting of the Bona Way group in the Spring semester.

The program consists of six in-person workshops, three during each semester of the school year. After an initial meeting to introduce the program, student-athletes attended workshops that covered the values of community, compassion, wisdom, and integrity. 

Leading the workshops is Fr. Steven Kuehn, St. Bonaventure University Chaplain. Kuehn, a former Division I men's lacrosse player at Navy, believes the values the program teaches can be applied by athletes both on and off the field. 

"These values are important to build what's on the field as well as what's off the field," Kuehn said. "The program is helping to do that by talking about compassion, wisdom, integrity, and community. Things that are maybe in some ways bigger than the sport itself but also are directly applicable to the sport." 

Known as "Father Steve" around campus, Kuehn's background as both a Division I student-athlete during his college career and today serving as a friar gives him the ability to connect with student-athletes while teaching Franciscan values. 

The Bonnies' men's and women's swim and dive teams are a two of the most represented teams in the Bona Way program. Across the teams, all five captains were selected to participate in the program. According to senior captain Nele Vetter, what they learn through the Bona Way program helps them in their leadership role.  

"We look at what we learn in the meetings and say, 'Okay, this is something we could do better at," Vetter said. "We are people that the underclassmen look up to or come up to when they have a question. If we act a certain way, the younger people learn to act that way." 

"Father Steve brings something so unique to St. Bonaventure, being a friar," Brooke Piper, a women's lacrosse graduate this spring, said. "He's cool to just chat with, and he'll ask us about our games and everything." 

In the final Bona Way meeting of the semester, student-athletes reflected on what they've learned and experienced through the program. According to the athletes, the program has been a great success. 

"I've loved it so far," said women's basketball rising sophomore Mallory Heise. "I try to embody those values as much as I can, and I appreciate them much more than I did before."  

As the Bona Way wraps up, the program will look to continue its strong start into next year.

"The program has shaped the way I compete and carry myself as an athlete," Arjun Pindiprolu, a rising senior on the men's tennis team said. "I've grown to realize that success is measured by more than performance, stats, or wins."