LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Daniel Bonnett was nominated by Tonya Hudnall Harper, the parent of a student.

In the community of Charleston, WV, math can be very intimidating. Most of the student population at Riverside High School qualifies for the free or reduced lunch program due to low income. Working-class families tend to place more emphasis on trades than academics and often will fear advanced classes, especially math.

Mr. Bonnett is single-handedly changing that. He has changed the lives of every student who has had the privilege of entering his classroom. Mr. Bonnett creates a fun, relaxed learning environment where students thrive and excel in advanced academics. Students enter his classroom stressed and unsure that they can perform to the high academic standards he pushes them toward. However, within the first few weeks, they are experiencing complete and total success thanks to his teaching methods and strategies. When you walk into his classroom, you immediately see and feel his love for his students and his passion for teaching. 

Mr. Bonnett's passion for math does not end in his classroom. He has worked diligently to organize the Mu Alpha Theta National Mathematics Honor Society, not only for his school, but for the entire region, which now includes most of the eastern United States. He began with a handful of students and currently has hundreds inducted into this organization. He has created a math competition team that includes students from multiple schools competing nationally.

"Mr. Bonnett has brought back a sense of pride in math to this community, and we love him for it. I can not think of a teacher more deserving of this award than him," said Harper. "He devotes 100% of his time, energy, enthusiasm, and love for math to his students and this community. Every child who has entered his classroom has come to love and succeed in the mathematics field. I have had the honor of hearing several of his lessons, and they brought a new understanding of math to a person who had previously feared and loathed it. He takes a personal interest in his students and their well-being. He pushes them to apply for college and teaches them how to get scholarships to pay for it. He willingly gives up his planning time to add more math support to the school, and he's always there to answer questions or tutor kids when needed, even if they aren't his own students. He goes above and beyond for this community, and he truly is a LifeChanger!"