Testimonials

 In this day and age, adolescents need opportunities to grow their leadership skills to enhance all aspects of their lives. Positive school climate requires participation from *all* constituencies — including students — to continue to grow and flourish. What I have observed with our students' work in the Bonstingl Leaders for the Future program is that the students involved actively engage in a process that results in an increased level of confidence, collaborative work, and an ability to process feedback. The program has had a genuine positive impact on our students. 

Kenneth Smith: Principal, Suffield Middle School

 I first met John Jay Bonstingl (Jay) back in 2007. Jay was a client of mine and was soliciting financial support for a Leadership program he was running in local elementary schools. As he explained the program I thought to myself this has tremendous potential to positively impact children, so I signed on and funded the program in my district. Jay invited me to come speak to the kids and see their final projects as they presented them. I was impressed to say the least. For starters, these are kids that are selected because someone in the school sees potential in them. They were not the stars, the most athletic, the best students, but someone in the building believed in them and picked them for the program. Kids from a few schools came together and were provided with lessons and skills for developing their own leadership potential. They were then broken into teams by school and tasked with creating a project to take back to their individual schools. My favorite project started with a young girl talking about how lunch time can be a difficult time for some kids because they don’t have many friends or perhaps they don’t belong to a group that sits together. The plan from this group proposed that 1 day a week, kids would pick random numbers as they entered the lunch room and sit at corresponding lunch tables. This would afford them the opportunity to meat new kids and have discussions with people they otherwise would not interact with. I loved the idea. The principal from that school who was also present for the presentation loved it as well and told the group they would implement the idea at school. I went on to connect Jay to our corporate liaison which helped to fund Jay’s program across the country. I also had the privilege of speaking to some of the students about leadership at a local high school Jay was working with. Jay’s program is outstanding and anyone questioning whether or not it is worth it only needs to ask themselves, does this program have the potential to positively impact one student (in reality it positively impacts every student). 

Paul Duffy: State Farm Agent, Columbia, MD

 For the past 13 years we have been proud and delighted to sponsor Professor Bonstingl's national student leadership program at our corporate conference center for public and charter school teams from all over our state of New Hampshire. My favorite day of the year is when I get to see the amazing insights and skills our young participants develop — the very same insights and skills they will need in order to thrive in the global marketplace. 

Thomas J. Raffio: President & CEO, Northeast Delta Dental; Past chair, NH State Board of Education; Chair, NH Coalition for Business & Education; author of three books:   There Are No Do-Overs; Mindfulness – a better me; a better you; a better world; and Prepare For Crisis, Plan to Thrive

 We had Jay as our keynote speaker for 425 Support Staff at their professional development day in 2018. Jay presented an interactive workshop on personal leadership related directly to our District's "Six Employee Expectations." Jay did a great job focusing the group and leaving everyone with feelings of importance to the organization. He shared his Seven Personal Practices to get the job done right, customizing a true quality leadership experience for our employees. 

Jeffrey J. Eble: Director of Business, Worthington City Schools

 John Jay Bonstingl inspires me to bring peace, love, and acceptance of all God’s children in this world. Since participating in the very first International Youth Leadership Summit for Peace as a Nepali high school student Peace Ambassador, I have used the tools and strategies I learned to enlist fellow visionaries for peace and social justice in my country of Nepal and around the world. My generation of young leaders will be unstoppable! 

Sanskriti Duwadi: Social scientist, founder of PROTEA (a global LGBTQ+ advocacy organization) and advocate for peace

 Prof. Jay Bonstingl is the leading expert in developing young people’s leadership potential around the world, with particular expertise for young persons from developing countries. A quarter-century later, I still recall Jay’s powerful keynote address in Beijing for educators from all across China. 

Dr. Boliang Guo: University of Nottingham (UK)

 In this tumultuous time of misinformation and silenced voices, I am so grateful that Mr. Bonstingl is still imparting wisdom and challenging minds. He remains an influential voice in education to whom l am forever grateful. 

Natalie McAdoo: Web developer, former student

 Namaste! I have had the great pleasure of working closely with Jay, who has served as PENN's international advisor for nearly a decade. Together we have conducted our annual International Youth Leadership Summit for Peace, with outstanding middle school and high school students participating from around the globe via Zoom, on International Peace Day, September 21st. Our global student Peace Ambassadors have created original peace projects inspiring their schools, families, and communities to make peace and peacefulness their committed way of being in our shared world. 

BN Sharma: Founder and President, Peace Education Network—Nepal (PENN)

 Having known Jay Bonstingl for more than fifty years I can attest to his effective teaching methods and leadership models. His strategies for engaging students have withstood the test of time. He was both my teacher and then later my mentor. I can say that I use much of what I learned from him in my daily life. I am grateful to have been both Jay's student and his colleague. 

Phyllis Dato Timbario: Pittsburgh Diocese Schools, Teacher of students with special needs

 As my mentor, teacher, and friend, Jay directs his intense inner beam of light outward and daily elevates and inspires me; psychologically, spiritually, and emotionally. 

Colette Bryson: Independent political consultant

 What makes Jay Bonstingl such a leader in education is that he encourages students to think — in other words, to think for themselves and come up with their own conclusions based upon the information at hand. In today's world this is gold. In the end, students are confident enough to enter today's world with the ability to use the skills they have acquired in order to be leaders in their own right, and to be confident and respectful enough to debate others who may have a different opinion. 

Mark Greenwald: Police Commissioner, emeritus. [Photo taken in our town’s Dickens-themed Christmas pageant]

 I attribute my long and successful career in the United States Air Force to learning at a young age the importance of developing leadership in myself and in my subordinates. If we are to succeed as a society, we must build our young people’s leadership potential. The earlier we do this at home and in school, the better. 

John Whittier Seitz: United States Air Force (Ret.), former student of Mr. Bonstingl

 I have known Jay for almost two decades now. I first met him when he came to India to deliver an amazing keynote address in our school for our annual Quality Circles conference. More than 4,000 students from all across Asia attended in our massive auditorium, the second-largest school auditorium in India. Within a very short period of time, in a foreign country, he made friends with our students, training them to compose an original song that would follow his speech. We still cherish those memories after all these years. It is a privilege to listen to him and learn from him. 

Dr. Shraddha Rai Sharma: Independent Researcher/English Language Trainer/PGT English

 I am honored to write a testimonial for Jay Bonstingl. When I was a principal, Jay helped our school obtain Honor School of Excellence recognition. Jay’s hands-on leadership program lifted our school to new heights. His leadership development plan helped our students and faculty to set goals that focused our school to achieve exceptional gains in academics and a positive school environment. I highly recommend Jay’s leadership program as a catalyst to achieve excellence! 

Budd Dingwall: Elementary school principal (ret.)

 I first met Jay Bonstingl as a high school student fifty years ago. We have remained friends thoughout all these years. I can still vividly remember how kind and respectful he was to his students. Jay had high expectations for each one of us. You could feel his passion as he taught. Jay’s knowledge and strategies in leadership development would be a valuable asset for every school, company, and organization. Jay has been a true mentor and heartful friend to me and so many of his students. 

Karen Marchetti Chamberlin: Collections agent

 I really loved being part of Mr. Bonstingl’s leadership program! Mr. B helped me realize how much potential I have within myself. I have definitely developed more confidence and I am a much better presenter than before. I can’t wait to see where this takes me in my future! Thank you, Mr. B!! 

Payton Benito: 5th grade student

 I’ve been involved with Jay over the past 10 years, watching him develop young kids’ abilities to become fantastic leaders by giving them the tools they need to be leaders in the classroom and in their school. Jay’s Leaders for the Future program has proven to be extremely successful year after year. I’m proud to be involved because of the great job he does not only with our emerging student leaders, but also with young teachers, showing them how successfully cultivate leaders in their own classrooms. I would encourage anyone to come see it in action. You will be impressed. 

Frank Tansey: Make-A-Wish Foundation

 Jay has built a solid reputation as a leader in the arena of quality improvement—leading seminars, teaching classes to students of all ages (and their teachers), and through his work with industry and the medical profession. He can show you how the quality principles — including strategic planning and intentional, goal based actions in an atmosphere of team cooperation and respect — work at any level and in any business. 

Dr. Linda Green James: Advisor in Baldrige-based quality learning and improvement; First education specialist of the Baldrige National Quality Award Program