Saundra Dobbs Bishop (B.A., 2005) and Tom Bishop (B.A., 2005)
“I loved Honors College. It was great having the open door access to the deans. I always had a place I could go when I needed assistance.”
— Saundra Dobbs Bishop
Saundra Dobbs Bishop and Tom Bishop, members of the first graduating class of Honors College, had a number of life-shaping experiences as Hofstra University Honors College students. Saundra, a California native, says, “Without Honors College, I probably would not have come to Hofstra, and, as a result, would not have realized how much I love traveling.”
Without Honors College, Saundra also would not have met Tom Bishop, a fellow Honors College student, who became her husband in September 2005. The two discovered their mutual love of traveling and volunteering and have incorporated both into their life’s work.
“I loved Honors College,” Saundra recalled. “It was great having the open door access to the deans. I always had a place I could go when I needed assistance. Also, it was incredible having such respected scholars constantly available to discuss ideas, problems, and any other topic that was relevant.”
Since graduating, the Bishops have traveled to Ghana, Guatemala, Mexico, Costa Rica, Rwanda, India and Egypt as goodwill ambassadors. In Ghana, they coordinated malaria education programs, taught English, worked in orphanages and helped construct a building. They worked at an animal rehabilitation center in Guatemala, a soup kitchen in Mexico, orphanages in Costa Rica and Rwanda, an English program in Egypt, and with Tibetan refugees in India. They also run Sungsim Women’s Organization, a community-based organization headquartered in Ghana.
Saundra is currently teaching special education, developing curriculum and working toward a master’s degree in public policy. She plans to start a doctoral program in psychology next fall. She even wrote a book based on their experiences, titled Don’t Sleep Near the Manzanillo Tree: How to Volunteer Abroad Independently and Survive. Tom teaches high school English and is working toward a master’s degree in international education policy. He plans to pursue a doctorate in philosophy.
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