Siandhara Bonnet is a first-generation American born to a Filipino father and a Scottish mother. Early in her youth, Siandhara's parents divorced; soon after, her father was deported. "I didn't know what that meant at the time. I just knew I wasn't going to see him for a while," she recalled. Siandhara's mother did her best to support the family and teach the Filipino culture to her daughters. This proved challenging when her mother remarried, and the family moved to a suburb of Austin, Texas. "It was hard being multi-cultured. At school, I was asked, 'What are you?' and given the label of 'not a real Asian,' which was tough."

 In high school, Siandhara became involved in the school paper, and her interest in journalism took root. She reflects fondly on her teacher Danielle Bell, who introduced her to journalism and instilled her passion for storytelling. "We called her Mama B, and she helped me find my voice, not just in journalism, but within myself," added Siandhara. After high school, Siandhara bucked Austin tradition and enrolled at the rival college University of Oklahoma. "My stepfather was from Oklahoma, and his mother went to OU. Watching Sooner football was a Saturday tradition in our household. Still, I couldn't even wear my OU gear until I got accepted due to the deep-rooted rivalry," she joked.

 Siandhara was quick to adapt and thrive in the new college environment. It wasn't long before she became the youngest editor in the history of the OU Daily, a student-run newspaper. "It was suggested to always have an internship, so the summer after my junior year, I interned at the Shawnee News-Star, which is where I met Kent Bush," said Bonnet. A recipient of the Chips Quinn Scholarship Program, Siandhara later found herself interning in Washington state, unafraid of following her passion for journalism. "I had only had my driver's license for a year when I packed up my 1999 Camry to drive from Norman to Washington. My parents encouraged me to follow my dreams, and this was just one step in that journey," she explained.

 After graduating from OU in 2019, Bonnet moved to Arkansas for her first full-time journalism position. The job was not a great fit, and after a few months, she began job searching and reached out to her references. By this time, her former internship supervisor, Kent Bush, was in Rapid City working as the Editor for the Rapid City Journal. Kent was impressed by her work at the Shawnee News-Star. In May 2020, Bonnet found herself on yet another road trip across the nation to take on a position for the Journal as the Northern Hills reporter. "I wasn't sure what to expect. No one in my family even knew where Rapid was. I just took a leap of faith and put my trust in Kent and my own abilities," recalled Bonnet. "My family was worried about me moving, but supported my dream. My stepdad bought me a copy of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee."

 While remote work during the pandemic made the transition to Rapid City difficult, Bonnet's fearlessness and determination paid off immensely. "I really love it here. It's a great town and I feel like a part of the community," said Bonnet. She now works as the City Editor. "I love learning how a city functions. I get to talk with experts about their passions and it is infectious." As for what's next for Siandhara, she sees herself staying in the journalism industry for a long time. "Journalism is so important and a vital service to our community. I would love to teach journalism someday. Some of my biggest influencers were my teachers. I believe in the mission of journalism and see no greater calling."

Did you know?

• Siandhara (shan-Dar-uh) is a combination of Sian and Dara from the Gaelic language meaning “wise from the heart.”
• When asked what the toughest part of her job is, Siandhara stated, “There is a lot of anonymity as a newspaper journalist. Sometimes, people forget there is a person behind the article, and we are people too. We are always just trying to do our best to tell a story.”
• Siandhara’s favorite interview was with Olympic Champion gymnast Simone Biles. “She is the epitome of feminism. She’s beautiful, powerful, and a true inspiration.”