The April Love and Honor Story Project recipient, Bunny Fernandes, is described as someone who embodies “exercising good judgment and believing in personal responsibility.” Fernandes is a junior majoring in Zoology and Environmental Science. She serves on the student sustainability council and is the founder of green gamers, an organization that educates on the intersection of sustainability and gaming. 

​​Green gamers started as a group of friends. Some were passionate about gaming; others about sustainability. Fernandes strived to merge these two communities by creating an environment of inclusion and honesty. According to her nominator, “She always has great ideas, really listens to the members, and helps ground the team when we start to drift.” 

Fernandes has the ability to take someone’s idea and elevate it to make it an even better idea. She engages green gamer members by hosting PowerPoint nights and sharing online and campus resources.

What makes Fernandes an invaluable leader is her ability to translate her leadership skills across multiple organizations. Her leadership journey started before college with her high school job. The job set a strong foundation for her leadership endeavors in college. As a first-year student, Fernandes took the initiative to gain leadership skills by joining her residence hall’s community leadership team (CLT). This led her to acquire the skills to be elected vice president of league of geeks and start green gamers. 

If Fernandes had one piece of advice for her fellow peers, she would emphasize how important it is to simply keep pushing forward. “Keep going,” Fernandes said. “I struggle with anxiety and other things so I know how hard it can be to keep pushing.” 

When she has a bad day mentally, Fernandes admits it's easy to get upset at herself for not being able to get anything done. However, she also knows it's vital to have grace for yourself. She often reminds herself that “there’s always tomorrow and everything is very temporary.” This helps her push herself to get through the bad days to see the other side. 

Bunny Fernandes is a testament to the importance of taking care of your mental health and being able to succeed despite challenges one may face.  

The Love and Honor Story Project is a platform for students to recognize and honor students enacting the values articulated in the Code of Love and Honor. If you know someone who exemplifies the Code of Love and Honor through their extraordinary care for their community, nominate them to be recognized!

To nominate someone, visit the Office of the Dean of Students' website and complete a brief nomination form.