CWU helps international student-athlete discover a future in wine studies

When Lewis Bonjean came to CWU from Dubai to play rugby, he thought he’d pursue a degree in clinical physiology to pair with his athleticism.

As time went on, he realized that direction wasn’t for him, so he spent some time between goals before stumbling upon on an entirely different career path.

“I was kind of in between things in my sophomore year, thinking that maybe I’d just do an entrepreneurship degree and figure out the rest along the way,” Bonjean said. “That’s when I found the Wine Studies program, which is super niche in an amazing way. A lot of folks think that it’s just making and drinking wine all day, but it’s really the business side of it that you learn, which has been really helpful to me specifically as I get ready to run a winery.”

Bonjean’s discovery of wine studies came at around the same time his family started a winery in Texas, one that he will begin managing in August. After a back injury forced him to retire from the rugby team during his junior year, he began preparing for the role through his work as an intern at Iron Horse Brewery in Ellensburg, an experience he says has opened a multitude of doors for him.

“The way it runs is really cool to see, and I love being part of that,” Bonjean said. “I’m great friends with the owner out there, and that’s definitely a relationship I’ll be able to carry with me for the rest of my career. As a little sneak peek, we want to make canned wine seltzers at our winery, and the things I’ve learned at Iron Horse will play a huge part in that.”

Bonjean currently leads Iron Horse’s sensory team, exploring the flavors, sights, and scents of their products to make sure they align with what they want to serve their customers. The work utilizes one of his favorite parts of the wine studies curriculum.

“You learn to identify all these cool things about beer and wine through your five senses,” Bonjean said. “Everything you can learn about an alcoholic beverage through practice and those senses is just insane.”

Looking back on his time at CWU, Bonjean feels tremendous gratitude toward the Office of International Studies and Programs, and the help the staff offered him in navigating the complexities of studying abroad.

“Roz Moes, the international advisor, is just the best human being I’ve met here,” he said. “She has done everything in her power to help me out through the visa process, enrollment, and everything else. It can be pretty scary when you first look at it, but she knows exactly what she’s doing and made it feel like a breeze. I don’t think I could have done any of this without her and the International Studies department.”

Bonjean was initially skeptical of living in the Kittitas Valley since he was more accustomed to the hustle and bustle of life in the big city. However, that changed as soon as he got to know the area and the people who live here.

“I really enjoy it here, and I’ve come to love the city of Ellensburg,” Bonjean said. “That small-town feel after living here for four years is always going to have a place in my heart. That freedom of being able to go out to the mountains and the surrounding valleys is honestly perfect for living.”

With a career in the wine business on the horizon, Bonjean knows his time at Central has prepared him well for whatever challenges might come his way.

“You go and study craft brewing or wine at Central and you’ve immediately got a job when you graduate,” he said, adding that the CWU program has built a stellar reputation in the industry. “Every single student gets placed immediately because there’s such a shortage of well-educated brewers and vintners across the country.”

Thinking ahead, Bonjean is excited to continue building his expertise and bringing it back to CWU to help other aspiring professionals create their own futures.