Born in Muncie, Indiana, Bonnie Louise Williams enrolled at Indiana University in 1966. A first-generation college student, she received scholarships for room and board to attend IU. Williams was originally a Spanish major, but after a family trip to Florida, she decided on a travel-oriented major, specifically, Political Cultural Urban Economic Geography. While attending Indiana University, she pledged Delta Zeta sorority, worked with the IU Student Foundation (of which she was on the pre-race committee for the Little 500), and was Card Section Captain for football. She also served as a counselor for Freshman camp and the Crimson Cadets. She completed her B.A. in geography in 1970 and attended the graduate program in geography at IU from 1970-1971. After graduation, Williams worked full-time for the Indiana University Student Foundation, and later the Indiana Association of Public-School Superintendents. In July 1972, she went on a seven-week European tour of fourteen countries before returning home to Muncie to look for jobs in travel. With the help of fellow Indiana University Student Foundation alumni, she was hired by Cartan Travel in Chicago, Illinois. During a career spanning nearly 4 decades, Williams worked for various companies in international group travel and through that has been to over 150 countries. Williams retired in 2011. She and her husband reside in Texas, where she often organizes day trips around Fort Worth.