Making a difference
BY TRACEY THERIAULT
In honor of our 50th anniversary, we collected stories from O’Neill School alumni, students, faculty, and staff about how they are volunteering their time, making a difference, and leading for the greater good. We received responses about service projects happening across the country, from Savannah, Georgia, to Palm Desert, California, and throughout the Midwest. It is exciting to see the many ways in which the O’Neill community is impacting our world.
In Palm Desert, California, you’ll find David Roberson, MSES’78, helping residents prepare for emergencies and disasters, such as a major earthquake, in his volunteer role as IT director with the Sun City Palm Desert Emergency Preparedness Committee.
“My education at the O’Neill School and career in IT and hazardous waste management provided me with both technical and management skills to be able to help this organization with its IT needs, team leadership, and preparations for emergency response when needed,” Roberson said.
Roberson also serves as a team leader and database manager for the Neighbors-4-Neighbors Desert Village Initiative which helps seniors age in place.
“When I retired, I was looking for opportunities to give back to the community,” Roberson said. “My short two-year stint in the MSES program helped me understand that everything is connected and how even small positive inputs can make a big difference in our environment, community, and world.”
In Georgia, the O’Neill School’s Clinical Associate Professor David Bell is consulting with the Savannah Police Department to improve the public policy response to mental health incidents. As part of this effort, the department launched a Behavioral Health Unit and training program to help officers de-escalate situations and connect individuals with mental health resources.
“Work is ongoing and includes consultation with senior police administration, collaboration partners, and other stakeholders as well as observations and research of best practices,” Bell said.
Christina Mendoza, BSPA’00, is a senior executive assistant at UScellular and volunteers her time on the board of the Future Cycle Breakers, an organization in Valparaiso, Indiana, that helps minority youth in underserved communities receive inspiration and the tools they need to become successful business owners. She is also the founder of the Elizabeth Hopper Memorial Endowed Scholarship at Purdue University and serves on the O’Neill School’s Alumni Board.
Mendoza was excited to reconnect with former coworkers and come together for a good cause at a fundraising event she helped plan for the Future Cycle Breakers’ first summer camp.
“Great way to come together to celebrate Black History Month, support a local business and our entrepreneurs,” she said.
Lauren Rapp, MPA’22, is the interim chief of development and communications at the Chicago Public Education Fund and volunteers her time as a guild member with the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, where she chairs individual sponsorship, raising money from current and former guild members to support the haunted house and the museum’s centennial capital campaign.
“I am serving a six-year term on the guild, through which I volunteer at least 500 hours a year. I’ll be at the museum for at least 80 hours in October alone, staffing the haunted house,” Rapp said. “It’s a lot, but I love giving back to my community this way.”
Anastasia Nystedt, BSPA’96, served as PTO president at the Clarendon Hills Middle School in Illinois. The highlight of her time in that role was an outdoor classroom project that began in the fall of 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“My PTO exec team led our organization through the post-COVID restart to normal and managed the outdoor classroom project. School, family, and staff recognize the benefits of taking classes outdoors and want to continue to have those benefits for students,” Nystedt said. “What was once no man’s land with overgrown grass and mud puddles is now an enjoyable garden-like space for the whole community.”
Jamey (Alexander) Behringer, BSPA’89, is the CEO of Icon Protection and is an ongoing advocate and mentor for children in foster care with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of River Valley in Illinois.
“The youth I support have made an astounding difference in my life,” Behringer said. “My CASA kids have taught me much about grit and determination and regularly inspire me to find more ways to positively impact their foster care outcomes.”
The O’Neill School community is making a significant impact on the world. Whether they are preparing for emergencies and disasters, improving public policy responses to mental health incidents, empowering minority youth in underserved communities, organizing events and fundraising, or advocating for children in foster care, each person is using their skills and education to make a difference in the world. These stories are a testament to the O’Neill School’s commitment to public service and its role in shaping leaders who strive for the greater good. We look forward to seeing how the O’Neill community will continue to make a positive impact in the years to come.
