Just over one year ago, the Meg O’Connell Center for Social Justice and Community Impact opened at Onondaga Community College, which was built to provide support for students in volunteer and service-learning opportunities. Students use their undergraduate experience to support local efforts, gain work experience, and use their expertise to improve the community around OCC.
A gift of $1 million dollars from Eric Allyn in honor of his wife, Meg O’Connell, brought the center to life. Meg O’Connell is OCC’s former Interim President and Chair of the Board of Trustees, and she now is Executive Director of the Allyn Family Foundation and leader of the Syracuse Urban Partnership.
Earlier this year, O’Connell returned to campus to hear powerful stories from the first group of students in the program. She was told stories about how the program brought people together, created a sense of place in a truly inclusive environment, and so much more.
“The whole idea of this program was to make opportunities for people to come together and work together and build relationships,” said O’Connell. “This program gives you a connection in the community in a whole different way.”
Read more about the Meg O’Connell Center for Social Justice and Community Impact and the impact it made in its first year at sunyocc.edu.
