Bridget O’Connell ’95, ’97G, ’07 Ph.D. was not to start with planned to attend Lehigh but could with full confidence claim that she made the proper choice once becoming recruited to perform to possess the new track and field team. Given that an excellent about three-day graduate–getting their undergraduate, master’s and you can doctoral stages the from Lehigh-O’Connell credit a lot of the girl skills from the Lehigh to help you her latest elite victory while the a beneficial superintendent. “There clearly was not a chance I could’ve recognized it at the time, but some of one’s experiences We discovered owing to becoming a runner, instructions track since a scholar assistant, along with the classroom from the Lehigh are used everyday since the a beneficial superintendent.”
Currently superintendent out of Palisades College Area within the Upper Dollars State, Pennsylvania, O’Connell might have been diligent from the instructional profits, creating scholar fitness and raising the training through the use of technology, which has an internet understanding academy for college students one released more 10 years before.
Bridget O’Connell ’95, ’97G, ’07 Ph.D. features brand new President’s Tailgate together daughters and you will Lehigh Chairman Joseph J. Helble ’82 till the 157th meeting involving the Lehigh and you will Lafayette sports organizations.
All of this performs enjoys earned the woman besides the fresh new superintendent label, however the state out-of Pennsylvania’s Superintendent of the year for 2022, and you may while in the good pandemic, nonetheless. “[The fresh new award] have my personal label involved, but it is very regarding all of our entire group of men and live escort reviews Rochester MN women.” O’Connell continues, “I love my personal work getting unnecessary explanations. When i work on pupils, I wish to listen to from their store what’s supposed better and you will exactly what they want to find alter. Out-of you to definitely viewpoints our company is commonly able to do some thing regarding it.”
And also as Lehigh remembers half a century off coeducation, O’Connell mirrored towards the milestone stating that brand new ventures girls currently enjoys is actually a present about women that emerged just before him or her
With this same time getting compassionate regarding the people, she brings a chance while in the for every cluster appointment for everybody so you can show what is actually heading well myself and you can skillfully, “I look ahead to so it part of each appointment,” O’Connell claims. “I adore hearing about what goes really from inside the for every single coworker’s lives, particularly while in the problematic situations where we can merely live with the negative.”
O’Connell’s categories on Lehigh inside English and you can anthropology as the a keen undergraduate pupil, then instructional frontrunners from the master’s and you will doctoral top, the drove domestic the idea the community away from a community, or even in O’Connell’s situation, a school program, is vital to making a successful really works and discovering ecosystem. O’Connell provides strong beliefs that revolve to teamwork, taking some one together, networking, union and you can frontrunners. She states the learning Frontrunners Program regarding the College out-of Studies waiting their in certain indicates. “I always joke that merely category I [might have used within] Lehigh is one for the meteorology,” O’Connell states, detailing it could come in handy whenever she’s got and then make poor weather requires the college system.
Bridget O’Connell ’95, ’97G, ’07 Ph.D. holds an excellent Lehigh recreations helmet from the President’s Tailgate ahead of this new 157th edition of Competition.
It had been including as a result of her confident enjoy once the students-runner that she attained a chance to serve as a team captain and started initially to know what leaders looks like. She credit so it among the of a lot defining moments of the lady date at Lehigh. Due to the fact a commander you’re, “Constantly given just how to promote and being deliberate in the carrying out the new place to accomplish this so you can bring some body along with her and you can behave as a group.” O’Connell states much of that habit come as the a master, immediately after which once the a graduate secretary, toward track-and-field team.
The woman attention is targeted on their deep love of the fresh new class, youngsters and you will building long-lasting matchmaking with every interaction
O’Connell’s advice for some body seeking see a management status try because of the gaining feel by finding leadership ventures in this factors they have been already seeking. She plus asked those individuals trying to find knowledge to contact the woman.
A keen Easton, Pennsylvania, native, O’Connell continues to stand linked to Lehigh because of the practise since the an enthusiastic adjunct professor, helping on the dissertation committees and also as couch of your Lehigh Data Council toward University of Training. She also is new 1995 group correspondent to have Lehigh’s Alumni Bulletin. She especially enjoys attending recreations, and was very happy to be able to offer her daughters to new 157th release of Competition anywhere between Lehigh and you can Lafayette within the November.