2022 Pennsylvania Superintendent of the year Bridget O’Connell Creates Matchmaking, Neighborhood Society
Bridget O’Connell ’95, ’97G, ’07 Ph.D. wasn’t to start with planned to attend Lehigh but can with full confidence point out that she generated just the right choice once are hired to run for the new track and field people. Because the a beneficial three-go out graduate–earning her undergraduate, master’s and doctoral stages all of the regarding Lehigh-O’Connell credit many of her event within Lehigh to help you the girl latest professional achievement once the a good superintendent. “There is certainly not a way We could’ve known it at the time, but the majority of of experiences We read compliment of being an athlete, instructions track while the a graduate assistant, and in the latest class room at the Lehigh are typical put day-after-day because an effective superintendent.”
Currently superintendent away from Palisades University Region when you look at the Higher Bucks County, Pennsylvania, O’Connell could have been patient throughout the academic triumph, producing student fitness and you will enhancing the instruction by applying technical, with an on-line discovering academy for college students that introduced more than ten years in the past.
Bridget O’Connell ’95, ’97G, ’07 Ph.D. provides the fresh new President’s Tailgate together girl and you will Lehigh President Joseph J. Helble ’82 up until the 157th meeting amongst the Lehigh and you will Lafayette activities groups.
All this works enjoys earned the girl not just new superintendent term, but the condition out-of Pennsylvania’s Superintendent of the year to have 2022, and you can while in the a great pandemic, still. “[The new prize] keeps my personal title on it, but it’s most on our entire group of people.” O’Connell continues, “I like my personal jobs to have so many reasons. When i focus on college students, I would like to pay attention to from them what exactly is heading better and what they wish to pick change. Off one viewpoints we have been have a tendency to able to perform something on they.”
And as Lehigh honors 50 years out-of coeducation, O’Connell reflected towards milestone proclaiming that the fresh new solutions people already has actually are a gift in the ladies who appeared prior to them
With that exact same energy for caring on the some one, she brings chances during the for each and every team fulfilling for everybody so you’re able to express what is actually supposed well really and skillfully, “I anticipate which element of for every meeting,” O’Connell states. “I like reading about what is going well inside for every single coworker’s existence, particularly throughout tricky situations where we could only dwell into the negative.”
O’Connell’s groups from the Lehigh from inside the English and you will anthropology since the an undergraduate scholar, and then academic management in the master’s and you will doctoral height, every drove house the idea the society off a community, or even in O’Connell’s case, a school system, is essential to making a profitable work and you can reading ecosystem. O’Connell has actually solid viewpoints that revolve up to teamwork, getting somebody together with her, marketing, relationship and you may leaders. She says the learning Management Program regarding School of Education prepared the woman in certain means. “I laugh that the only category I [possess put during the] Lehigh is but one inside meteorology https://datingranking.net/escort-directory/vacaville/,” O’Connell says, listing it might come in handy when she has to make bad weather calls for the college program.
Bridget O’Connell ’95, ’97G, ’07 Ph.D. holds a good Lehigh football helmet within President’s Tailgate just before the fresh 157th model of one’s Competition.
It had been including owing to their confident knowledge because the a student-runner that she acquired an opportunity to act as a group chief and you can began to understand what leaders works out. She credits this among the of a lot identifying minutes off this lady go out at Lehigh. Because a commander you are, “Constantly offered simple tips to express being deliberate on doing brand new space to take action to give somebody along with her and you may behave as a group.” O’Connell claims the majority of one behavior become because the a head, after which since the a scholar secretary, towards the track and field people.
The lady notice focuses on the lady strong love of the class, pupils and you will building long-term dating with every correspondence
O’Connell’s advice about someone seeking to obtain an authority reputation was because of the wearing feel by the searching for leadership potential in this affairs they are already looking for. She along with invited those selecting practise to make contact with the lady.
A keen Easton, Pennsylvania, local, O’Connell will continue to stand linked to Lehigh by the teaching as an enthusiastic adjunct teacher, serving for the dissertation committees so when chair of your Lehigh Analysis Council towards School of Studies. She is also the brand new 1995 class correspondent to own Lehigh’s Alumni Bulletin. She specifically has going to football, and you may try pleased to be able to offer the lady daughters to help you the 157th version of Rivalry ranging from Lehigh and Lafayette when you look at the November.
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