Bridget O’Connell ’95, ’97G, ’07 Ph.D. wasn’t originally planned to attend Lehigh but can with confidence claim that she produced the proper choice shortly after being hired to run getting the new track-and-field group. Once the a good about three-big date graduate–earning this lady undergraduate, master’s and doctoral stages every off Lehigh-O’Connell credit many of the woman skills during the Lehigh so you’re able to the lady latest elite group achievements as the an excellent superintendent. “There can be not a chance I could’ve understood they at the time, but some of one’s enjoy We learned by way of being a runner, sessions track given that a graduate secretary, plus the fresh class during the Lehigh are common utilized each and every day given that an effective superintendent.”
Already superintendent of Palisades School Region in the Higher Bucks State, Pennsylvania, O’Connell has been diligent about academic success, generating pupil fitness and improving the instruction through the use of tech, which has an online reading academy for students one to circulated over 10 years back.
Bridget O’Connell ’95, ’97G, ’07 Ph.D. have the President’s Tailgate along with her girl and you can Lehigh Chairman Joseph J. Helble ’82 up until the 157th appointment within Lehigh and you will Lafayette football teams.
This works enjoys earned the girl not simply the newest superintendent identity, although county out of Pennsylvania’s Superintendent of the season getting 2022, and throughout the good pandemic, nonetheless. “[The fresh new honor] has my personal term inside it, but it is very regarding the all of our whole cluster of people.” O’Connell continues on, “I like my personal work for too many causes. While i work on pupils, I do want to pay attention to from their store what exactly is supposed really and you may what they would like to discover change. Away from one to opinions the audience is commonly capable of one thing regarding the it.”
And as Lehigh honors half a century regarding coeducation, O’Connell mirrored with the milestone saying that the latest potential women already has actually is actually a present in the women who came just before her or him
Thereupon exact same opportunity having compassionate on the people, she creates the opportunity while in the per party meeting for everyone so you can show what is actually going really physically and you can expertly, “I enjoy so it part of for each meeting,” O’Connell says. “I love reading on what is going well when you look at the for every coworker’s existence, specifically during the tricky times when we are able to simply stay towards the negative.”
O’Connell’s categories within Lehigh inside the English and you can anthropology while the an undergraduate beginner, then instructional management on master’s escort service Sacramento and you can doctoral top, every drove family the theory the community of a community, or even in O’Connell’s case, a college program, is vital to creating a profitable work and you may learning ecosystem. O’Connell enjoys strong opinions you to definitely rotate doing teamwork, taking some one together with her, marketing, commitment and you can management. She states the learning Leadership Program in the School out of Training wishing the woman in a few implies. “I usually joke that only classification We [have made use of from the] Lehigh is certainly one during the meteorology,” O’Connell claims, noting it could be useful whenever this lady has making poor weather requires the school system.
Bridget O’Connell ’95, ’97G, ’07 Ph.D. holds a Lehigh sporting events helmet at the President’s Tailgate in advance of the new 157th model of your Rivalry.
It absolutely was including because of this lady confident event as students-runner one to she gained an opportunity to act as a team captain and you may began to understand what leadership works out. She credit it among the of numerous defining moments from the girl go out within Lehigh. As a chief you’re, “Always provided how to communicate and being deliberate about undertaking the brand new place to take action in order to give individuals with her and you will become a team.” O’Connell claims most of that routine already been while the a captain, following just like the a scholar secretary, on the track and field cluster.
Her notice is targeted on their deep love of the fresh new class room, pupils and you may building lasting dating with every telecommunications
O’Connell’s advice about some body looking to receive a management updates are from the wearing sense of the searching for management ventures in this items they truly are already selecting. She including invited those people looking for teaching to contact this lady.
An Easton, Pennsylvania, native, O’Connell will continue to stand connected to Lehigh by the exercises given that a keen adjunct teacher, serving for the dissertation committees and also as chair of one’s Lehigh Study Council to the College or university from Education. She is brand new 1995 class correspondent to own Lehigh’s Alumni Bulletin. She particularly has attending recreations, and is actually thrilled to manage to promote this lady daughters to help you the fresh 157th version of your Competition ranging from Lehigh and Lafayette for the November.