BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - More than 50 years ago, the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs was founded on the idea that collaboration leads to innovation, which leads to solutions to the most pressing issues of our time.
Since then, the O’Neill School has built a well-earned reputation for producing leaders who make a difference by bringing together varying perspectives to produce results.
Enter Activate O’Neill.
Activate O’Neill is a program tailored to students from historically excluded groups to build personal and professional networks, provide academic and career support, and fulfill the O’Neill School's mission to transform the world into a more just and equitable place. Since its founding in 2022, the program has provided access to specialized programming such as peer and alumni engagement, group travel, and leadership development.
This past year, Activate O’Neill assisted with placements and scholarships for the program’s participants, coordinated a donation drive that resulted in more than 160 items—such as toiletries, clothing, kitchen supplies, and more—being donated to the Exodus Refugee Center branch in Bloomington, and established a student board.
“I was really impressed by our students' leadership and initiative,” said Rebecca Valeriano-Flores, director of student inclusion and engagement at the O’Neill School. “Since they attend campus-wide events, participate and collaborate with other student organizations, and meet with alumni and other stakeholders, they recognized the responsibility of representing Activate and the O’Neill School and did so with enthusiasm and integrity. I was also impressed by how they take the initiative to build community, particularly by celebrating each other.”
That included setting aside “kudos time” to give shout-outs to other members of Activate O’Neill to express gratitude and recognize each other for their hard work, dedication, and kindness. The effort helped build confidence in each other.
“The Activate O'Neill program allowed me to greatly expand my leadership skills,” said Christian Sanders, who graduated with a BS in Public Affairs in early May and served as president of Activate O’Neill during the spring semester. “Outside of expanding my leadership skills, I was really able to hone my organizational skills and gained great experience in policy development. I was able to take my knowledge of DEI into my internship where I contributed to the development of the DEI committee. Going forward, my experience in creating policies for the executive board will help me as I start my career in human resources and draft similar policies for the corporate office.”
The program also expanded opportunities for students involved in Activate O’Neill.
“Activate has allowed me to be in spaces I would have never expected,” said Yané Sanchez Lopez, who is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in law and public policy. “It has connected me to different leaders and exposed me to new ideas. I thought my journey was linear. I would finish undergrad, go to law school, take the bar exam, become a lawyer, and so on. Being in Activate has shown me that I have so many opportunities to grow and give back because the community continues even after you leave.”
Additionally, being part of a program that is in its early stages of development gives students the flexibility to shape the future of Activate O’Neill. Micah Camble, who graduated with his Master of Public Affairs this spring while also sprinting for the IU track team, served as a graduate assistant under Valeriano-Flores. Camble’s experience as a GA gave him the opportunity to experiment with ways to help the program.
“Rebecca and I were able to conduct several trial-and-errors with Activate to determine what would be best for the sustainability of the program,” Camble said. “Ultimately, we realized that a student-run board would create the most opportunity for growth, service, and sustainability. I am happy that I got to play a role in developing the student executive board because there are so many O’Neill students who are currently giving back to others.”
Students interested in becoming a part of Activate O’Neill can apply online.
“Applications open at the end of summer for students from historically excluded groups,” Valeriano-Flores said. “Everyone is welcome to attend and participate in public events we organize, such as volunteer and service opportunities and professional development and networking events.”