Betsy O'Brien
Milton native and Fontbonne Academy senior, Betsy O’Brien ’11, is a scholarship finalist in John Carroll University’s Arrupe Scholars Program. John Carroll, Cleveland’s Jesuit University, offers this scholarship to admitted students with a demonstrated commitment to social justice. Jumping on a plane in another week for a final round of interviews, Betsy is very enthusiastic about the opportunity. “It is a great school with a commitment to social justice,” she said.
Betsy, who has had to conquer many issues related to growing up with Type I Diabetes, is an advocate for children with the disease. As a camper for five years and now a counselor at the Clara Barton Camp in North Oxford, MA, an internationally renowned overnight camp for girls with Type I Diabetes, Betsy has been able to transfer her passion to help others into action. As a senior at Fontbonne Academy, she will focus her senior social justice project on “Diabetes and 504 Plans” because she wants to assure there are equal opportunities for all students with this disease.
Betsy was invited to apply to the Arrupe Scholars Program by her Admissions Counselor at John Carroll. Quickly determining that her knowledge of social justice aligned with their program, Betsy soon sent in the required essays and learned of her good fortune two weeks later: she is a finalist for the scholarship, which would equate to $20,000/per year for four years of college. “I think Fontbonne has really prepared me in the area of social justice; I definitely knew what I was writing about,” said Betsy. Should she receive the award, she would have the opportunity to take classes in social justice and to travel to third world countries on mission trips. “It would be a wonderful learning experience,” said Betsy.
As part of her social justice project, and under the guidance of a mentor from the American Diabetes Association, Betsy will be hosting an event at the Milton Public Library on Saturday, March 19 from 1-3 p.m. for children with Type I Diabetes and their parents called “Life after Middle School”. As a Youth Leader for the American Diabetes Association, Betsy hopes to ease the transition for students entering high school. “I wish something like this had been available to me. I want people to know what to expect and to take measures to make their move to high school easier,” she said.
Social justice is a cornerstone of the Fontbonne Academy curriculum. All students are required to do a year-long senior research project, called their social justice project, on a chosen social injustice. “The requirements of the program are multi-faceted and utilize almost every element of the curriculum. Most importantly, students must engage in advocacy,” stated Mary Ellen Barnes, Fontbonne Academy’s Head of School.