Alumni Spotlight

Abby O'Sullivan (she/her)

Question: What was your MYL alumni year? (If you did not attend the conference, the year that you first volunteered!)  

Abby's Response: 2015

Question: What high school did you go to? 

Abby's Response: Narragansett Regional High School

Question: If you went to/are currently attending college, where did/do you go and what did you major in?

Abby's Response: WPI (2021) B.S./M.S. Mechanical Engineering

Question: If you are currently employed, what is your job? 

Abby's Response: R&D Engineer at ABB (two-year rotational program)

Question: Why do/did you volunteer with MYL/MassSTAR?

Abby's Response: MassSTAR gave me my first sense of community. Coming from a small high school (graduated with 74 students), I didn't always know where I fit in and was extremely shy with my opinions. The MassSTAR conference brings together a group students with diverse mindsets, but with the same intention of having an open mind. I was taught how to have difficult conversations, but that my opinion still mattered and my voice should be heard. I continue to volunteer within MYL to provide the same environment for students to find their voices and provide tools that allow them to be a leader in their communities they didn't know how to be before coming to MassSTAR. Being in-person at the conference each year is a reminder for me that I can help provide a safe environment for young, talented individuals to share their honest opinions, and being a part of making that possible is rewarding beyond words.

Question: What makes the Foundation unique?

Abby's Response: The MYL Foundation is 100% volunteer driven. I have never seen a group of so many like-minded individuals who expect nothing in return except the gratitude of helping young leaders make their own footprints in the world. The extended alumni is a valuable support system, and no matter someone's busy schedule, they always make time for the Foundation or to help someone within the organization. I would not be where I am today without MYL and the community I was introduced to back as a high school sophomore, and all alumni strive to keep that same community available for years to come. MassSTAR is also an event not easily explained, and being amongst individuals from the MYL family is comforting because they understand the "magic" of the conference. It goes to show that MassSTAR leaves a lasting impression on every delegate who attends, and this feeling is what makes the Foundation unique. It is not only a networking experience, but an invitation to a supportive and welcoming community with resources to inspire youth to have a hand in leading their communities across Massachusetts.

Question: Are you still in touch with people from the conference? How do you stay in touch?

Abby's Response: 
I am still in touch with a lot of people I look up to in the MYL Foundation. I have volunteered with MYL every year since I was a delegate in 2015, and a large part of that is the community. I have reached out to mentors who gave me college recommendations, as well as professional help while I was a student at WPI. In 2020, as the second year being a Recruitment Director for the MassSTAR conference, I just started to feel closer to the MYL organization while I was finding my footing professionally. Once the COVID 19 outbreak happened, everyone had to adapt their lives to what was going on beyond anyone's control, but somehow a few key MassSTAR alumni were still able to find time to help me keep my footing. The current President, Cristian Bedoya, has been a huge role model to me not only in the MYL world, but also in engineering. He has helped me numerous times to perfect my resume, gone over cover letters with me for positions in various industries, and boosted my confidence in my abilities when I needed it the most. He has always provided professional and personal advice when it came to career/life goals and has always extended a helping hand no matter his busy schedule. I have always appreciated him supporting me in being a successful engineer, because I have encountered quite the opposite and I do not know if I would be where I am today without his advice.

Within MassSTAR I know I can always go to any alumni for any personal or professional advice, and they will always listen with an open mind. I can thank Philjay and Tram-Anh for instilling my love for MYL in the very beginning. Philjay was my senior facilitator at my conference, and I have always related to Tram-Anh in the following years. Both of them were the reason I came back to volunteer at MassSTAR back in 2016, and I can't thank them enough for seeing a leader in me when I didn't yet see it in myself because now I am a large part of this organization of which I love being an active member. I am always proud to tell people I am a part of the MYL community!

With MassSTAR returning to an in-person conference in 2022, I was thrilled to rejoin the CPC as a Recruitment Director. Although I feel like I now have a great understanding of this position, I have Keanna Lamont to thank for training me on the CPC and getting me more involved with MYL. She has made the transition easy for me and does not get all the credit she deserves for the amount of love she has to see MYL succeed. Her *enthusiasm* has definitely worn off on me, and I hold her opinion in high regards when herself and Olivia Lavidor asked me to join the Board of Directors. After two years without the MassSTAR conference, being heavily involved with the organization was exactly what I needed and I cannot express my gratitude enough for Keanna and Olivia seeing that in myself.

Question: What is your favorite activity from the MassSTAR Conference?

Abby's Response: There are so many good programs to choose from! Shark tank is an obvious classic, but another "traditional" MassSTAR activity called "Take a Stand" is also one of my personal favorites because it forces delegates to listen to various perspectives. Not everything is clear cut, and it's important to have an open mind when discussing topics with friends, family, a group, etc. A good conversation requires the intent to listen and understand, not the intent to respond or persuade someone to change their opinion. As an extra, my favorite prompt: "Leaders must have good moral values." Agree or Disagree?

Question: What is your favorite MassSTAR cheer? 

Abby's Response: I can tell you it's not Mac & Cheese... but that's a story for another day. But at the moment I still love "We've Got Spirit." It's a simple cheer that is always fun to watch delegates conga line around the cafeteria chanting, and the experience for me comes full circle when they all belt out the cheer at the closing ceremony walking to their seats in front of all the parents. It's one of those cheers you can happily belt out the words too and it just makes you smile to see a whole group enjoying themselves while doing it.

Question: What is a fun fact about yourself or something on your bucket list?

Abby's Response: My go-to fun fact is that in college, I was a coxswain on the Varsity Men's Rowing team. I had never really heard of rowing before college, and was essentially recruited because of my size (I round up to 5' 2"). When people ask me why I stayed with the sport, my running joke was that they never asked me to leave, so I kept showing up to practice! While that has some truth, I fell in love with learning a new sport. I was a runner (and still am) in high school, doing 19 straight seasons of competitive running in cross country and track. Rowing was something entirely new to me, and although it took a year to get the hang of the sport, I was in the second varsity boat by sophomore year and varsity coxswain for my last two years. It's something I always highlight in interviews because I love to talk about a lesser known sport I have come to love, and it also helped me overcome my doubt in my abilities, especially being in a male-dominated field. I dedicated a large portion of my college experience to understanding rowing and setting the team up for success, and I don't regret my decision at all. One day I hope to participate in the Henley Regatta in England, as our team was unable to compete due its cancellation in 2020 and 2021.

Want to talk with Abby? Contact her at [email protected]
Responses were collected January 2023