Caragh Corcoran '13 and Her Passion for Service

Caragh Corcoran '13 grew up in a home where she witnessed her parents participate in a variety of community service activities. However, it was during her high school years at GSB she began to nurture her role in community service and take on projects that would foster her growing passion for leadership and service.

 

Looking back at her time at GSB, Caragh reflects on the impact of Peter and Randi Schmidt and the role service learning played during her high school years. In 2011, the Schmidts served as advisors as Caragh worked on building a Relay for Life chapter at Gill, which would continue for the rest of her time in high school. She also participated in a service trip with them where a group of students traveled to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to assist with the aftermath of a community ravaged by a tornado.

 

Caragh continued to pursue her passion for service at Providence College, explaining "Providence College's Public and Community Service Studies major seemed like the perfect place to deepen my knowledge of the roles community service and social responsibility play in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors." In 2017, she completed her degree in Public and Community Service with a Business Studies certificate.

 

After working for two corporations' corporate giving teams, a year ago Caragh joined GENYOUth as the Program & Events Manager. GENYOUth is a nonprofit organization which partners with various organizations to focus on creating healthy school communities. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, her job shifted focus to help her company launch a national campaign, For Schools' Sake – Help Us Feed Our Nation's Kids. 

The campaign supports an Emergency School Nutrition Fund to assist school feeding sites to ensure that students who rely on school meals for their daily nutrition, still have access to meals while school buildings are closed. The barrier to serving vital school meals safely is ensuring that school nutrition professionals, school bus drivers and volunteers, get the resources, including grab and go packaging, cooler bags, refrigeration and personal protective equipment needed to deliver these meals in compliance with social distancing. In less than three weeks, GENYOUth received more than 8,000 grant applications, and Caragh is now focused on handling the influx of donations. While the workday is certainly long, the satisfaction she receives in knowing she is helping people during these challenging times is worth it.

 

Caragh reflects on her experience, "It was the unique learning environment and culture at Gill St. Bernard's during my high school years that allowed me to explore what it meant to serve others. Little did I know this would ignite my passion into a career path. The Gill St. Bernard's motto: 'The World is Our Classroom' still holds true for me today – especially during this pandemic. I have learned more about the compassion and giving spirit that individuals around the world exhibit when their communities are faced with adversity and challenges."