Bethany Ozorak Testimonials

By Ben Helkowski, AmeriCorps VISTA Program Coordinator

The last impact player that the Civic Engagement Office would like to recognize is Bethany Ozorak. Bethany has moved on from her role as the Davies & Fahrner Assistant Director for CommunityBased Projects; however, her dedication to Allegheny College and the development of it’s students and the Meadville community lives on. Here are some testimonials from her colleagues:

1. Describe your fondest memory of Bethany

2. What are some of the most impactful contributions Bethany made to the Allegheny community?

3. What message would you give to Bethany as she prepares for the next chapter of her life?

Dave Roncolato

The word that comes to my mind when I think of the legacy of Bethany is "CARE." Bethany gave consistent care to all she did with students, with community partners and with our faculty and staff. She was never afraid to put in the time it took to do things thoroughly and thoughtfully. She was the first on the scene every Service Saturday. She planned and carried out the trainings and supervision of Davies students with great care and concern. Indeed Bethany will be remembered for all the ways she cared in her work here and this is a quality she will take with her in the future.

One impactful contribution that stands out was the care with which she put into the testimony to Ellie Davies after her passing. Bethany reached out to Davies Service Leader alumni and they responded with words of praise and appreciation for the gift of Ellie and the family to their experience at Allegheny and Meadville.

Bethany’s intelligence and drive will lead her to success and impact. But it is her heart for service that will be her most vital beacon in the next chapter of her life and career.

Jennifer Kessner

We’ve had some amazingly deep conversations! Bethany is one of those listeners who gets on your level and understands you as a whole. I will miss that in person interaction. We haven’t had Supernatural nights in a while, but they’ll forever be a fond memory.

Bethany provided consistency in a position that had previously been one year contracts. She was just that good! And then we made her permanent. Her contribution was her presence — literally. She thought out detailed suggestions for all of our projects and had feedback that resonated with the group. She just understood people, where they were coming from, and what their needs were. She made that effort.

You remind me to not sweat the small stuff, so here’s my reminder to you to do the same. You are amazing, and you deserve all the great things coming to you.

Olivia Lang

It’s truly hard to pick one fondest memory of Bethany — I have many! Overall my memories of Bethany in Civic Engagement are ones of someone incredibly kind, dedicated, and welcoming. She truly always went out of her way to make sure she was able to connect students with community partners and always with enthusiasm.

Bethany spent countless hours behind the scenes making contributions to Allegheny and the Meadville community. If you were involved in service here in the last 5 years — you likely have Bethany to thank for something! She planned trainings, coordinated community partnerships, supported students, guided faculty and staff community partnerships, and even helped to run the shuttle vans! From the big to the small — Bethany’s contributions have made a huge impact on our community.

Just continue being yourself and doing the work that you do! There’s no doubt you’ll continue to succeed and anyone community that has you in it is incredibly lucky.

Jeniffer Gonzalez Reyes

I really appreciated how considerate Bethany is even when I was stuck in a tough financial situation when I had first moved, she went out of her way to buy me a meal that made me feel genuinely cared for. Bethany is someone that can ask hard questions and still be very caring and welcoming to everyone.

Bethany provided very strong and thoughtful leadership to all of her projects and the Davis program. She was very passionate and very motivated even while completing her graduate program.

Continue the great work with students and continue being such a strong and passionate leader in all you do.

Kate Robb

Bethany was so welcoming when I joined the Civic Engagement office in November!

We are so grateful for Bethany’s continued support of the Lake Effect Leaders AmeriCorps VISTA project, both in formerly serving with our cohort and later supervising a VISTA member in our Civic Engagement office.

Although we only worked together for a few months, your passion for civic engagement and serving others shines through. You will be a great asset to any team you join in the future and we wish you the absolute best!

Ben Helkowski

One of my first, and fondest, memories of Bethany is when she conducted one of our workshops What To Do When You Don’t Know What To Do. This training focused on how to organize yourself to a successful work week. While the content was certainly helpful, Bethany’s personality and pizzazz was what I remembered most.

Bethany demonstrated a true and sincere passion for service. Beyond this, she worked to make others feel connected to Allegheny and beyond that, Meadville.

It has been a pleasure getting to know you and work with you over these past 1.5 years. Any employer will be lucky to have you as a part of their team and any friend is lucky to have you in their circle.