Brady O’DonnellBy: Tia Hildebrandt
You may recognize him from flyers hung up around school or even remember hearinghim address Eckerd freshman during Autumn term. You may feel like you see him aroundcampus all the time, and you probably do! Brady O’Donnell plays a huge role in Eckerd’scommunity as the President of ECOS and is always available to his fellow Eckerd peers. He originally got started as a freshman in ECOS when Stephen Barber appointed him as Chief ofStaff. O’Donnell tells how “I wanted to make a difference on campus.” Certainly he has made a difference in campus life. Since becoming president, he has started the freshman group, Eckerd’s Emerging Leaders, to get students more involved. O’Donnell has also put in the Nu outdoor kitchen over winter term, and he was involved in the Small Changes Significant Impact campaign.
As a Marine Science and Environmental Studies double major and Political Science minor, O’Donnell does not have a lot of free time on his hands. When he is not focusing on school or involved with ECOS he enjoys “working out, playing basketball, or hanging with [his] friends.” His favorite part of being President of ECOS is the fact that he is “able to have close relationships with so many different people as well as be able to enact real change.” It is obvious that O’Donnell is passionate about caring for Eckerd’s campus and residents. When asked what advice he would give to his fellow classmates, he replied “At Eckerd, you get what you put into it, there are so many opportunities. Just have fun!” There are a ton of opportunities on campus, from a multitude of clubs to work study jobs, not to mention the various volunteer activities sponsored by the Office of Service Learning. To have the time of your life (which it’s hard not to when you are surrounded by beach), you must put effort into your school work and partake in various opportunities, really submerging yourself in Eckerd life. Brady O’Donnell has become a role model for most of Eckerd College. His active participation and leadership within ECOS shows how committed he is to Eckerd’s residents and the campus itself. He definitely cares about the campus and has made a noticeable difference in campus life and activities. His leadership shows Eckerd students that getting involved is fun and easy to do!