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Always Be Open To The Possibilities: Ogretta McNeil
By Stephen J. Schulz ’80
 Twenty-four years have not dimmed the positive experience that I enjoyed at Holy Cross. That experience involved classmates, dorm friends and the classes that I attended. Several teachers stand out in my memory: Suzanna Waldbauer, who—to demonstrate a point in the musical score—would sit down at the piano and play, again and again, the part she wanted us to understand; William R. Healy, who made biology fascinating for non-science types like me; Rev. John Reboli, S.J., who had a passion for art and making sure his students appreciated what they were seeing; and Rev. John Paris, S.J., who challenged us to see the complexity in all manner of ethical issues.
By naming just a few professors, I’m afraid I will exclude many others who taught with passion and with a genuine interest in their students. However, there is one teacher who stood out among all others, who influenced me profoundly. Her name is Ogretta McNeil.
I first met Professor McNeil during freshman orientation on a hot August day in 1976. I had declared psychology as my major before arriving on campus. During orientation, a senior, who was helping me get situated, pointed to three faculty members enjoying the welcoming picnic on Freshman Field. One was a distinguished looking man in a tweed sport coat (who turned out to be Professor Bill Green), another was a Jesuit in clerics (who turned out to be Fr. Scannell), and the third was an African-American woman. For some reason, the man in the tweed coat looked like my idea of a psychology prof. When we walked over to the trio, and my senior buddy said, “Dr. McNeil, I’d like to introduce you to a freshman psychology major,” I immediately thrust my hand toward the man in the tweed sport coat.
Dr. McNeil not-so-subtly grabbed my hand, pumped it vigorously and smiled that electric smile of hers, saying, “I am Professor McNeil. And I see I’ll have my hands full with you!”
With that auspicious start, she became my mentor.
During my junior year, I met with her about applying for the Experimental Studies Program. The E.S.P. allowed students to receive credit while working as interns at various Worcester companies. The purpose of the program was to expose students to a professional field that they may have been considering for a career. If I recall, many students interned at accounting and law firms. During the era of Karen Ann Quinlan and the controversy over discontinuing her life support systems, I became enthralled with the rapidly emerging debate about medical ethics. And as the field of healthcare administration began to evolve and grow, I began to think about it as a career option.
I approached Dr. McNeil about finding an internship program with an area hospital. No student had ever worked an internship in this area, so we were charting new territory. But Dr. McNeil supported me before the Experimental Studies Council and, through contacts with Holy Cross alumni, we set up a program for my senior year.
Dr. McNeil’s support, guidance and encouragement catapulted my interest in healthcare so much that I went on to get a graduate degree in healthcare administration from George Washington University and found a remarkably rewarding career in my field. I recall spending endless hours in her office in Loyola Hall, talking about life, goals and aspirations. She encouraged me always to be open to possibilities. That philosophy influenced my course choices while in college and has guided and sustained me throughout my career. My mentor encouraged me to think critically but to be open to new and different ideas; to take in life with all of its quirks, surprises and inevitable disappointments; to be always grateful for the experiences and opportunities offered to me in my life; and to be mindful of the need to serve others.
Not shabby advice at all!
Today, Dr. McNeil has retired from Holy Cross and serves on the Worcester School Committee, an elected position. She is the reason why Holy Cross will always have a special place in my heart.
Steve Schulz is the director of healthcare solutions for ResolutionEBS, a healthcare software development and consulting company based in Austin, Texas. He currently serves as a volunteer with the Big Brother/Big Sister program of the Twin Cities and as a member of the Upper Midwest Jesuit Advisory Council; Schulz was also a past president of Restart, an organization serving the brain injured. He is a resident of Minneapolis , Minn., and, also, of Tucson, Ariz.
More essays:
Above and Beyond the Call: Peter Parsons
A Constant Revelation: Thomas Lawler
The Critical Questions: William Morse
"You can always work even harder": Rev. Henry E. Bean, S.J.
The Potential This Day May Hold: Helen Whall
Always Be Open to the Possibilities: Ogretta McNeil
The Liberator: Bill Grattan
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