‘I owe my current life to the School and to people connected to the School’
When Eric Flanagan was a college student in Dublin, he and some friends decided to spend a summer in Madison. It was a decision that changed Flanagan’s life.
He went on to transfer to UW–Madison, ultimately earning a bachelor’s (2009) and a master’s (2010) degree in rehabilitation psychology from the School of Education. Flanagan had worked part-time at a school for children with special needs in Dublin, but found the work less than fulfilling.
Education’s Board of Visitors.
“I wanted to help remove the barriers that people with disabilities experience in our society,” he says. “I wanted to help people have the opportunity to succeed in school, in work, and in the world.”
His growth as a university student was helped by his advisor, Mary Thompson-Shriver.
“I had friends in other schools who did not know their advisor, and here I had someone who helped me navigate changing majors, who came up with creative solutions to help me solve problems,” says Flanagan. “All the things that should have been incredible stressors, she helped me get through.
“A less supported student would have been overwhelmed. She afforded me the time to think about what I wanted to do and to form philosophies.”
It wasn’t only Thompson-Shriver who made a difference, though. Professor Norman Bervan introduced Flanagan to Mary Drout, a rehabilitation psychology Ph.D. graduate (2010) with a private practice. Drout ended up hiring Flanagan, sponsoring his work visa, and ultimately sponsoring Flanagan for his green card.
“My ability to live and work in the United States, which I love, is tied back to the School of Education,” he says. “I owe my current life to the School and to people connected to the School.”
Flanagan’s gratitude is clear. He has been a donor to the School of Education since 2013 and has served on its Board of Visitors for five years. “My first gift was $25 to the annual fund,” he recalls.
Recently, he established an award in the Department of Educational Policy Studies (EPS) which is given to a senior in EPS who excels in both their studies and community involvement.
“All the pivots in my life came about because of community involvement and internships,” Flanagan says.
He chose EPS because of presentations he heard at Board of Visitors meetings.
“This is the biggest gift I will probably ever give in my life. I’ll give larger amounts in the future, but for me, and the time of my life I’m in, this is the most impactful gift I can give.”
— By Sarah Fuelleman