The ETA family is full of amazing people, and we’re so proud of Ogechi Akalegbere for receiving the 2021 Cardinal Bernardin New Leadership Award. This national award recognizes a young adult in the Catholic community who demonstrates leadership in fighting poverty and injustice in the United States through community-based solutions. Ogechi currently works as the Christian Service Coordinator at Connelly School of the Holy Child, and one of her projects is serving as liaison to ETA for our Crossing Paths groups with Holy Child students and older adults. Ogechi’s dedication and sensitivity enriches not only her students’ lives, but those of ETA staff and volunteers too.

As Ogechi said in her acceptance remarks, “Stories told are windows into the experiences of our neighbors. How do we truly know our neighbors if we don’t GET TO KNOW them?”