For Joy O'Connor '46, late nights in the biology
building were a common occurrence. "I practically lived there," she explains.
But one night, she took it a little too far. "I got locked in and had to climb
through a window," she says with a laugh, noting that the night watchman
learned to always check on her before locking the doors.
"I loved everything about Hendrix,"
says Joy. "I didn't waste any time and tried to learn everything I could the
entire time I was there," she explains. Joy was only able to attend Hendrix for
two years due to the cost. "In those two years, I know I got a better education
at Hendrix than I could have gotten anywhere," says Joy adamantly. She learned
that an anonymous donor from her church helped fund her second year at Hendrix.
"I was so grateful, but I wasn't able to thank anyone since it was anonymous,"
Joy explains. "I knew that the only way to show my gratitude would be to help
someone else with their education. That's why I give to Hendrix today."
Given their financial circumstances,
neither Joy nor her husband, W.C. "Bill", had college degrees, but both
believed strongly in the value of education. Joy is passionate about helping
students who couldn't otherwise afford to attend Hendrix. "It means something
to me. I want these students to be able to do what I was unable to do."
Joy is doing what she can to help—and
setting a great example for others to follow. In addition to her annual
leadership gift, she recently made a $5,000 challenge gift for young alumni to
join the Young President's Club. Her gift resulted in 17 new YPC members,
raising an additional $13,500 for the Hendrix Annual Fund. Joy also recently
made a gift through a $50,000 charitable gift annuity to benefit the College's
endowment.
Joy, who says God has been with her
all the way, isn't interested in accolades and instead focuses on the end
result—and on what she can do next. Now living in Laguna Woods, Calif., close
to her children and grandchildren, Joy has earned the nickname, "the Energizer
Bunny," among her peers. In addition to maintaining ties with Hendrix, Joy is a
hospice volunteer, volunteers at a local homeless shelter, participates in her
church's Dial-a-Devotion, helps coordinate their annual Church Bazaar, and is
currently hard at work trying to obtain an anesthesia machine for a mission
hospital in Liberia through her work as chair of her church mission committee.
Joy believes in the importance of
telling your story and speaks passionately about her many causes and her faith.
"I want to run the race well and know
that I'm making a difference," she notes. "And I hope that when I am no longer
here, the memories left are of someone who made life count."
Joy's passion for life—and worthy projects—is legendary
among family and friends. She devotes herself fully to every project she takes
on—just as she did with her studies while at Hendrix. Given such dedication,
it's easy to imagine how she almost spent the night in that biology building
many years ago.