Megan O’Neill has been a student at Central Lakes College (CLC) for five years. She started in 2007 and graduated in May 2009 with an AAS in child development. That fall she came back to start her AA degree where she graduated last May (2011) with that degree.

This May, O’Neill becomes CLC’s first tri-graduate. She is graduating with an accounting diploma, bookkeeping certificate, and an office assistant certificate. Including in that progress, O’Neill made the Presidents List, Dean’s List and is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, TRIO and the Accounting Club. She graduated with high honors and now honors.

O’Neill worked full time while attending Central Lakes College. This semester she was working four part-time jobs, including two work study positions at the college in the foundation and theatre departments.

Outside of her part-time jobs and her job as a student, O’Neill has a job as a single mother of a 3-year-old-daughter who has a rare disease.

She has jumped through many hoops to get through college as both of her parents are deceased. She is completely debt free of student loans and tuition. She has qualified for loans every semester and never taken one loan out. She has received grants from FAFSA and won a few scholarships from the foundation and paid the rest as she went along.

“She is an outstanding student and will be very missed here at Central Lakes College as she starts at Bemidji in the summer,” said Jeff Wig, Dean of career and technical programs at CLC. “We wish were well and this college is proud of her and all her accomplishments! She is the upcoming talent!”