Tom McNamara ‘05, ‘08G is the Mayor of Rockford, Illinois, and the youngest person elected in city history. Mayor McNamara developed a program to pay Rockford Public School graduates college tuition. Tom says his service-learning opportunities at John Carroll fostered his determination to help the greater good. His time at JCU experiences also reaffirmed his values of service to others and one’s community. Mayor McNamara says he struggled academically his first year at JCU and credits faculty and counselors for instilling successful habits. He believes he would not be where he is today without the overall support he received during his John Carroll experience.
1. I chose John Carroll for the campus, the academic reputation and the size of classrooms. I am someone who has always struggled academically. I needed to be at a school where teachers would know my name. Where I was not a number but someone who had direct meaningful access to teachers. JCU delivered in the biggest way. They not only spoke about their values but walked and acted out their values. The teachers and administration cared… when I was at times ‘off-track’ and they could have taken steps back, they actually took a greater interest in me and my future and I could not be more thankful and grateful for what they have done for me.
2. Notables… well I am not an academic all American. You ask my wife, it’s probably notable that I graduated. But I would say I was pushed to have internships and provide service to the greater Cleveland community. I volunteered at soup kitchens, I had an internship at a local halfway house where I got to provide direct service to men and women convicted of felonies and helped them connect to housing, employment, drug and alcohol counseling, mental health support, reconnect with their faith and family. I had the opportunity to volunteer on political campaigns which solidified the ‘itch’ I had to help good people with strong values get elected… I never saw myself being an elected official but someone who enjoyed being behind the scenes. I majored in Sociology with a focus on criminology. I also got my Masters in the first (maybe second) cohort of the Non Profit Administration program.
3. I cannot stress enough it was the right place at the right time in my life. I reaffirmed many of my values about service to others and one’s community. Specifically provided me insight in how and how not to build up disadvantaged communities. It instilled values of listening to those most impacted by policies. I struggled my first year to two years, and if it were not for the teachers, counselors and administration I am not sure I would have graduated and certainly not sure I would be where I am today.
4. Lots of things inspired me… my mom and dad mostly. They didn’t inspire or wish I was an elected official but they certainly drove home and JCU reaffirmed that it is simply not ok to go to school and come home, or go to work and come home and think you have done all that is required of you…. One must give back, and that can be in a host of ways… coaching a youth sports team, volunteering at a homeless shelter, being a mentor, serving on a NP board whatever it was …we all owe it to our community to give back. I also was inspired by the people I had the chance to learn from at JCU and at my internships. I am (if you ask my wife) a professional complainer… but all of us have choices… we can sit on the sidelines and complain from behind a keyboard, we can move or we can dig in and be part of the solution. I chose to dig in, in Rockford specifically we have amazing natural assets, and so many positives going on in our community… but we also have so many people who have experienced trauma and we as a society have failed them by not addressing it, we have people who have lost hope or a sense of belonging and I believe when government doesn’t act political and simply does the next right thing for the right reasons and partners with business and nonprofits coupled with listening to those most impacted we can do great things for our community, for our citizens and for our youth. I have the most amazing and beautiful kids (yes they got all the good traits thank GOD from my wife) but I want to ensure they grow up and live in a community that they feel values them, that they feel they have opportunities and feel they have hope and a sense of belonging.