Mary O’Boyle

Mary O’Boyle is from Chicago, Illinois, currently studying Marketing and Professional Sales at Indiana University. Outside the classroom, she is passionate about staying active, reading, and spending quality time with friends and family.

While studying abroad in Madrid, she volunteered with Voluntarios por Madrid at CEIP Eduardo Rojo through a program called Todos a Desayunar (“Everyone to Breakfast”), which provides breakfast to students at risk of food insecurity before their school day begins. Her role went beyond serving cereal and milk; she built genuine connections with the students, practicing Spanish and English with them, playing games, and creating a welcoming environment.

That experience taught Mary that service is about more than meeting a need; it’s about connection. She watched students arrive tired and quiet, then leave energized and ready to learn, simply because they’d been fed and talked to. It reinforced for her how access to something as basic as breakfast can shape a child’s ability to succeed, both academically and socially.

What Mary didn’t expect was how much the students would impact her. Their gratitude, warmth, and resilience left a lasting impression, and the experience shaped how she thinks about leadership, empathy, and giving back – values she carries with her as she continues her studies and looks ahead to a career in marketing and sales.

Mary believes even small actions can create lasting impact, and she is committed to finding ways, whether through volunteering, advocacy, or everyday kindness, to keep making a difference in the communities she is a part of.