Above and Beyond

Alumna Christyn Toomey Bergquist, Beta Tau, feels called to serve. She always has. “I believe everyone can find a way to give,” she says. “There’s always a way to help.” For Christyn, this dedication encompasses both her professional and personal lives.

Christyn has just started a new job at Southern New Hampshire University, working in student health and wellness. There, she empowers students to make healthy decisions around the critical topics of drugs, alcohol, sexual assault, and nutrition, health, and wellness. This follows more than eight years at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where she worked in residence life, both as a student and after graduating. In 2014, she became a Coordinator of Health Education at the university.

Her commitment to working with students has its roots in her time as an undergraduate. “I always loved working with college students,” she says, recalling her experience as a Resident Advisor and student leader for campus organizations like Student Action. “Even as an upperclassman, I enjoyed working with first-year students.”

In addition to serving through her day job, this mother of three young children also volunteers extensively in her community. She is a Rape Crisis Counselor at The Center for Hope and Healing (formerly Rape Crisis Services of Greater Lowell). There, she serves on the Rape Crisis Hotline, providing support to survivors and their loved ones. She also runs an annual holiday gift drive for foster children (pictured above), among many other service projects.

For going above and beyond in her efforts, Christyn was honored with the 2016 Because of Her Award during Lowell Women’s Week, a local celebration of women in the area. The Because of Her Award recognizes women who demonstrate a strong commitment to the Lowell community by performing exemplary work outside of their paid jobs.

So how does Christyn find the time? “When you find something you know you can do to help, things just fall in line,” she says. “It’s easier than people assume. Think about what you have to give and then do it.”

It’s as simple as that.