Empowering Advocacy
Molly McKeon, assistant director for accessibility services, thrives in her role at PC’s Student Success Center, where she helps provide holistic academic support. As part of a dynamic team focused on tutoring and multicultural student success, Molly helps students with documented disabilities navigate their college journey, ensuring they receive the academic support they need and empowering them to become strong self-advocates. For Molly, the ability to collaborate on larger projects within this supportive community is a source of immense fulfillment.
Since starting her role in January of 2020, Molly has found joy in witnessing her students’ growth. She saw her first full class of freshmen from the fall of 2020 graduate this past spring. Some of her students even reformed the student advocacy group on campus, B.E.L.I.E.V.E. (Be Educated, Live with Inspiration, and Evaluate Equity), which aims to educate the Providence College community about people with disabilities, inspire engagement with diverse individuals, and evaluate equity for those with various disabilities on campus and beyond.
In February of 2023, the Student Success Center applied for a grant funded by generous donors to the Providentia Endowed Fund. These annual grants support initiatives that strengthen the academic, social, and spiritual growth of the Providence College community. Molly saw a chance to incorporate disability into this mix, examining the intersectionality between gender and ability status. Through research, she connected with Becky Curran Kekula ’06, an alumna who grew up in Weymouth, Massachusetts and identifies as a person with dwarfism. Becky’s positive experience at Providence College began when she saw another person with dwarfism during her campus tour, making her feel welcomed. Reflecting on her connection with the college, Becky shared,
There’s a level of trust…you can almost put your guard down when you meet someone who also graduated from Providence College.
Despite initial challenges, Becky thrived at Providence College, earning a bachelor of science in marketing and developing a passion for authentic portrayals of people with disabilities in media. Her perseverance led her to roles at Creative Artists Agency and CBS Television Studios, and she eventually founded DisABILITY in Media and Becky Motivates. Molly and her team’s grant proposal, which was awarded, brought Becky back to campus for two key events – a campus-wide speaking program and a “lunch and learn” session. Both events were aimed at sparking crucial conversations about accessibility and inclusivity – areas that are often overlooked in conversations about diversity.
Looking ahead, Molly hopes to continue her collaboration with Becky, exploring ways to more effectively integrate accessibility practices at an institutional level. Becky helped to identify scholarship, internship, and mentorship opportunities for students through DisABILITY:In, the leading nonprofit resource for business disability inclusion worldwide, which Molly shares with the 600+ students registered for academic accommodations. Through her work with the Student Success Center, Molly’s focus on disability justice has not only made Friar students feel seen and heard, but has also inspired new programming that reflects the value of inclusivity in the campus community.
