With a $6,000 scholarship from the ASSP Foundation, funded by Amazon, Millersville University student Brian O’Neill is pursuing a career grounded in human connection, shared responsibility and worker protection.

Brian O’Neill’s path to environmental health and safety (EHS) started in his high school woodshop. His teacher saw something in his character, values and the way he communicated with others, and told him those were the qualities of a safety professional.
“Many of my core beliefs — such as hard work, putting others first and looking out for the well-being of others — are deeply rooted in the safety profession,” O’Neill says.

Now a senior at Millersville University of Pennsylvania, O’Neill is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in occupational safety and environmental health and expects to graduate in May 2027.

Leading by Example

Since last fall, O’Neill has served as president of Millersville University’s ASSP Student Section, which has been named Outstanding Student Section two years in a row. He also represented his school at ASSP’s Professional Development Conference (PDC) and presented research to the ASSP Central Pennsylvania Chapter.

Under O’Neill’s leadership, his student section partners with the Millersville Lions Club on local initiatives that support Toys for Tots, the Salvation Army, and hosting on-campus blood drives for a local health system.

“As student section president, my focus is on creating real opportunities for our members to give back and to connect with the safety profession beyond the classroom,” he says. “We support safety and sustainability efforts on campus, like Trash Clean Up Day. Right now, I’m organizing a food drive that lets students use their leftover dining dollars to buy canned goods for the local food bank. I’m also active in education and recruitment, helping more students discover the safety profession.”

O’Neill has spent the past three summers gaining hands-on experience as a safety intern in Pennsylvania at Turner Construction Company in Wilkes-Barre, Victaulic in Easton and Allan Myers Inc. in Norristown.

Paying It Forward

Outside of his studies, O’Neill — an Eagle Scout — regularly gives back to the community through Letters of Love, a club that writes cards to children who are in the hospital, and by volunteering at local science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) events.

For the 2025-2026 program year, O’Neill received a $6,000 academic scholarship from the ASSP Foundation, funded by Amazon. For him, the award means more time to focus on his education and charitable work, and he plans to pay that generosity forward.

“I’ll keep passing this generosity on,” he says, “because I believe that’s what makes the world go round.”

Scholarship Applications Now Open

The ASSP Foundation invests in the future of the EHS profession by supporting the students and safety professionals who will lead it. Last year, the ASSP Foundation awarded $214,500 in scholarships to 114 college students. Since 1990, the ASSP Foundation has awarded more than $6 million in scholarships and grants.

The 2026-2027 academic scholarship award cycle is open October 15, 2026 through February 15, 2027. Apply on the ASSP Foundation website.