The good Cornellians can do: Michael Curran ’79

Michael Curran '79 knows firsthand the lifechanging impact education had on the trajectory of his own life. In 1975, he was the recipient of a scholarship to Cornell funded by his father’s union, the Transport Workers Union. He says that Cornell set him on a career and life path that has been “fun, exciting, and rewarding.” This experience inspired him to give back, with a focus on supporting educational institutions and programs.

In 2006, a friend and president of the New Canaan, Connecticut chapter of A Better Chance (ABC) asked Mike and his family to consider serving as a host family to Devaun Bovell. ABC is a nationwide program that provides support, such as housing, food, tutoring, social activities, and college counseling, to selected students. In New Canaan, ABC also matches the students with a host family, to create a local connection and support for the boys.

“Devaun became a part of our family, and we have maintained a strong connection through his college years, work, and marriage,” Mike says.

Mike reports that, since the New Canaan ABC program was founded over 50 years ago, 90% of the students have graduated from high school and gone on to attend a four-year college program.

In 2024, Mike helped organize a gala in celebration of New Canaan ABC’s 50th anniversary. There, former graduates and their host families came together to celebrate the success of the program.

“It was wonderful to reconnect with the students I had known and meet many others that were 'before my time' with the program,” Mike says. “Needless to say, most of their success was due to their talent and hard work and family support, but we (at ABC) were and remain lucky to be able to contribute to that success.”

Cornellians around the globe are sharing how they do good in communities big and small. Share your own story.