News of Alumni: Douglas O'Keefe ‘08

On Wednesday, April 12, Douglas O'Keefe ‘08 presented to several classes of seniors about a recent trip he took to Ukraine to do humanitarian work. “He was able to shed light on the war, the role of propaganda and disinformation, and what role the Ukraine-Russia War has in our world today,” says Social Studies Teacher Mr. Adrian  Oryshkevych ‘99.
 
Douglas, who has a Master of Science in Applied Intelligence from Mercyhurst University, went on the trip as a volunteer for an NGO dedicated to improving access to potable water in regions under siege by, or recently liberated from, Russian forces. “I wanted to go to Ukraine to transform the theoretical knowledge I gained from my graduate program and thesis research on modern Russian military tactics into practical experience. It was a search for first-hand, unfiltered information - the ground truth, so to speak," he says. "Most importantly, I just wanted to help. The organization I volunteered for, GMSO, brings potable water solutions to hard-hit areas in Ukraine. It is an easy effort to get behind. Being a Man for Others shouldn’t have an expiration date, and this was an opportunity to remind myself of that very important fact.”
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