external Charger 360 October 2, 2026 15:20:00 EST Longtime professor and campus minister Marty O’Connor ’76, Hon. ’26, who recently celebrated his 80th birthday, reflects on his journey from planning to be a catholic priest to becoming a history major at the University more than 50 years ago while he was working as a firefighter for the City of New Haven. “I found people who really cared about me and people who wanted to put in front of me opportunities that I never would have thought of myself.” He’s done the same thing for countless students over the last 30 years as a professor. “We look at students, and we see potential in them that they might not see in themselves. That’s one of the delights of being a faculty member.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnZ7fZsVtiU s05e01 news-all news-charger360 year-2026 month-october name-martin-oconnor