MA in Public Policy
The Rev. Shannan R. Vance-Ocampo Named First Recipient of Tom Crane Service Award
The Department of Political Science and the Master of Arts in Public Policy (MAPP) program seek nominations and applications for the Tom Crane Service award.
Rev. Shannan R. Vance-Ocampo, a final year graduate student in the MA in Public policy program, was named the first recipient of the Tom Crane Service Award. The award recognizes volunteer and community service by a graduate student in the Public Policy program at Monmouth University.
This award was made possible by Joy R. Crane of the Department of Political Science in honor of her late husband, Tom Crane. The award commemorates Tom Crane, who was a friend of the department and the University, and was heavily involved in community and volunteer service all of his life. It seeks to recognize students who demonstrate an active commitment to and participation in local or global community service projects.
Rev. Vance-Ocampo is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and has served at the Rumson Presbyterian Church since 2001. She holds a B.A. from The College of Wooster in Philosophy and Religious Studies and a Master of Divinity from McCormick Theological Seminary. She is a Certified Christian Educator in the PC (U.S.A.), and has served as a human rights accompanier in Barranquilla, Colombia through the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship.
In her current call, she serves as chair of the Presbytery Committee on Preparation for Ministry, co-chairs the Presbytery Cuba Mission group, and has led multiple mission experiences domestically and overseas for both youth and adults.
She is married to Juan Ocampo from Bogota, Colombia who is a teacher at a Red Bank Catholic High School. They have a 6-year old daughter, Sofia Elena.
Rev. Vance-Ocampo organizes and accompanies high school youth from her congregation each summer on a work trip to various places in New Jersey and all over the United States. The goal of such trips is to raise awareness and engage students in working to bring change in poverty struck areas.
According to Rev. Vance-Ocampo, “Our youth have travelled to Atlantic City, NJ to learn about poverty and homelessness; Santa Fe, NM to learn about hunger and Native American heritage; Pittsburgh, PA to work on urban housing rebuilding projects; and New Orleans, LA and D’Iberville, MS to work on hurricane rebuilding and to learn about natural disasters and their long-term effects on communities. Through our youth’s work our larger congregation has developed ongoing relationships with some of our mission partners.
The department of Political Science and the Master of Arts in Public Policy program congratulate Rev. Vance-Ocampo on becoming the first recipient of the Tom Crane Service Award.
