The Miami-Dade County Commission presented Megan Cunningham with a proclamation on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2017, recognizing her efforts in creating the Collegiate Recovery Program at Boston University and for receiving the ABA 2017 Meritorious Award for Law Students Wellness.
The proclamation, signed by District 8 Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava, commission chair Esteban Bovo Jr. and Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez, declared it “Megan Cunningham Day.”
Cunningham, a resident of Palmetto Bay and the daughter of Palmetto Bay Councilmember Karyn Cunningham, currently is a third year law student at Boston University. She received the American Bar Association (ABA) Meritorious Service Award for her work with the Collegiate Recovery Program (BU CRP), an organization that offers support for students in recovery from substance use. She was nominated by Geraldine Muir, associate dean for student affairs at BU Law.
Cunningham recently had undergone major surgery and was unable to attend the ABA National Conference in Kansas City, so the chance to be recognized before the entire Miami-Dade County Commission was greatly appreciated.
“It was really cool,” Cunningham said later. “I’d never been a guest at something like that before, and seeing my name on the agenda was nice, too. They framed it [the proclamation] for me and that and the other awards will look really cool on the wall of my office one day when I’m an attorney. For now they’re going up on my apartment wall when I get back to Boston.”
Cunningham said that she is sure that anytime she is feeling a little down that she will be cheered by recalling the presentation.
“What really meant the most were the nice things Daniella said about me in the presentation, and Sue Loyzelle on behalf of Cutler Bay, and the Honorable Judge Lisa Walsh. They just said the nicest things I’ve ever heard in my entire life about me, which is really cool to hear from respected community members.”
She appreciates the recognition, but is modest about the work she does that prompted it.
“I realize that what I do is helpful to the community, but I just feel that it’s a natural thing to do,” Cunningham said. “It’s a cause I’m really interested in, and something I think I should do. And we’ve seen a lot of progress. The program at BU has gone from three members up to 43 right now in just a few months.”
