Bedina O'Neill
Director of Institutional Advancement
Bedina brings more than 20 years of experience in educational fundraising to her role as Director of Institutional Advancement. Her career spans more than ten years in New York and Connecticut private schools, followed by over another decade in Austin, giving her a deep, cross-regional understanding of independent school communities.
Bedina's background is inherently international. Originally from Ireland, where she completed all of her education, she holds a Master of Philosophy degree in Geography and is currently pursuing her Ph.D, also in Human, Political and Urban Geographies. Her professional path has been shaped by global institutions, including tenures at the French-American School of New York and Sacred Heart Greenwich, part of an international network of schools where she also taught high school Spanish. This global perspective extends to her personal life: After the birth of their first son, Bedina and her husband, a Colombian furniture designer and importer whom she met in New York, moved to Austin, where their second son was born. Together they are raising their two children in the United States, taking advantage of as many possibilities for international travel as possible. Theirs is a family story that reflects the international, multicultural values she brings to her work every day. While her older son has embarked on his high-school adventures, her younger son has joined AIS in CM1. Bedina looks forward to making the school community very much a part of her own family's journey.
A seasoned leader in capital campaigns, annual funds and events, Bedina most recently spearheaded fundraising efforts in Austin, where she stewarded a campaign to rebuild an urban private school, and she has lent her expertise to the boards of several nonprofit organizations. Bedina believes that a child's zip code, country of origin, background, learning style, or circumstance should never determine their future. She has built her career, and her volunteer work, around making that belief a reality for students across the United States, Mexico and Colombia. She holds a particular empathy for students for whom educational opportunities are limited.
Outside of work, Bedina enjoys reading and research, international and domestic travel, soccer games with her boys, exploring new restaurants, long walks with her dog, and volunteering.
“Behind every scholarship, every classroom, every opportunity is someone who believed a student was worth investing in. That's the work I do. And the belief I carry into every campaign is that access to great education is one of the most powerful investments we can make in the future. That is our responsibility to the next generation. The need is now. I invite you to join me in meeting it."
Email: bedina.oneill@austininternationalschool.org