March 2, 2026

To celebrate Women’s History Month, we’re proud to highlight a Laker who is creating meaningful change in her community.

Megan Hennessey ’08 & ’11 serves as executive director of Resilience, a domestic abuse treatment center in Holland. Megan has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degree in social work from Grand Valley. Her work with Resilience started as a GVSU intern in 2008. Since then, she has dedicated her career to supporting survivors and strengthening services that respond to, reduce, and prevent domestic and sexual violence.

We interviewed Megan to learn more her story, work at Resilience, and the women who have inspired her.

How do you believe you have made an impact on the community?

I’m so proud to work at Resilience. I try my best every day to make sure our organization can keep doing its work effectively, even when the system throws obstacles in our way. I focus on amplifying the voices of survivors and supporting the volunteers and advocates who work around the clock to respond to, reduce, and prevent domestic and sexual violence. My goal is to make sure they have what they need to be effective, so the community benefits from strong, consistent, and survivor-centered services.

How have women inspired you in your work?

Women have led the anti-domestic and sexual violence movement since its inception. Domestic and sexual violence can and does happen to anyone, and it is also a gendered problem. The second wave of feminism marked a turning point in public awareness and policy reform, but women had been resisting intimate partner violence long before that moment. We stand on the shoulders of those generations of advocates. That era, beginning in the 1960s and 70s, accelerated organizing, advocacy, and systemic change, laying the foundation for the programs and protections we have today.

I am particularly inspired by the resilience and fortitude of survivors of domestic and sexual violence, especially the members of Resilience’s Survivor Advisory Council. Survivors raise each other up in solidarity, and for every survivor who says “me too,” it builds momentum to recognize that this is not an individual problem, but a societal one, where policies and public action can create meaningful, positive change. Their courage in sharing their stories and shaping solutions continues to move this work forward in powerful ways.

On a personal level, since starting in this movement as a GVSU intern at Resilience in 2008, I’ve been inspired by women advocates and my teachers in the field. They show up to this work even when it’s dark and difficult, and their leadership continues to shape how I approach everything I do, both in and out of work.

As we approach Resilience’s 50th anniversary in 2027, I think often about the women who built this movement locally and nationally. Their persistence created the foundation we rely on today, and that legacy pushes me to help carry the work forward with the same courage and clarity.

What about your work do you love the most?

I love supporting advocates and volunteers so they can do their best work, and I also enjoy connecting with donors and change-makers and advocating for systems that better serve survivors. It strengthens the community we serve by creating safer, more supported environments where survivors are heard, needs are met, and long-term healing and prevention are possible.

​​​​​​​Do you have anything impactful that you are working toward?

I’m focused on building the kind of financial and organizational resilience that allows us to continue serving all survivors well into the future. It’s about protecting access, expanding inclusion, and making sure support is always available when someone needs it, so that the promise we made 50 years ago can be kept, for as long as survivors need us.