Megan Buron Gavin joined the MOCA Board of Directors in May 2021. She was diagnosed with stage 2c clear cell ovarian cancer at the age of 34. Megan saw five different specialists before receiving a diagnosis. Had she listened to those doctors, Megan believes she would not be alive today.

Megan met a dear friend, Talicia, while going through chemotherapy. Megan applied for MOCA’s Dream Award on behalf of Talicia. They were thrilled when Talicia was granted this gift! She used it to take a dream vacation to Jamaica with Megan and two other friends. Megan is beyond grateful for the memories MOCA made possible. Talicia passed away in 2021 at the age of 34. She survived years of treatment, after her initial diagnosis at 19 years old.

Megan is eager to serve on MOCA’s Board of Directors to honor Talicia’s struggle. She is especially committed to improving outcomes for women of color and looks forward to furthering MOCA’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives.

By profession, Megan is an educator and union activist. She has taught Spanish, French and Arabic at the high school level. She also coordinated the education program and negotiated union contracts for the Minnesota Nurses Union. In the fall of 2021, Megan will return to graduate school in public policy.

Megan lives in St. Paul with her sister and nephew. While Megan is not related to MOCA’s Executive Director Kathleen Gavin, it’s a good bet she is related to other Gavins you may know in St. Paul.