“The moment that I let go of the corporate stuff and began pursuing something I wanted, all these connections and opportunities started popping up. I went abroad for about a year and took life coaching classes in London and Amsterdam, then came back and finished in Japan. In a lot of ways, life coaching is similar to recruitment because I was already having these deep conversations with people about their lives. The difference now is, instead of pivoting into selling you a job, I just pivot into helping you understand yourself, and I don't sell you anything. So it was kind of the perfect next step.” - Levi Pells ’16, who left a high-paying job in Tokyo to start a life coaching and retreat business in rural Japan | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/LeviPells

“My one piece of advice, and maybe it sounds cringey, is don't be afraid to be authentic. It’s easy to get swept away in the competitiveness of it all, and having a ‘perfect picture’ to show people. I was just like, ‘guys, you can have that, but you can also be funny! You can also be kind! It's okay to feel things and go through things—you don't always have to be perfect all the time.’ That's something I struggled with my first year at Boston College, so I wanted to mirror that and how I've grown and pass that advice along to current first years.”- Kelley Knox ’26, who helped host in a community circle for first-year students as part of a Capstone Seminar on restorative practices | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/BuildingBelonging

"I’m really excited to explore changing trends among Catholic youth in the United States. I’ve seen a lot of other outlets offer some cursory coverage of Gen Z’s Catholic revival, and I think America is the perfect place to do a deeper dive into that." - Will Martino '26, who was selected by America Magazine - The Jesuit Review as a 2026-27 Joseph A. O’Hare, S.J., Postgraduate Media Fellows | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/OHareFellows2026

"I only had one thing on my mind, and that was to make my dad proud. He immigrated to the U.S. and uprooted his whole life to make sure my siblings and I had every opportunity available to us to achieve and make all our dreams happen. I wanted to make sure all his hard work was not in vain. I will forever be grateful that I chose to attend Boston College. BC's Jesuit values, like being people for others and cura personalis, have shaped me into the leader and advocate that I am." - Tushar Nag '26, a Boston College Lynch School of Education and Human Development graduate | READ MORE of his Senior Reflection: https://on.bc.edu/TNag

“I never left the country until I came to Boston College. I was in a ‘New England bubble.’ Through my international experiences, I got to learn [about] other cultures and meet other individuals and learn what health means to them. That’s so important for us as nurses because we're dealing with different people from all walks of life. In my Boston Children’s Hospital clinical, we had kids from Saudi Arabia, Haiti, and all over. In order to understand how to care for these individuals, we have to first understand them, what health is for them, what makes them feel good, and what's important to them. Without that, we're not going to meet them where they're at. I learned to find commonalities and the small things that can build relationships. I learned how to make people feel more comfortable when they’re in a place where they are so uncomfortable.” - Samantha Corrado '26, a Boston College Connell School of Nursing graduate | READ MORE of her Senior Reflection: https://on.bc.edu/SCorrado

“One of the questions they ask you in the BC Companions interview is 'How do you feel about being in class with people who are 19 to 22?' And I said, 'Well, I think I'm okay with it because I've been teaching teenagers at our church for many years, and I enjoy that very much. I love their energy; I love their positivity.' I just didn't know how the Boston College students would react to me. As it turns out, they were amazing. I felt like just another member of the class and came away with an incredible positivity about that generation of young people. They were smart, committed, engaged, and interested. The hardest part for me was keeping up.” - Bill Reynolds, a member of the inaugural Boston College Companions program | READ MORE in Boston College Magazine: https://on.bc.edu/BacktoCampus_BCM

“My Catholic faith has always been an integral part of my life, but ‘God, Self, and Society’ was my first introduction to interpreting and understanding God's presence through an analytical lens. By reading pieces from the Bible, the Torah, Hindu philosophers, and Muslim thinkers, I was able to deepen my own connection with God, but also learn about God's ubiquitous and distinct presence across nations, cultures, and generations. I relished the opportunity to bolster my understanding of Catholicism, but it was just as significant to hear from people of all faith denominations in my class. It allowed me to form a perspective of religion that I will carry with me the rest of my life.” - Bradley Perlman ’28

“It was surreal. It was an out-of-body experience. I didn’t think that I was going to win, and I was surrounded by so many other amazing chefs that I was humbled to just have the experience. It means so much to represent Boston College in this competition. I work with an amazing team and to be their spokesperson through this is very humbling.” - Phyllis Kaplowitz, BC Dining Services Executive Chef who earned first place in the National Association of College & University Food Services 2026 Northeast Culinary Challenge | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/FishingforGold

“One of the greatest blessings during my time here has been to find mentors who genuinely take an interest in the students they work with. They believed in me even when I was unsure of myself. They held a mirror up and helped me see myself more wholly and clearly. They cared.” - Ryan Milligan '26, the 2026 Finnegan Award winner | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/RyanMilligan

“If you ask students why they take the class, my guess is most of them would say, ‘I want to build cool stuff’ or ‘It looked like fun,’ but the fact that we can let them have an impact while learning serious management skills is great. They also get the benefit of having this on their resumes. Many students have said, ‘I spoke about this in my job or internship interview, and everyone thought it was significant.’ For me, being able to contribute to that and be part of the aspects of the university that were so important and formative for me as an undergraduate feels like coming full circle.” - John Gallaugher ’88, Carroll School of Management at BC Professor who teaches “Physical Computing: Art, Robotics, and Tech for Good,” which challenges students to learn new technology, design, and business skills and put them to use in service of others | LEARN MORE: https://on.bc.edu/CoolStuff

“This work is very important to me, both as an endometriosis patient and as a Boston College Connell School of Nursing student. “Nursing students sit at the bedside, we hold the hands, we see what inadequate care costs a person. That knowledge is a responsibility. Take the cause that keeps you up at night and do something with it. Go to [Capitol] Hill. Write the letter. Make the call. Healthier tomorrows do not build themselves. St. Ignatius called us to ‘go forth and set the world aflame.’ So go." - Kristyn Stoia '22, '26, who advocated for greater awareness of endometriosis and adenomyosis and policy reforms related to the conditions on Capitol Hill | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/CSONAdvocacy2026

“I’ve come to recognize that my vocation has been to academic administration. I love working with the faculty and my colleagues on the administrative team. I love coming to work and asking the question: ‘How do we best educate for ministry in the Church?’ That’s been my driving force. “I usually see the students who are struggling in some way. I find meaning in helping those students, whether it is advocating for them with faculty or connecting them to University resources. And then, seeing over time how they get back on track is so fulfilling. I’m thinking of one student right now in particular: When I called out her name at a recent graduation, it was just lovely to see her walk across that stage and get her moment.” - Jen Bader who is stepping down as the Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry Associate Dean for Academic Affairs after 23 years at Boston College | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/JenniferBader