"To be a member of the Homecoming Court, you need to not only be a leader, but a leader who's able to help other people lead, and just ensuring a legacy of greatness that Boston College has established since its beginning." - Nyla Boler '25, a member of the 2024 Homecoming Court

"Being a member of the Homecoming Court is important to me because I care a lot about Boston College's traditions and values and they matter a lot to me. So, being selected as someone who can embody those values and represent them matters a lot." - Brendan Mahoney '25, a member of the 2024 Homecoming Court

"Being on the Homecoming Court is important to me because when I got to Boston College my freshman year, I was immediately welcomed into a really wonderful community, surrounded by people who are really kind and very friendly. I just want to be able to spread the same spirit that I was met with when I first arrived here." - Audrey Berger '25, a member of the 2024 Homecoming Court

"I think many social workers still feel uncomfortable marketing themselves. They’re great at advocating for the populations they work with, but maybe not as great at articulating their own value to the field. In the book, we help you identify career-defining moments that you’re proud of. These moments can help you differentiate yourself from your colleagues and zero in on the long-lasting impact that you can have in this field. Social workers make an impact on a daily basis, but it’s really important for them to step back and examine the long term impact of the work they do, whether that’s improving a program or identifying a need and then creating an intervention to address that need." - Cindy Snell, Boston College School of Social Work's Director of Career Services and Alumni Relations who co-wrote "The Social Work Career Guidebook: How to Land Your Ideal Job and Build a Legacy" | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/CIndySnell

“Throughout history, things get better and better, and they get better faster and faster. People come up with ideas that give us so many ways to do more with less. It’s not even remotely possible that we’ve run out of new things to discover.” - Paul Romer, a Nobel Prize winner and the Carroll School of Management at BC's Seidner University Professor | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/CSOMNobelLaureate

"During my last semester as an undergrad at the University of Florida where I was studying forensic anthropology, I presented my honors thesis at a biological anthropology conference. Presenting research that I had worked on tirelessly for over a year was the moment I thought I would feel that I had ‘made it.’ Instead, I felt disconnected from helping people—something that has always been important to me. I moved on to my ‘backup plan,’ becoming a lawyer, which would undoubtedly involve helping people." - Rosa Felibert, a 2024 Boston College Law School graduate now working at Northwest Immigrant Rights Project | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/RosaFelibert

"We face a lot of discrimination as people with disabilities. You get a lot of doors slammed on you. You don’t get opportunities because people think you’re less capable. All that anyone with a disability ever wants is the same opportunity to succeed or fail as everyone else." - Joe Quintanilla ’98, a National Braille Press vice president and an elite marathoner | READ MORE in Boston College Magazine: https://on.bc.edu/JoeQuintanilla_BCM

“If a person suffers from schizophrenia and is arrested for trespassing, nobody’s interests are served. If the root health concerns aren’t addressed, the police may be forced to respond to calls again and again, and the person involved may not get the care they need until they show up at an emergency room. This scenario is more dangerous and more costly than an effective jail diversion program. Instead, we must ask: What steps can be taken to get the person out of the revolving door with the legal system?” - Victor Petreca, a Boston College Connell School of Nursing Professor and Director of the school's new Center for Police Training in Crisis Intervention | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/JailDiversion

"Many people think of refugees as without hope, but they’re some of the strongest people I’ve ever met. They have decided they just won’t give up; they’re going to get out of an awful situation and find a better life. Most of the time they are doing it for their kids—they want them to be safe, to have a life. It’s not anything less than inspiring." - Rebecca Feldman JD '97, a Boston College Law School graduate who is the co-founder and COO of Strong Girls United Women | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/RebeccaFeldman

“A long time ago, I went on a safari to Africa and a woman there had a little memento of the University of Maryland mascot that she kept incorporating into various pictures. I thought, ‘That looks cool,’ so when I got back I got a Boston College banner and started doing the same thing. Since then I've been to a lot of places, and I’ve taken it with me all over the world. I only have one banner, so I have to be very careful I don't lose it.” -Carl Lanzilli ’66 | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/BCBannerTour

"I’m excited to lift up the voices of children and help them realize their rights by advocating their expressed wishes. One of the core social work values is to respect the inherent dignity and worth of every person, and I believe that begins with kids even though our society isn’t always angled in a way to support that." - Erica Taft MSW/JD '24, who earned an Equal Justice Works fellowship since graduation | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/EricaTaft

“When I won an Olympic medal at 29, it seemed to be the highlight of my life, and I wasn't sure whether I would ever achieve something of higher significance. But obviously, you can't stop living at the age of 29, so you have to set new goals. Nowadays, it seems more fulfilling to do it as a coach, because you help athletes to fulfill their dreams, and you welcome new athletes into this circle of Olympic medalists. It's a more shared joy than when you win it yourself.” - Ralf Bissdorf, Boston College Athletics Assistant Fencing Coach, who is the head coach of the USA Fencing's women’s foil team that won team gold at the 2024 Olympics | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/RalfBissdorf