"I am dedicating my run to all the amazing people at Boston College! I am so grateful to this school for the wonderful friends, opportunities, and growth I have experienced during the last four years. I never could have imagined training for a marathon when I first got to BC, much less fundraising for an amazing charity. I credit my friends, professors, faculty, and staff for empowering me to take risks and aim to achieve great things. I am so grateful, proud, and excited to pass through BC at Mile 21." - Ella Weaver ‘24, who is running the Boston Marathon and raising money for the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation | Read more about members of the BC community running the 2024 Boston Marathon: bc.edu/bc-web/sites/social/s24/bostonmarathon2024.html

"The MGH Pediatric Cancer Team means so much to me. My son Flynn was diagnosed with cancer a few days after his high school graduation. He was treated for two years at MGH and lost his courageous battle with cancer in April 2021. I run to honor Flynn and to raise funds for research and programs for pediatric cancer patients. Flynn had a wonderful, generous spirit, and I know in my heart that he would want to help other kids with cancer. This inspiration carries me through." - Betsy Flynn Sullivan ‘85, who is running the Boston Marathon and raising money for the Mass General Cancer Center | Read more about members of the BC community running the 2024 Boston Marathon: bc.edu/bc-web/sites/social/s24/bostonmarathon2024.html

“Being able to run for the Boston Public Library is very special. As a college student, I understand the importance of giving everyone access to educational resources. I also enjoy being able to give back to the Boston community and support a location that I and many other Boston College students love.” - Hailey Pataki ‘26, who is running the Boston Marathon and raising money for the Boston Public Library | Read more about members of the BC community running the 2024 Boston Marathon: bc.edu/bc-web/sites/social/s24/bostonmarathon2024.html

“My mom is 100 percent my inspiration for running to support Dana Farber. She fought [cancer] courageously for three years with the help of her medical team. They were so supportive throughout the entire process. Watching someone battle cancer with everything they have, especially someone as close to me, was incredibly inspiring and I felt like I needed to do something to give back. As much as I wish my mom could be there to watch me cross the finish line, I know that she will be watching over me the entire race. I hope that through the fundraising efforts, the team and I can give the gift of more time to people who are in a similar position as my family unfortunately was.” - Owen Anastas ‘25, running the Boston Marathon and raising money for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute | Read more about members of the BC community running the 2024 Boston Marathon: bc.edu/bc-web/sites/social/s24/bostonmarathon2024.html

"I wrote something down recently, which I don’t usually do. It was, 'I have nothing left to prove, but I have a lot more to give.' Let’s go with that." - Jack Connors '63, a Hill Holliday founder and the creator of Camp Harbor View, on a personal motto | READ the Boston Magazine profile: https://bit.ly/JackConnors_BM Photo from article: Ken Richardson

"Don't let it define you, it's a part of who you are, but it's not who you are. Who you are is so much bigger...That might be somebody's seven-second impression of you: you have a disability; but there's so much more to you than that. There's so much more to all of us. We all have a story and our story is longer than seven seconds." - Matt Malley '24, men's basketball senior manager who suffered a stroke at birth giving him limited use of his right hand | WATCH MORE on WBZ / CBS News Boston: brnw.ch/MattMalley_WBZ

"The science on different energy models and sustainability is robust, but the obstacles to implementing it are often cultural, legal, and political. There is so much to be gained by speaking about climate change and displacement across disciplines and national boundaries. In our working group, I've gotten to see how scientists are framing and dealing with these issues that I’ve been paying attention to for decades as an attorney, and how they are utilizing science as a response. I have been heartened by how eager everyone is to engage with other disciplines and different ideas, including knowledge from indigenous communities and other communities that are most affected by climate change." - Katharine G. Young, Chair of Boston College's interdisciplinary Climate Change & Migration working group and Boston College Law School Associate Dean | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/KatharineYoung

“I love working with the team. It’s been such a great experience. I’ve learned a lot about hockey, obviously, and equipment, but also about life, and being able to navigate things that are difficult or don’t go exactly the way that you want them to.” - Ashley Waldron '26, a BC men's hockey equipment manager who used her engineering skills to create a device being used in practice | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/AshleyWaldron

"To be a Black woman is to embody a spectrum of emotions—pain and passion, anger and happiness—intertwined with undeniable beauty. I have an unspoken connection with each Black woman I encounter on campus, and being in a community with such strong, resilient women draws me closer to always wanting to learn from them. From icons like Beyoncé to trailblazers like Shirley Chisholm, women’s influence spans generations and genres, shaping politics and pop culture. Our history is a tapestry of triumphs and tribulations, woven together with moments of perseverance and empowerment. I am proud to be a woman." -Victoria Adegboyega '26 #WomensHistoryMonth

"The Ascend program for first-year women gave me my footing as a woman at Boston College. I come from a house of three sisters. When I came to BC, I was a little lost on how to maintain the sense of warmth and womanhood that I took advantage of while growing up. Ascend became the place where I knew I had people to talk with, laugh with, and listen to. Now as an Ascend lead, I am passionate about making a space for first-years to feel this same sense of comfort—the kind of comfort that comes with a large sigh as you release your backpack from your shoulders to tune into real, candid discussion." - Molly Mitchell '24

“Family can mean so much more than just your blood. Helping to find people who can step up and be a part of a child’s life even if they can’t commit to doing adoption is something I’m really passionate about.” - Victoria Tucker '12, MSW '13, who supervises the adoption unit at The Home for Little Wanderers | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/VictoriaTucker

"Being not only a woman, but a Black woman, means you're fighting for so many things: equality in the workplace, racial equality, equality in your home life. There are so many things that women have to fight through and work through, but we’ve come a long way. When the country was first formed, women were not at the forefront of our founders’ minds. Now we have the first woman vice president in Kamala Harris. It’s a testament to how hard people in the past have worked to get us to where we are today. Women are doing so many things and our history deserves to be acknowledged." - Esther Cadet '24