"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

"I’m so humbled to be [inducted]. Hockey has given me so much. It has given me my career and the opportunity of a lifetime to coach at Boston College. The former players and current players whom I have coached at BC, you have made such a positive impact on my life and I am grateful for that. You have put in the work to help grow our program and I am incredibly lucky to be a small part of the journey for each and every one of you." - Katie Crowley (left), BC women's hockey head coach who was inducted into USA Hockey Hall of Fame | READ MORE: https://bit.ly/KatieCrowleyHOF

"Black History Month is not just a celebration of the past triumphs and struggles of African American heroes; it's a beacon of inspiration for me as a Black college student. It's a time to reflect on the sacrifices made by those who came before me, to appreciate the paths they have paved, and to recognize my own responsibility to continue their legacy. It empowers me to pursue my education with purpose, to strive for excellence, and to be a catalyst for change in my community. BHM reminds me that my dreams are valid, my voice is important, and my potential is limitless. It's a month of remembering, but for me, it's also a call to action—a reminder that history is made every day, and I have a role in shaping it.” - Sena Deressa '24 Photo Credit: Yating Wang '24

“A certain philosophy of care may be inconsistent with the cultural norms of a particular group, so they’re reluctant to adopt it. For example, because many Black families are likely to seek—or forego—a particular intervention or resource, there may be an assumption that this is true for all Black families. But the beliefs and lived experiences can be significantly different between African American and other Black people, which therefore influence their attitudes toward health care. Not all Black people are culturally African American. “Remember, it wasn’t until 1965 that racial segregation in hospitals was outlawed, and it took several more years for some hospitals to comply, so there are generations of African Americans who experienced and remember ‘separate but equal’ health care. It takes a lot of work to undo the harm that’s been done—it doesn’t simply disappear because a law has been put in place.” - Karen Bullock, a Boston College School of Social Work Professor who was honored with the Richard Payne Outstanding Achievement in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award from the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/KarenBullock

"I am always amazed and humbled when characterized as making Black history. As a Black girl who traveled from my hometown of Washington, DC, to Boston College to get a good education in the 70s, I would never have imagined that playing hockey would put me on the map as possibly BC’s first Black female athlete. This reflection is in anticipation of my return to Boston in May for the 100th anniversary of the Epsilon Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated. AKA is Black History. It is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African American college-educated women at Howard University in 1908. I became an AKA in 1975 at BC. I am looking forward to reliving that Black History." - Doxie McCoy '77, Boston College Athletics' first Black female student-athlete | LEARN MORE: https://bit.ly/DoxieMcCoy

“As a child of immigrants, when I think about Black History Month I think about the diasporic element. Obviously, we look to people like Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, and Fred Hampton, but the Black community is such a multicultural community in the United States—we’re looking at all the different backgrounds that people bring and ridding ourselves of the notion that there's a monolithic Black experience. One of my roommates is Haitian American, my other roommate is African American, I’m Ugandan American—all those different identities come to form different elements of Black experience.” - Brian Kazinduka '25 #BlackHistoryMonth Photo: Almany Berthé '25