“It has been a great joy to see the transformation of Boston College from when I first arrived here as a freshman in 1965 and returned 10 years later as a faculty member. BC has achieved something remarkable that few other institutions have accomplished. It has continually increased its commitment to academic excellence in the talent and work of its students, faculty, and staff. Yet at the same time, its faculty and staff have increased their commitments to educating and nurturing the whole person through Intersections, Halftime, and many other programs. But especially heartening for me has been the flourishing of a culture of service. More than half the graduating class will have participated in the PULSE Program, 4Boston, Appa Volunteers, and many other service initiatives. Boston College has come a long way in commitment to its second motto, 'Educating men and women in service with and for others.'" - Patrick Byrne ’69, Philosophy Department Boston College Professor and founder of PULSE who recently retired after working at BC for 47 years

“I've always been someone who was very eco-conscious about what I ate - I never ate palm oil or anything that had bad environmental effects - so it was really cool to work with experts in the field of sustainable food. I didn't really realize that there were whole organizations, like the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, that are dedicated to that, or that BC Dining Services has an entire sustainability team. It’s impressive that they’re willing to listen to a younger generation who is sometimes more attuned to these kinds of issues. It’s a powerful resource that they’re embracing.” - Morgan Santaguida ’25 (left), one of Boston College's inaugural seafood ambassadors, along with Victoria Newton ’23 (right) | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/FreshIdeas

"I specialize in the history of social remembrance, and my work in recent years has focused on questions of forgetting, which surprisingly turns out to be another form of remembering. I’ll go to archives and specialist libraries and read against the grain, looking for traces of events that were left off of the official record though they’ve been documented outside mainstream historiography. For example, the Irish Civil War of 1922–23 is one of those episodes that was rarely talked about publicly, but if you look deeper, you’ll find books, plays, and even films about it. Cultural commentators often assert that it’s been forgotten, but if that’s the case, then why do we know about it?" - Guy Beiner, the new Irish Studies at Boston College Sullivan Chair | Read More in Boston College Magazine: https://on.bc.edu/GuyBeiner

“Part of what makes learning such a wonderful thing for me is being able to feel like I really understand something, and if I can't see or experience it, it's hard for me to understand it. SEA Semester is not a traditional classroom setting, you're not learning about these really obscure things that you'll never see and never experience. It helped me grow in a way that I feel like I understand the world better and I understand my place in the world better, and I feel a sense of ownership and security in myself that I didn’t feel a year ago.” - Lavinia Clarke ’23, who spent five weeks sailing the Pacific as part of a semester abroad with Sea Education Association | Read more: https://on.bc.edu/LaviniaClarke

“That is why programs like Agape Latte and retreats are so important. Students feel invited to those things because they don't feel like there is a high level of catechetical knowledge required to really participate...What I found most interesting was that Boston College's distinctive academic programs and the way that the university integrated faith into really all aspects of the experience helps students feel more comfortable as they progress through BC.” - Dennis Wieboldt '22, who has taken a lead role in the Student Voices Project which is collecting young people’s thoughts about their faith and the future of the Catholic Church | Read More about The Church in the 21st Century Center (C21 Center)'s initiative: https://on.bc.edu/C21VoicesProject

"'To whom much is given, much is required.' This was something that my mother would repeat to me on a daily basis. I gained an appreciation for the importance of helping others while I was a student at Boston College, and I've carried that appreciation with me throughout my career as a coach. I have been given many wonderful opportunities in my career, but the thing that continues to be most important to me is making sure that we are assisting in the development of young women who are strong and powerful and believe they can achieve anything they put their minds to." - Brittanny Johnson ’09, M’10, former Boston College Women's Basketball player who is an assistant on the USA Basketball Women’s U17 World Cup Team | READ MORE about Brittany in Boston College Magazine: https://on.bc.edu/TeamBuilder

"Mentorship, to me, is about helping people see who they want to be and what they want to do in the world. You can’t tell someone to find the questions and passions that will shape their lives, but you can expose them to things. I see it happen all the time with the Gabelli Scholars—after students volunteer at a food bank or travel to Kuwait, they talk about their experiences in a profound way. They begin to ask how they can contribute to solving problems on a societal level. With any luck, they work it out for themselves." - Kathleen Bailey '76, Ph.D. '01, Professor of the Practice, Political Science Department | READ MORE in Boston College Magazine: https://on.bc.edu/KathleenBailey

“In our roles as president and vice president, it is so important that we are the voice for students before anything else that we do...Our biggest role is to advocate for students with administrators at the highest level and really represent students, especially those students who are on the margins and sometimes get forgotten here at BC. It’s our job to go out and seek those opinions and those voices and really bring them to the forefront of conversations.” - Lubens Benjamin '23, incoming Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC) president | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/UGBC2223

"Say 'yes' to anything. Because you don’t know what you will enjoy until you try it. Say 'yes' to getting lunch with someone you don’t know. Say 'yes' to office hours with a professor. Say 'yes' to the small things in addition to the clubs you are part of. College is about new experiences and you will regret it if you don’t try new things. Also, stay grounded. In the chaos of your schedule, understand how you got here and why you got here and understand where you are in context of the rest of the world and not just this small campus." - Bozhena Kulchyckyj '22, with advice for new students | READ MORE about Bozhena as a Senior to Remember: https://on.bc.edu/BozhenaKulchyckyj22

"I think it’s having the courage and willingness to put myself out there in front of people. One of my favorite things about BC has been being able to develop great relationships with people who have encouraged me to put myself out in front of the community. I’ve been able to learn about so many people’s life stories through these relationships and friendships and to be around people who are willing to challenge me to be a better person and a better student." - Jack Bracher '22, on how Boston College has made a difference in his life | READ MORE about Jack as a Senior to Remember: https://on.bc.edu/JackBracher22

"There has been nothing better at Boston College than PULSE. I’m so grateful for the experience. In class, I learned about philosophers and theologians I had never studied. I had deep conversations with the people at my placement about the lived experiences of the kids at Bird Street Community Center. I still wanted to be a nurse after my first year in PULSE, but the kind of nursing I wanted to do changed. My volunteer experience at the foot clinic at Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program has been a great experience and opened my eyes to the kind of nursing I can do. I’m really not interested in working in an office. I want to work in the community and with those who are at risk. Here at BC, it’s easy to keep your blinders on, and I’ve been really grateful for the chance to take them off. The PULSE experience reminds me of my privilege, reminds me to be incredibly grateful, and shows me how much work there is to be done." - Elisa Ganzon '22 | READ MORE about Elisa as a Senior to Remember: https://on.bc.edu/Elisa

"When I first came to Boston College, I had a bit of a culture shock. Everything was different: the food, the people, the weather. But I’m glad I was able to experience such a new environment with a supportive group of friends and faculty. It really shifted my perspective on life—those new and different things can be a source of great change and progress for oneself and others." - Eugene Woo '22 | READ MORE about Eugene as a Senior to Remember: https://on.bc.edu/EugeneWoo22