“I had promised a lot of people, including my parents and Jerry York, that I would finish my degree at some point. I don't know if we thought it was going to take this long, but it always felt like I had that hanging over my head. Getting my diploma was awesome—different than any athletic achievement I’ve ever had. Ten years ago, before I had kids, I probably would have just had them send it to me, but I actually had a lot of fun at the commencement ceremony, and having my girls there to see it was important to me.” - Brooks Orpik ’22, who graduated from the Boston College - Woods College of Advancing Studies three years after announcing his retirement from the NHL | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/GoalOriented Photo: Alastair Ingram, Boston College Athletics

"What I’m doing is responding to people’s questions about this country. And I think the magic of it is not me. It’s that I’m a teacher, and a translator for people asking questions. And a lot of what I do is simply say, 'Okay, here’s what the Department of Justice is, and here’s what a congressional committee is, and here’s the difference. And here are the powers that they have. And here’s what they’re trying to do.' All those things that many people pretend they know and they don’t actually know. And that’s always been the key to my professional career, saying, 'Wait, I don’t understand that. What are you talking about? Let’s figure out what exactly you mean.'" - Heather Cox Richardson, History Professor and author of the "Letters from an American" newsletter | READ MORE in Boston College Magazine: https://on.bc.edu/HistorysFirstDraft

“At the end of the day, we don’t do what we do for recognition. We are here to honor Kevin [Eidt]’s legacy, not our own. We love the work and feel as though it is work worth doing. When I look back on my four years here, my time will undoubtedly be defined by running this service. I am grateful for this organization, the people in it, and the job we get to do together.” - Brian Coyne ’23, Boston College EMS President | READ MORE about BC EMS's 25th anniversary: https://on.bc.edu/BCEMS25

"I definitely think I'm a poster child for unusual, unexpected, serendipitous outcomes. I assumed I knew I was on my right path, but it diverged and went to a completely different destination. I look back at what happened to me and feel such a connection with many students who are in college today who think they know what they want to do, but ultimately discover they are meant to do the opposite. For me, I thought I wanted to go to law school. I thought I was meant to get Truman and Fulbright Scholarships. Teach For America made sense. But then I brought back my dad's small digital video camera, learned how to edit on iMovie, and my life was changed with a single video screening in Fulton 511 during a show for my comedy group, Asinine." - Joe Sabia '06, online video producer and creator of Vogue's “73 Questions” | Read More in Boston College Magazine: https://on.bc.edu/JoeSabia_BCM

"I think one of the hardest things about discussing mental health is speaking up about it for the first time. After that, it always gets easier. That's why I really loved To Write Love On Her Arms., because it was a designated space for those mental health conversations. We'd start every meeting by discussing our highs and lows of the week, causing everyone to be a little bit vulnerable and talk about themselves. That can be really hard to do, especially when you're not quite sure if your relationship with someone is going to reach that deeper level. I think that, for the most part, people are very willing to have deep conversations but they're waiting for somebody else to start them. So, if you're the type of person who can build up the nerve to start that deep conversation, I would always say go for it, because chances are someone will reciprocate it." - Julianna Markus '23, member of the TWLOHA-BC e-board Photo by Yating Wang '24

“I cannot say that I have a favorite style of music. Musical theater, pop, classical—I think they’re all equally great. I’ve also always had a fascination with STEM. It started with dinosaurs and from there I fell in love with trying to figure out why things are the way they are, how to make things more efficient, and just understanding how the world works. At Boston College, I get to explore both avenues. The professors here just really want to help you succeed—whether it’s in science or music or whatever you want to do, they’re trying to help you be the best version of yourself.” - Maxwell Korman ’23, this year’s Pops on the Heights student soloist | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/DualPerformer

"When girls put those sneakers on their feet and say they fit like no other basketball sneaker. Moolah Kicks is the only for-profit business in women’s basketball. Everything else is a charity, a nonprofit, or women’s basketball is secondary to what they do in men’s basketball. Every dollar we earn goes into either more products for women’s basketball players, or more marketing dollars, which in turn raises the profile of the game and creates more financial opportunity for women’s basketball players." - Natalie White ’20, founder of Moolah Kicks | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/BreakingtheMold

“The Jesuits were always famous for looking at both sides of an issue, and I think when you do that, you realize there are consequences for whatever action you take, even if it’s the absolute right action. Do I think smoking marijuana is a good thing? Probably not, but I could see why some people want to do it, and obviously there are some medicinal purposes. You could even argue you’d rather someone smoke marijuana than use opioids. What I’m really interested in, as a Jesuit priest, is what’s the better thing for society?” - Richard McGowan, SJ, Carroll School of Management at BC Professor who has taught courses in finance and statistics for more than 30 years and is a leading expert in the “sin” industries | Read More in Boston College Magazine: https://on.bc.edu/TheOddsFather

"When I was researching colleges I really wanted to go to a place where inclusion was at the forefront of education. I knew that I didn't want to be a special education teacher, but the ability to minor in inclusive education at the Boston College Lynch School of Education and Human Development was an amazing option for me. I have a brother who has disabilities, so having that personal experience has been able to inform the takeaways from my classes. I'm able to see a lot of different perspectives: a policy point of view, a teacher's point of view, and my own family's point of view. I want to work in special education policy, so having this unique educational experience has been extremely valuable to me. All of my professors, fellow classmates, and experiences inside and out of the classroom have been instrumental in shaping me to always serve in my career as a person for and with others. I was able to serve as a job coach for individuals with disabilities who work on Boston College's campus through the Supported Employment Program during my freshman year PULSE placement. That was an extremely formative experience because I was able to meet some of the kindest, most wonderful, most hardworking people on BC's campus. I continued many of those relationships through the Best Buddies program. It has been the best part of my experience here. My buddy and I have stayed in contact through the pandemic and through the summertime. I'm very grateful to be a part of something that fosters these lifelong friendships no matter what barriers would normally separate us. I couldn't be more grateful for all of the friendships and relationships I've made at BC." - Audey Davis '23, Vice President of BC's Best Buddies chapter and a member of Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC) Council for students with disabilities Photo by Yating Wang '24

“For these girls to play on a DI field and have access to BC’s facilities and coaches was really special, and it helps to further legitimize what they’re hoping to accomplish. We had 24 players from across three countries participate in college-style workouts and gameplay, and they also got to hear from current female college baseball players about their journeys. My hope was to help solidify in their minds that there isn’t one specific way to play baseball at a high level. If you want to play, there are different ways and opportunities for you to do so—and we've got your back as you pursue those goals.” - Lena Park ’11, Director of new media and content strategy for Baseball For All, which held its second annual Women’s College Baseball Invitational at the Heights | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/LenaPark Photo Credit: Laura Wulf

“The default reaction from liberals tends to be, ‘I don't find this funny so it's not comedy.’ Of course that's personally valid. Nobody's asking anybody to change their preferences or their sense of humor. But what happens when we generalize in a way that divides the world up like that? First, you’re going to fall into a trap of thinking that people are fundamentally so different as to have one group of people who want to laugh, and another group that doesn't. You’re going to start thinking that the world of media you see is the only one out there. You’ll have a worse understanding of how the other side thinks, talks, and votes. People have different approaches to comedy perhaps, but maybe a little less different than you think.” - Matt Sienkiewicz, Chairperson of the Communication Department and co-author of "That’s Not Funny: How the Right Makes Comedy Work for Them" | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/MattSienkiewicz

"I think that the Homecoming Court is a pretty unique opportunity to not only connect with some of my fellow seniors at Boston College, who I haven't had the opportunity to meet yet, but also to be able to represent a diverse little niche within the BC community. I feel like having read through everybody's bios and seeing what everybody's bringing to this Court, I think we have a really cool mix of people with different backgrounds. And I'm just really excited to be able to contribute in some capacity." - Taylor Morales '23, member of BC's first Homecoming Court