"Dana-Farber helped save my mom's life in 2008 when she was diagnosed with cancer. There is no better way to honor her and support cutting-edge cancer research than to be a part of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's Marathon Challenge Team. Ultimately, striving towards the final goal: a world without cancer. In terms of motivation, there are three things. First, compared to fighting cancer, training and running a marathon is nothing. Second, all the people who have supported me. They have put their faith in me, and I owe it to them to make them proud. Third, the cheers at Mile 21 past Boston College and Foster Street." - John "Jack" Grady '23 | Read more about members of the BC community running the 2022 Boston Marathon: https://on.bc.edu/RunningforOther2022

“Documentary filmmaking, in a way, is people giving you a backdoor glimpse into their lives. They're showing you things in a more personal way than they would if you just got to know them on the street. When we were down in Antarctica filming, we followed a small group of scientists, camped with them, and after a while it just felt as though we were part of the team. I think that’s my favorite aspect of the job: you get to live someone else's life for a little bit.” - Arlo Pérez ’16, a digital producer at NOVA l PBS and the co-host of Antarctic Extremes | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/ArloPerez

“I always tell people I do everything except act—everything you don't see is what I enjoy doing. I’m a theatre major and in the past, I was really focused on scenic design and sound design and stage management, but then I took the course Playwriting I and I realized, actually, I think I want to be a playwright. It changed my trajectory. Wherever it takes me, I want playwriting to continue to be something that is part of my life for years to come.” - Lily Telegdy ’23, who wrote “All the Bad Kids Go To Mars,” one of three original student plays performed at the Boston College Theatre Department’s “New Voices 2022” in February | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/LilyTelegdy

"Appa Volunteers is a program near and dear to my heart. I was fortunate to round out my fourth and final year of Appa by traveling to Ivanhoe, Virginia, a community that Boston College students have been serving for more than 30 years. Ivanhoe is a former mining town along the Blue Ridge Mountains with a population of roughly 500 people. This small yet resilient community taught us the power of a simple conversation, where two strangers can become equals within a few shared words. They say ‘Virginia is For Lovers,’ and Ivanhoe is a community that exemplifies and embodies this love in its actions, kindness, and passion—passion for who they are, where they come from, and their futures to come. It was an honor to bear witness to the stories and perspectives that the community of Ivanhoe shared with us on our trip, and I look forward to carrying these experiences with me as I look to continue serving others after graduation.” - Rebecca Fontana '22, Appa Leader | READ MORE about the return of service trips: https://on.bc.edu/Appa2022

“We all feel a little bit disconnected with the Earth sometimes. For kids, even if they don't have a rainforest or a volcano to explore, I hope this series shows them they can climb over their fence, go build a dam, climb a tree, explore that little patch of forest, and develop their own creativity, their own imagination, their own sense of exploration. I think that's really important.” - Erik Weihenmayer ’91, H’03, professional explorer who is blind and appears in Welcome to Earth - Miniseries with Will Smith | Read More: https://on.bc.edu/EndsoftheEarth Photo Credit: National Geographic

“Even though I've worked forever with refugees, I haven't done a lot of resettlement work, so I didn't know all the buttons to push. I was lucky that I had contacts and everybody I spoke to said 'we'll help.' Catholic Charities USA and St. Ignatius - Chestnut Hill, MA were so good, the donors were saying, ‘How much do you need?’ and I was immensely supported by the Boston College system. Everybody played a role once I pulled them in. There was a certain amount of pressure—it felt a bit like I had Farhad’s future in my hands and I didn't want him to feel like he made the wrong decision—but I had great faith in the people.” - Maryanne Loughry, R.S.M., a part-time faculty member in the Boston College School of Social Work who helped Afghan refugee Farhad Sharifi build a new future on the Heights | Read more: http://on.bc.edu/FarhadSharifi Photo Credit: Patrick Mills '24

"I feel like at any school in a computer science program as a woman specifically, you’ll face impostor syndrome. It’s not necessarily the university's fault, but it’s just something women in this field experience just by virtue of being so outnumbered, whether in STEM clubs or classes or even just when you’re applying to internships and things. "Going to the first computer science class as a freshman, a lot of women feel nervous to turn to the person next to you and say 'Hey, wanna work on this project together?' because chances are you will be the only girl in that class and it's easy to feel out of place because of that. I ended up doing a lot of solo work because I was afraid nobody wanted to work with me or everyone else knew what they were talking about more than I did. Having communities like the BC Women in Computer Science Club - which I’m now the president of - has been great. It's somewhere I could meet the other relatively few girls in the major and work through some of that. "Basically, we try to serve as a resource on campus for any female-identifying student interested in the field: computer science majors, computer science minors, or even just people passionate about technology or coding and looking for a support group. We have a mentorship program that we started this year, so juniors and seniors in the major get paired with anyone interested in learning more about the field. We bring in speakers, help with networking, and hold events. Computer science used to not be as big of a major at Boston College, but it’s rapidly growing so we’re seeing female Boston College Alumni who are now doing amazing things in the industry and want to come back and help foster that environment here. We all need someone we can look up to and see what is possible." - Emily Koehne '22

“Black Americans have a life expectancy that is four years lower than white Americans. According to Relias, a training platform for health care providers, the most prominent connection between one’s racial experience and their health is largely a result of discrimination, and its effect on stress. This stress can cause anxiety, depression, substance use disorder, and eventually lead to suicidality. I think it’s important not only to educate people about how racial injustice takes a toll on all of our health, but also to be part of the representation of Black providers. Like Dr. King, I have a dream, and it’s to be able to provide my community with the mental health care that it needs.” - Tamara Hyppolite ’23, Boston College Connell School of Nursing student and finalist for the 2022 Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship

“When I was younger, when I thought about Black History Month I thought about the tougher topics related to Black history—like slavery and Jim Crow—and that’s very hard to hold. Now, I think of it as a celebration of just how much we’ve gone through, our resilience, and how much we continue to thrive. I love having a month to focus on Black literature, Black music, and Black culture. Sometimes those things get pushed to the background, and this is the time to bring them back into the conversation so they can be celebrated and appreciated.” - E'Sachi Smalls ’23 Portrait by Yating Wang '24

"Black History Month is an extremely important month for the African American community. It gives us an opportunity to recognize those that have come before us, and acknowledge that their struggles weren’t done in vain. It also gives praise to the wonderful achievements they contributed along the way. It allows us to see the growth in our own community over time, but also reflect and see how much more we can continue to grow in our society. From Dr. King to Rosa Park to Jackie Robinson and so many others, I just want to say thank you. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve the great things I have so far in my life." - Justin Dunn, former Boston College Baseball pitcher in the Class of 2017 and current member of the Seattle Mariners

"There's something very special for a young playwright, seeing their work in performance. You never really know what you have until the play meets an audience. It's a unique experience. “It takes a long time to develop new work for the stage. These plays were all begun more than a year ago in my playwriting class, revised over the summer, polished in time for auditions, and then tweaked in time for the start of rehearsals. The playwrights have been terrific in their commitment to the perpetual improvement of the scripts." - Scott Cummings, Boston College Theatre Department Professor who is directing “New Voices 2022," which showcases original students' works | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/3s0kSdH

"Black History Month is an acknowledgment of what it means to be Black through triumph, trauma, and everything in between. To not only be acknowledged but respected and supported through action, consistent and intentional actions that call for equality, equity, and justice for everyone. These actions are rooted in the power of choice, vulnerability, authenticity, sacrifice, and love that not only exists now but has existed before our time and shall continue to prevail for generations to come. Black History Month is not just a celebration for a month but a truth that overcomes all negativity, hatred, and injustice that will certainly die out with time, patience, resilience, and once again, action." - Idris Council '22