“I took my first classes about the American presidency at Boston College as an undergraduate political science major and continued my study of the executive branch in graduate school. After almost 15 years of working in Congress, I finally got the opportunity to return to my original field of study when I became the Senior Vice President of the White House Historical Association and Director of the David Rubenstein Center for White House History. I am forever grateful to the Boston College professors who supported my initial passion for the presidency and its rich history.” - Dr. Colleen Shogan '97

"I worked as a nursing assistant over the summer on a COVID floor. I always got comments like 'I don’t understand how do you do this' or “'How is this not so depressing for you?' But what I always come back to is the lives of my patients and how lucky I am to be able to serve them in these most vulnerable moments. When I think of that, 'depressing' is the last word I would use to describe it. It’s a lot more hopeful than everyone initially thinks." - Cara Hughes '21, a Boston College Connell School of Nursing graduate | READ MORE: http://on.bc.edu/CaraHughes

"My participation in PULSE had a big impact on my life. It serves a lot of low-income and underrepresented residents. Coming from a poor country like Guatemala, I can relate. I can see the pain. I like to help people. It is hard not to have the things you want because the circumstances you go through limit your opportunities. As human beings, to be able to survive, we need to help each other. If you succeed in something, you have to help someone else along the way. That is the way I carry myself in life now. I feel like I got that from PULSE. It feels good to help people. It has made me think about my life in terms of helping others." - Augustin P. Rac '21, a Carroll School of Management at BC graduate who will begin a career at Amazon | READ MORE: http://on.bc.edu/AugustinRac

"I’m very proud of graduating college, and it’s a huge accomplishment—my mom literally came to the U.S. for this reason. But I feel that, especially at Boston College, you develop this ambition; you want more. So in some ways, I haven’t been able to enjoy thinking about graduation yet, because I know that law school is coming next, and that’s been the main goal. The other day, I was at a panel for students from a high school very similar to mine—kids who immigrated to the U.S. and barely spoke English—and I’m telling them 'You can do this! You can do this!' And I’m thinking to myself, 'Wow, I’ve had this amazing opportunity, I need to be enjoying what I’m doing.'" - Monica Sanchez '21 on being the first member of her family to graduate from college | READ MORE: http://on.bc.edu/MonicaSanchez

"Sometimes the path’s a little uncertain when you leave the military. A lot of veterans get out and want to immediately jump into the workforce, and that can be limiting because you start thinking you don’t have time, or don’t need, a degree. In my opinion, the liberal arts is a really valuable thing to have for your own enrichment. The military sets you up for success, but then you need to make that jump and get into education. The hardest part is starting." - Riley Odams '21, Boston College - Woods College of Advancing Studies graduate who will attend Boston College Law School in the fall | READ MORE: http://on.bc.edu/RileyOdams

"I believe that participating in the [Learning to Learn] Dominican Republic Service and Immersion trip changed me fundamentally as a person. Coming from Jamaica, a similar island in the West Indies, the experience of being immersed in the DR allowed me to see my roots and my parents’ roots through a different lens. It made me even more grateful for the opportunities I have and assured me that I needed to use my mind, heart, and voice to make a difference in this world." - Shakalah Thompson '21| READ MORE: http://on.bc.edu/Shakalah_Thompson

"Boston College’s commitment to forming men and women for others has guided my education throughout my four years and allowed me to grow and change in ways I had never imagined. I had opportunities to work and volunteer with kids with disabilities which allowed me to find my calling. I was able to work extensively on a research project that has real-world implications for environmental racism and social justice. I met the most wonderful people who now know me right to my core. All of this was possible through surrounding myself with men and women committed to making the world a better place for everyone. I’m incredibly grateful that I was surrounded by people who believed in me, challenged me, and made my time at BC everything I could have asked for and more." - Lizzy Congiusta '21, a Boston College Lynch School of Education and Human Development graduate who will pursue a doctorate in clinical psychology | READ MORE: http://on.bc.edu/LizzyCongiusta

“Ever since I was a little girl, Boston College has been my dream school. Both of my parents attended BC, all I ever wanted was to become an Eagle like them. I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when I was born. Because of this disease, I face challenges every day that other people do not have to deal with. People at BC have been understanding about the medical accommodations I may need and have made sure I feel comfortable and taken care of. I have felt so welcomed, and I know my disability is not going to get in the way of my being here.” - Cate Cheevers ’23, BC Strong Scholarship recipient | Read More: http://on.bc.edu/BCStrong2021

“I started the hackathon when I was a freshman at Boston College. It started off as a 50-person event and it turned into this much larger thing that now serves hundreds of students all around Boston. I would say that by my senior year, about half the organizing team were people who were not computer science or ‘tech’ people, and I think that's the story for a lot of things at BC: this very multi-disciplinary merging of ideas. Our team was a bunch of non-computer science majors and computer science majors who just really cared about getting people the opportunity to see how cool computer science can be.” - John Abreu ’20, software engineer at Instagram | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/2020Grads

“One of my most important experiences at Boston College was the Appalachia Program. Not to be melodramatic, but it changed my life. Being in the communities and meeting people who cared so much about making a difference was so powerful to me. I think it’s fitting that I ended up at Marie Claire because activism, using your voice, and celebrating people who are fighting for change—almost like they're our versions of celebrities—that's something we do here.” - Sally Holmes ’09, editor-in-chief of Marie Claire | Read more in Boston College Magazine: https://on.bc.edu/BCM_TheEditor

"What Boston College has made me do overall is just been be accepting of the fact that there is a diversity of perspectives and multitudes of ways of seeing the world and being able to really kind of revel in that diversity of humanity, diversity of thought, diversity of experience, diversity of background. I think that's been one of the coolest things. That awe that I had my freshman year of, 'Wow, there's so many incredible people here and in the world,' I think has been one that's only strengthened over my four years. This awe at the power of humanity and what it can do." - Hariharan Shanmugam '21 | Hear more from Hariharan: http://youtu.be/JmL-CP7HU5U

"My mom is my hero. Despite her struggles, she is the most hardworking and sacrificing person I know. Even after the darkest of days, she always comes out a winner. Whenever I'm feeling discouraged, I look at my mom and think, 'If she can do it, so can I.' When I started my business, my mom was my biggest supporter. If I was up late at night finishing a project, she was there right beside me, helping in any way she could. I hope that one day, I can become at least half the woman my mother is." - Ilona Znakharchuk '21, founder of Conditer