"I think the Portico and Perspectives classes freshman year did a great job of introducing me to the idea of reflection and the Examen. Over the last four years I was able to discover what part of that I liked and what I could apply. Especially in the college environment, you are around so many people - thousands of our best friends. It’s constant. There’s a lot going on, and a lot of moving parts. I’m not sure I realized it when I decided to attend BC, but having such a strong core that emphasizes taking the time to think and evaluate has been very important to me." - Branick Weix '19 | Learn More: https://on.bc.edu/BranickWeix

"Never be afraid to admit to yourself that you aren’t fully satisfied with what you’re doing, both personally and academically, and do your best to figure out why. Boston College is a big place with lots of opportunities, so if you feel something else pulling you away from the path you thought you would take, at least acknowledge that feeling and see where it leads. Sometimes it’s a dead end, but it could also be a path you’ll become excited to pursue." - Annie Haws '19's advice to incoming BC students | Learn More: https://on.bc.edu/AnnieHaws

"It took me seven years to save up enough money to start on this journey. In 2014, I quit my job at a bank in St. Lucia and came to Boston. I’m the first person in my family to go to college, so it was daunting and scary but also exciting. My fear of failing was something that almost impeded my ability to just step out and do it, but a family member told me ‘If you want something bad enough, you will do whatever is necessary to make it happen.’ These words resonated with me. In the last sentence of my application letter I wrote that, ‘I see the Boston College - Woods College of Advancing Studies as a place where I will be valued not just as a student but as a person.’ At the time, it was just a hope, but that hope ended up being a literal manifestation of my experience here. All of it came to fruition during my time at Woods." - Gawain Dornelly '19 | Learn More: https://on.bc.edu/GawainDornelly

"Boston College has been a transformative experience. Where I grew up, opportunities like the ones available at BC were few and far between, specifically, to meaningfully engage in service. When I was in high school, service was little more than a bullet point you’d add to your resume. My BC experiences have completely transformed this definition into one that is no longer self-serving, but instead reciprocal. I’m grateful to BC for creating an environment in which everyone on campus, both students and staff, find joy and fulfillment in responding to social injustice and standing in solidarity with people who are marginalized. This is a lesson I will take with me wherever I go." - Natalee Deaette '19 | Learn More: https://on.bc.edu/NataleeDeaette

"I went [on the Dominican Republic service trip] with an open mind...It was definitely an eye-opener. Some of houses we saw were literally made of old two-by-fours with a piece of tin across as a roof. I met a gentleman who was a 100-something years old. I learned about his life and some of his experiences in the DR. He’s someone I think back to. When I got back to BC, I called my parents. My mom asked me about the trip and what the conditions were like. I’m not an outwardly emotional person, but when I went to describe it, I started crying." - Daniel Croteau '19 | Learn More: https://on.bc.edu/DanielCroteau

"It wasn’t an easy decision; I felt like I was giving up on a dream. But I accepted that this dream had blossomed into something that would enable me to make more of a meaningful impact. What I’ve come to believe is that education is truly interventional; it can make a critical difference in someone’s life, especially a person of color from a low-income background. There need to be more people of color in higher education, as teachers not just as students, to drive home the point that we belong." - Anthony M. Smith '19 on changing his educational and career path | Learn More: https://on.bc.edu/AnthonyMSmith

"A year ago I could not imagine being in this spot. A year ago I was a sad, anxious mess with a soul that was on the verge of collapsing because I thought that I didn’t have a future. I believed that I lost my independence and with my physical disability, I thought that transcended to both social and academic as well. But it all changed with one phone call and that was from John Mahoney to my guidance counselor. And it all changed with the steps this committee made with creating this scholarship so that I can come to this school. And now I am filled with joy. I am living at school independently with some help from PCAs. I have made lifelong friends already in my freshman year and I am doing well in my classes. But most of all I strive to make the best campus even better. Whether it is through accessibility advocacy, or just showing love to those who appear to need it most. My cup overflows with gratitude." - Conor McCormick '22, recipient of the second annual Boston College Strong Scholarship established in honor of Boston Marathon bombing survivors Patrick Downes ’05 and wife Jessica Kensky to support students who have overcome adversity Read More about Conor: http://fal.cn/AaAy

“When we started this project we believed it could work but we didn’t know how compelling it would be as television. One of the things that really surprised me as we began shooting the first cast was the reaction of the camera crew between scenes. They were so engaged - arguing with each other about the points that were made, and talking back at what’s happening - you know they’re dying to get into the conversation. I think that was one of my first indications of how deeply compelling this would be to watch, because the people in the room were riveted.” - Tiziana Dearing, BCSSW Professor of Macro Practice on her role in the new docuseries Divided We Fall TV, which brings ordinary Americans together to discuss issues like immigration, race, and gun control

“I feel like I go into things with more confidence now. Like, ‘Okay, this is going to be hard, but it’s just a knoll compared to Kilimanjaro.’ Going from high camp up to the summit for seven hours and then hiking back down through hail, rain, and snow for another four - that wasn't easy. It was amazing but it wasn't easy. Knowing that only 25 percent of the people who attempted the summit that day actually made it, I think that does make it kind of special. It's the whole idea of having the odds stacked against you and you still did it. You pushed through it.” - Nick Claudio ’22 summited Mt. Kilimanjaro in January after losing his vision at the age of nine Read More about Nick: https://on.bc.edu/NickClaudio

“I joined Bike BC my freshman year when it was just group rides and became president my sophomore year. At the time, a lot of people were talking about environmental sustainability, and I wanted to give students at BC an opportunity to actively participate in using a more sustainable way of getting to places, so we started offering free bike rentals. Two and half years later the program is still growing, which is great. We’ve had close to 400 students get certified through our safety program. I tell people it’s not like you have to stop using your car and only have a bike - that’s not realistic. But when you have the option, and the weather’s good, go for it. See it as another option rather than ignoring it, and after a while, you might find yourself enjoying it.” - Ben Li ’19, Senior Advisor for Bike BC (bikebc.org)

“During my semester abroad in Amman, Jordan, I started to more fully understand the importance and necessity of action. My program was specifically based on 'Refugees, Health, and Humanitarian Action' through the School for International Training. This program was especially influential due to its experiential learning aspect. In this way, I was not only able to learn from some of the most qualified people on the lecture topic but, in many cases, was also able to see and experience the work they are doing. I learned that, while it is important to be continuously learning, if we never act that learning is for nothing. For our lecturers to not act would be detrimental for numerous, innocent lives. While I'm not qualified or knowledgeable enough to know the right next steps for refugee and humanitarian crises, I can keep educating myself and advocate both on campus and in my own life. Doing so might allow others to recognize the many issues going on in the world that deserve our attention. Upon coming back to BC, I continued this passion by joining the Catholic Relief Services Student Ambassadors program on campus, which focuses mainly on advocacy. I am continually humbled by all that I do not know, yet this gives me the courage and drive to keep learning and trying to do something of substance so others can learn as well. To me, advocacy is one way to uphold the inherent dignity of the voiceless and forgotten, especially the refugees, so that one day we can all work towards a better, brighter future where they can speak and be heard themselves." -Stephanie Madzey '19

“I go running every day around 4:30 in the morning. I’m out no matter what the weather is, it could be minus 10 or 15. When I was police commissioner for the city of Boston, I used to come from crime scenes at 2 or 3 in the morning and go right into my run. It was neat because I’d run through every neighborhood in the city and it felt like I was keeping an eye on things, like I was the eyes and ears. Working in law enforcement we deal with a lot of tragedy, but I always said as long as I get my run in every day, I can deal with anything. I look back and say running’s been the key to my success because there’s no better relief. When you think you’re having a bad day, you go on a run and things just seem to be better.” - William Evans, Chief of the Boston College Police Department, who ran the 2019 Boston Marathon for his 54th completed marathon Full Story: https://on.bc.edu/BillEvans