"If I hadn’t gone to El Salvador, I would’ve taken for granted how different people’s experiences are. I learned to be adaptable—like when there was no hot water for showers, or when I learn our traditional games, like playing with wooden tops. ... Discovering our Salvadoran cuisine and later learning Spanish taught me to connect with others through their culture. These experiences shaped my temperament and problem-solving approach today. I gained perspective that helps me remain calm when faced with problems and to focus on how to solve them." - Andres Leiva, a Boston College Law School student who moved to his family's home country of El Salvador as a child and returned to the U.S. for college | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/StorytellersTale

“Every day I get a little bit more sure that this is what I'm supposed to do. I've always been better at creative things, I drew and painted growing up, but I was kind of timid at the thought of pursuing filmmaking as a career because it seemed very unsteady. Once I got back into it I realized how much love I have for it and it’s become something I look forward to doing in my day. I now can't really envision doing anything that I wouldn't enjoy, as a living.” - Lola Ellis ’26, who won the GlobeDocs Emerging Filmmaker Award for her documentary ‘Lighthouse’ | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/LolaEllis Photo by Amanda Simpson '28

"I feel incredibly fortunate to have worked with this support team, from department heads to staff, at all levels. This place is basically a city, going 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and you need dedicated people who really care about the job they do, about their coworkers, and most of all, about the students, faculty, staff, and administrators of Boston College." - Dan Bourque, Vice President for Facilities Management who is retiring after 16 years at the Heights | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/DanBourque

“My freshman year I reached out to the ACC Network producer and said, ‘Hey, I think I'm interested in broadcast production. Would you mind having me shadow?’ So I shadowed for a soccer game and I'm looking at the monitors they have, all the different feeds and the replays and everything, and it just clicked for me. I started as a utility for a football game, basically just holding a cable and making sure no one tripped, but over time I've done pretty much every role there is to do with the broadcast operation. I’ve realized this work is really the language I speak, and I want to keep running with it for as long as I can.” - Garrett McCloskey ’25, a production assistant for Boston College Athletics who interned with NBC Olympics & Paralympics' production team in Paris | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/GarrettMcCloskey.

"I wanted to make sure I published them before I died, because at this age, you never know. But I also felt like their message was really important at this moment in time. We had a long period of progress ... But it took a long time and a lot of incremental progress. But we haven’t been as polarized as we are right now since the Civil War. There are people today who don’t believe everyone matters. It feels like not only has that progress been arrested, it’s being rolled back. So, 'everyone matters' is an urgent message." - Fred Tirrell ’57, PhD’82, who spent his career in education and published a collection of children’s books at 89 years old | READ MORE in Boston College Magazine: https://on.bc.edu/FredTirrell

"During my time at Boston College I have explored what brings me joy and what I am good at. Opportunities like the Jacques Salmanowitz documentary program and the Advanced Study Grant in the Arts have allowed me to delve into topics I’m passionate about and share my learning experiences with the wider community. These experiences have deepened my understanding of how art can engage diverse audiences and spark meaningful dialogue. In the future, I hope to integrate my artistic practice with education, contributing to conversations that shape a more just and sustainable world. My next step is to determine where the world needs me most and how I can use the knowledge and skills I’ve gained at BC to serve a larger community." - Xinran (Cina) He '25, Arstfest 2024 Award Winner

"The activities and experiences the Boston College Graduate Student Association and the Office of International Students and Scholars organize to bring students together stand out to me. I got to experience the famous Boston duck tour as part of the BC community. There was also an event called 'Study by the Sea' that took a few of us grad students for an overnight stay at a quiet, beautiful house where we could work and enjoy nature with other grad students. These and many more such experiences have been truly invaluable highlights at Boston College. I am grateful to be part of the BC community." - Ira Abraham Ph.D. '25 | MORE graduate student voices: https://on.bc.edu/GMCAS_StudentVoices

“When I was incarcerated at Norfolk County, I had a teacher who did 10 years for bank robbery. He told me how he turned his life around and I learned a lot from him. Instead of chasing nonsense, I ended up chasing education. I wound up at MCI Shirley and they had the BC Prison Education Program there. Boston College is the school I've wanted to go to my entire life, so I took that opportunity, I knew what it was right away and I applied myself.” - Christoper Gannon, a Boston College - Woods College of Advancing Studies sophomore who won a competitive fellowship to Yale University | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/ForwardFocused

“[Being a member of Presenting Africa to U (PATU)] was my stress reliever. In the studio, dancing was all I thought about. I wasn’t worried about my other preoccupations. I was having fun doing something I love with my chosen family.” - Irfane Soumaou '25, a Carroll School student who studies finance and computer science | READ MORE about BC's formative education: https://on.bc.edu/AnyWayShapeForm

“There’s a feeling of appreciation on the part of veterans, who look at their education as something they earned from their service. You risk a lot to earn that benefit, and you can see the value that this education is going to provide.” - Carolyn Ballinger MBA ’25, a U.S. veteran enrolled in the MBA program through the Boston College Carroll School of Management Graduate Programs | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/CSON_SpecialOperation

“You learn [in the Carroll School] to use your skills for good...The best thing about mutual aid is giving people opportunities to be reciprocal. I hope students who aren’t low-income will also get into the practice of sharing their expertise.” - Rowah Ibnaouf ’25, who is using a new Carroll School grant program to bring the concept of mutual aid to Boston College | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/SupportSystem

“I try to teach seniors that you have to find something to that engages you and find a purpose for your life that's outside of yourself. If you're only seeking happiness, you're on a never-ending treadmill for what is a temporary emotion. But when it is coupled with an objective outside of yourself, that will bring meaning and purpose to your life and a certain contentment. It is best to do something that is good for you, but also benefits others.” - Henry Quinlan '61, longtime publisher and founder of Quinlan Press who - since retirement - helps seniors write and publish their memoirs | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/HenryQuinlan Photo from omni-pub.com