"To me, Juneteenth commemorates the strength of togetherness. Our leaders overcame the darkest period in American history by reminding each other that they were loved, even when they were hated by the world around them. So in today's trying times, you must always remember 'somebody out there loves you even if it's unknown, or maybe it's untold because...love is like a dove always searching for a home - it won't spread its wings until it knows it's not alone." - Osamase Ekhator ‘17 | WATCH MORE: https://bit.ly/TheExpectedLeaders_Poem

“Coming to Conte as a kid, I would show up to [men's hockey] games and be sitting in the front row with my dad, just waiting for the second intermission when they would play ‘The Devil Went Down to Georgia’ so I could do the air fiddle. I was a very happy energetic kid so seeing the students laughing and cheering for me put a smile on my face. Boston College taught me just to be the creative passionate kid that I was, and I’m really grateful that I had that experience. I hope to bring as much energy to BC when I’m here as a student.” - Danny Gillis, aka the BC Fiddle Kid, who is part of the incoming Class of 2028 | READ MORE: on.bc.edu/FiddleKid

“The idea of pursuing a M.D./Ph.D. in environmental health excites me. I hope to attend an institution that can provide me with the same abundant resources and support as BC has ...While I currently plan to focus my doctoral research on the impact of climate change on brain health and its potential role in the progression of Parkinson’s disease, the specific focus may evolve as the field grows. Post-graduation, I intend to undertake a neurology or psychiatry residency, and engage in environmental health research and advocacy.” - Sancia Sehdev ’25, was selected by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship Foundation for the nation's premier undergraduate science award | READ MORE: http://bc.edu/bc-web/sites/social/s24/sanciasehdev

“I was walking across campus with the beekeeper one day and a bunch of students started asking questions. ‘We have a beehive?’ ‘Where is it?’ I don’t think a lot of people know about it so I try to promote it on the sustainability Instagram. Honeybees are very intelligent and mysterious insects. It’s amazing how far they will go to pollinate—as far as five miles one way—so they’ll go as far west as Natick or Framingham and as far east as the public garden and then come right back to the hive on Fulton Hall.” - Bruce Dixon, Boston College's Sustainability Program Manager | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/Sustainability2024

“It all just clicked for me. I went to Catholic schools throughout childhood, so that was a factor. But as I learned more about Boston College, I felt like this was where I needed to be, because it was all about educating the whole person, and challenging you in different ways. I thought BC would have many amazing opportunities that would help me get anywhere I wanted to go and help me discover who I am and what my place in the world could be. And of course, today I know it to be true.”- Thalia Chaves '24, a first-gen graduate; pictured with her parents | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/ResilienceandResolve

“We stand on the shoulders of the people who precede us and who we look up to. That’s the human condition. I stand here because of Jimmy Nederlander Sr. How do I want to pay things forward? The lights are going to go out someday. How do you want to have spent your time?” - Nick Scandalios ’87, a Carroll School of Management at BC graduate who is now the Executive Vice President at Nederlander Producing Company, which owns more than 30 venues and produces Broadway shows | READ MORE about his journey: bc.edu/bc-web/sites/social/s24/nickscandalios

"[The fight for equal education and affordable housing in the Latino community is] a battle that transcends generations, a struggle that echoes the voices of those who came before us, and of those who follow. We must stand in solidarity and continue to fight for the rights of the marginalized and voiceless among us. The journey may be long, but it is a journey worth undertaking, and one that I’m grateful to have started." - Melanie Paredes ’25, the 2024 Saint Oscar A. Romero Scholarship recipient | READ MORE: bc.edu/bc-web/sites/social/s24/melanieparedes

“I didn't buy the suit senior year and go on job interviews like everyone encourages you to. I didn't really know what I wanted to do. Some friends from college were coming out to Nantucket for the summer and I said, ‘Great idea. I'm in.’ They didn't have dock positions open, so I took a job in the office. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I knew that it would be a fun summer…and then I literally never left, and I never worked anywhere else.” - Christina Martin ’93, the Director of Marina Operations at the Nantucket Boat Basin, where she's worked for 30 years | READ MORE: bc.edu/bc-web/sites/social/s24/christinamartin

“The most important person in any rehearsal is not the conductor—it’s each individual standing in front of me, creating a mosaic of identities, personalities, and lived experiences that must be uplifted and sustained through the music we sing, the stories we tell, and the actions we take. Leadership, particularly in the context of music education, is a collaborative and dynamic process. The opportunities I’ve had to lead The University Chorale of Boston College have revealed the importance of empowering a choir not merely as a group of musicians, but as individuals with a wealth of expertise, knowledge, and experience to share." - Bonnie Stewart ’24, the 2024 recipient of the Barth Award for excellence in the arts

“There are a lot of factors that go into the power of hair and how important it is to people’s lives. There's the historical component, like how people of color used their hair as a way to map out routes and send messages to each other during slavery; and there’s cultural components, like the significance of locs within our African Diaspora, and the empowerment that comes from people growing their hair. I always describe hair as being a crown that can be readjusted, especially within our society, but it’s also an accessory that can be an embodiment of your personality" - Ashley Dossous ’24, a Boston College Connell School of Nursing student and the founder of hair braiding business Slayed by Asho, which began on the Heights | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/AshleyDossous

"When I got here, I knew Boston College was a Catholic university, but I didn’t really know what that meant. Leaving, I feel the Jesuit mission and values have been a huge benefit. Not only through programs like Arrupe, but the Jesuit tenets and Ignatian spirituality are part of my thinking now. Finding God in all things; being men and women for others—cura personalis. We hear them all the time, but they have truly made a big difference in my life in connecting the academic to the social, to the physical, to the spiritual and mental health. That reflective aspect of the University has been so important to me." - Dylan Breen '24 | READ MORE about Dylan as a Senior to Remember: https://on.bc.edu/DylanBreen

“Whenever anyone asks me about my favorite part of BC Dining Services, I always say it's how the administration is so responsive and interested in the students. I love that our sustainability efforts are led by student interns and that dining hall managers are always willing to work with us. Interns and BC Dining managers collaborate often, and we are so lucky that everyone approaches the work with excitement. I’ve developed a ton of project management and leadership skills as a result. In my last job interview, I spent almost the whole time talking about this internship and all the experience I've gained here.” - Jane Fulton ’24, the sustainability student intern manager for BC Dining Services | READ MORE about BC's sustainability efforts: https://on.bc.edu/Sustainability2024