"Whenever I begin a new book, I always set aside several minutes to read and reflect on the acknowledgements. Usually found in the first few pages preceding the introduction, the acknowledgements connect me on a distinctly human level to the person whose writing I’m about to explore. Authors often name those they’re inspired by, those they’ve learned from, and those they deeply love. I find such sacredness in the vulnerability of their words. Sometimes, authors list only a few names—people whom I wonder about as I read onwards. My theology courses at Boston College have taught me that to be human is to be in relationship with others. The acknowledgements in books animate this principle in a tangible way, drawing the lives of strangers nearer to my own. They remind me of the love that saturates this world and inspire me to hold onto hope. I intend on making my final year at BC a living acknowledgements section–a time in which I am intentional about expressing gratitude for the people I love and those I’ve been lucky enough to learn from." - Molly Wysocki '26 Photo by Amanda Simpson '28

"I wanted to use filmmaking to let the world know what’s happening in Venezuela. I love my country. I loved growing up there. But the country kept getting worse and worse...We left when I was fifteen years old. The story I had in my heart was about the guilt of not being there to fight for it. The tension between your right to individual happiness versus the responsibility to the collective." - Diego Vicentini ’16, the filmmaker behind SIMÓN | READ MORE in Boston College Magazine: https://on.bc.edu/DiegoVicentini_BCM Photo: Gala Ricote

“I read an article about seaweed farming on a plane once and I was hooked, but the barriers to entry for me were really high: I don't have a hard science background. I don't know how to drive a boat. But fast forward to last year, my daughter was eight months old and I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I started researching what toxins we’re exposed to on a daily basis, and the biggest one I could find was microplastic exposure. Maine was harvesting over a million pounds of kelp and I thought, okay, can we take seaweed and actually create a material to replace polymers? And that's what we're doing.” - Alexa (Coulombe) McGovern ’16, the owner of Dirigo Sea Farm in Portland, Maine, and former Boston College Women's Basketball player | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/SurpriseIngredient

“When I first came home, I wasn't a real talkative person, but I've met people who I was incarcerated with who said, ‘Oh, I heard your story and that's the reason why I did this or that,’ and I’ve realized that my story is bigger than me. Now I feel like everyone should share their story, because no matter how big or small you think it is, it’s going to touch somebody, and even if it only changes one person’s mind, that’s good enough.” - Nurudeen Alabi ’25, a former Boston College Prison Education Program student, stars in a Roadtrip Nation documentary | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/NurudeenAlabi

“We as a society have made youth sports unattainable for a lot of poor kids. My daughter's club fees are $3,000 and if you don't play club sports, you're not playing at elite levels and looking at colleges. I tell our students, if you're ever opening a club or anything like that, you need to have funds set aside for kids who can't pay to be there. You never know, the next Michael Jordan might be the kid that can't afford anything. Do we want to hold that kid back?” - Patty Raube Keller, Boston College - Woods College of Advancing Studies' director of the M.S. in Sports Administration and M.S. in Sports Analytics programs | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/GameChanger

"I like to have fun [teaching]. One of the most difficult courses for students is Civil Procedure, and Civil Procedure is not that dissimilar to getting a root canal. So I try to make it fun for my students instead of intimidating. ... I think I care so much about this because I was a student here and the community is absolutely essential. The beauty of Boston College is that we create a community, and the students are an important part of that community." - Robert Bloom JD '71, Professor of Law and Dean’s Distinguished Scholar in the Boston College Law School | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/JoyofTeaching

"I hope to engage in a meaningful collaboration with passionate, like-minded individuals who are equally committed to justice and community empowerment. I seek to deepen my leadership and expand my impact by sharing knowledge, forging partnerships, and building sustainable strategies to serve our communities. Above all, I aspire to leave this experience enriched, inspired, and equipped to drive long-lasting change.” - Magno Garcia '26, a Boston College - Woods College of Advancing Studies student who was selected as a fellow in the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights' John Lewis Young Leaders Program | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/MagnoGarcia

“I’ve relished the opportunity to examine and teach about the philosophical questions that grow out of politics: How should we rule ourselves? What is justice? I think that, far from being a distant ivory tower, BC places a great importance in fulfilling its civic mission, as well as its religious and academic ones.” - Susan Shell, Political Science Professor, who is retiring after 45 years at Boston College | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/SusanShell

“I was very shy when I first started because I didn't understand my place in the industry. Being a Black woman in media, there weren't a lot of people that looked like me and there were times when I felt isolated and like I couldn't ask for help. Over the years, I’ve come to understand that I do belong here, that I'm good at my job, and that there's a space for me at the table. Now I'm at a point where I think, ‘Why wouldn't I speak up?’ I always wonder why I ever let myself get so intimidated that I felt the need to not be myself.” – Kwani Lunis ’15, a co-host of The Hub Today and the “The Big 3 NBA" Podcast | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/KwaniLunis

“What has been most significant about my Boston College experience has been the privilege of getting to teach some of our remarkable undergraduates. I have often found myself inspired by the way they talk about their deepest desires and aspirations, their yearning to lead lives of integrity and goodness, their hope for a better, more just world—and their attraction to an ideal of education that upholds respect for the intrinsic dignity of all people.” - Stephen Pope, Boston College Theology Department Professor and the 2025 Saint Robert Bellarmine, S.J., Award recipient | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/Pope_BellarmineAward

“I started stand-up comedy shortly after I moved to Boston because I missed having an art outlet. In my program at Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry, I did a chaplain summer intensive program in a long-term cancer unit at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and the number of times that humor came up was pretty shocking to me. People use a lot of humor to cope, to make sense of their situation, and to communicate with God and talk about God, and that was really moving to me. I would never lead with that as a chaplain, but whenever somebody opened the door, I was ready to go.” - Bel Thurston M.Div. ’25, the owner of Goof’s Comedy Club | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/JokingAround

“The perspective [of serving as a Messina College RA] has strengthened my commitment to ensuring student voices shape the policies that affect them. When [UGBC President] Cami [Kulbieda] presented the opportunity to be her running mate, emphasizing a shared commitment to advocating for the authentic student experience, I knew it was the perfect next step." - Reagan Marino '26, Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC) Vice President for 2025-26 | READ MORE: https://on.bc.edu/UGBC_202526