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Student recipients of endowed scholarships at Boston College had an opportunity to meet – and say a sincere “thank you” – to their educational benefactors recently at the University’s eighth annual Scholarship Dinner.
University President William P. Leahy, SJ, spoke at the dinner — held on April 14 at the Murray Room in the Yawkey Athletic Center — which also featured remarks by selected scholarship recipients from each undergraduate class.
“I have the highest respect for people who not only make a living for themselves, but also, so generously, donate money to others,” said Hak Kim ’14, recipient of the inaugural Harry and Marie Muller Scholarship, in his remarks to the 125 attendees.
The Muller grant was established by 1977 Carroll School of Management graduates Timothy and Bernadette Muller Broccolo in honor of Bernadette’s parents to assist promising young men and women from New Jersey to attend Boston College regardless of their family’s financial circumstances.
“All of the things that I have done and plan to do are only possible because of your generosity,” Kim told the Broccolos as he addressed the gathering. Kim and his family emigrated from Korea to Fort Lee, NJ, when he was 15.
“I will not forget how much you have helped me,” he said. Kim, a biochemistry major, told the group that he is also interested in working as a tutor in the Connors Family Learning Center, volunteering with the Eagle EMS group, and assisting the Undergraduate Admissions Office as a program coordinator during his undergraduate years. He plans to attend medical school after graduation.
“We are so grateful to Boston College for selecting such an extraordinary individual as the first Harry and Marie Muller Scholarship recipient,” Bernadette Broccolo said. “Meeting Hak and hearing him tell his story enabled us to see and feel first-hand the value of giving the gift of an education to students like Hak who are not only talented but truly committed to the mission of BC and the Jesuits.
“It is a gift that will keep on giving in so many ways for many years to come,” she said, “not only to Hak and his family, but to the BC community and many others. What a great return on our investment in BC.”
“These students are tremendous in wanting to come to this event and wanting to say ‘thank you,’” said Joanne Goggins, executive director of donor relations in the University Advancement office. “We even had students who made arrangements to leave campus rehearsals or lab projects to make sure that they got over to thank their donor personally before they had to dash back to their other commitments.
“As you can see from Hak’s remarks, the evening was very touching,” Goggins said.