Hometown: Dorchester, MA

Major/Minor: Applied Psychology and Human Development / African and African Diaspora Studies

Activities: President of the Cape Verdean Student Association, Lynch School Senate, Lynch Honors Program, BC Bigs (Big Brothers/Big Sisters), men's club soccer, Research Assistant with City Connects

Why did you select the Lynch School? I always knew I wanted to get into education, but I never knew how or what exactly I wanted to do. Growing up in the inner city, education opened so many doors for me; it gave me the opportunity to come to BC and travel across the country through school activities. I’ve had so many great teachers and great mentors that helped me become the person I am today. I always felt passionate about education, especially after mentoring and tutoring in middle school. I realized I was passionate about education and that I wanted to pursue it in college. Lynch was the perfect fit for me. I loved the school's mission, and its small size which allows students to make great personal connections with professors and faculty.

What has been the most formative experience at the Lynch School? Freshmen year was definitely my most formative experience I've had here at BC. I learned so much not only in the classroom, but also through out-of-classroom experiences. Being away from my parents for the first time, I learned how to become independent and look after myself. I also learned the importance of time management and prioritizing activities that were most important to me. The biggest thing I learned freshman year was self care. In college we get so busy with studying and extracurricular activities that we forget to take care of ourselves. For me that means taking time to work out, listen to music, watch TV, and relax. Thanks to the course Experience, Reflection, and Action offered by Lynch for freshmen, I learned the value of self-care.

Hometown: Naperville, IL

Major/Minor: Double major - Elementary Education, Philosophy

Activities: member of Lynch School Senate, TA, University Wind Ensemble, catechist at St. Ignatius, work at Educational Resource Center

What has been your favorite class so far and why? Although I've genuinely enjoyed most of the classes I've taken so far, my absolute favorite has actually been one I took to satisfy the core requirements, Philosophy of the Person with Prof. Julia Legas. I entered the class intending to meet a requirement and left with a Philosophy major, which came as a surprise to me. I loved learning to engage in an academic way with questions that I had previously considered as non-academic, such as why humans exist, what my purpose is, whether God is real, and what our responsibility is as individuals to others, the Earth, and society. I felt a dramatic shift in my perspective toward others and the entire world and I thought my professor was one of the smartest people I had ever met, which made the class extremely engaging.

What do you do during your free time in Boston? My friends and I love to go to concerts in the city, try new restaurants, visit friends at other nearby colleges, and eat a cannoli from Mike's Pastries by the harbor. We love being near a big city and have enjoyed exploring together and finding our favorite spots as a group.

What are your plans after graduation? I'm considering joining the Urban Catholic Teachers Corps or just teaching either in Boston or in the Chicagoland area, close to home.

Hometown: Montevideo, Uruguay & Miami, Florida

Program: Higher Education Administration, concentration in Student Affairs

Research Interests: college access and success for first-generation, low-income students, gender centers and support services, mentoring and student leadership

What was your work or educational experience prior to BC? After graduating from the University of Florida, I came to Boston to serve as an Americorps member through City Year. Then I spent two years working as a college access counselor at Bottom Line, a local community based organization that supports first-generation, low-income students to and through college. I decided to pursue advanced study because I wanted to challenge myself as a higher education professional to apply theory into my practice and connect with faculty and staff conducting the research of which I am passionate about. I was constantly communicating with young people about the importance of furthering your education if you have the opportunity, so I decided to take my own advice!

What has been a formative experience during your years at BC? My most formative experience at BC has been working as a graduate assistant at the Boston College Womenâ s Center. One of the reasons I chose the Lynch School was because it emphasized having a valuable assistantship as a student of higher education. At the Womenâ s Center I run a mentoring program, support and connect with students directly, and am myself supported by my supervisors who I consider to be mentors and friends. BC is a place that greatly values community and relationships. I have been able to build lasting connections and gain invaluable work experience through my time at the Womenâ s Center, and I credit my experience here as forming my identity as a student affairs professional. 

 

Hometown: Evanston, IL

Major/Minor: Double major in Secondary Education and Mathematics. Minor in Ancient Civilizations. Possible Certificates in Special Needs Students and/or Teaching English Language Learners

Activities: Club Water Polo, WZBC Sports Radio, lifeguard, Lynch Senate, Creative Kids, Lynch Honors Society

What has been your most formative experience at Lynch School? " I am only a freshman so I feel like the entire year has been a formative experience. One experience in particular though was when I moved in early for water polo. Even though freshmen move in early, I moved in even earlier than them. I didn't know anyone else on the water polo team, and I was not a super outgoing person. This experience really forced me to step out of my shell and set the stage for college. If I wanted to meet people then I could not be a passive bystander to my own life, I needed to take charge of my life and go out and meet people."

What do you hope to do after graduation? "When I graduate I hope to get a job teaching math at the high-school level. I also hope to coach swimming or water polo at whatever high school I end up at."

Hometown: Denville, NJ

Major/Minor: Elementary Education & Applied Psychology and Human Development

Activities: Lynch Senate, Lynch Honors

What has been your favorite class so far and why? "My favorite class is Interpersonal Relationships with Professor Oh Myo Kim. Moving forward, I can use the concepts that I learned in the class about self, family life, emotions, and relationship conflicts to apply them in my own life. It allowed me to reflect on what relationships mean to me, how I want to create more meaningful relationships, and how I plan to apply these concepts to my future teaching career."

What do you do during your free time in Boston? "During my free time, I love eating at different restaurants, shopping on Newbury Street and at Prudential Center, and admiring the season changes at Boston Common with my friends. Nothing beats good food and good company."

What are your plans after graduation? "After graduation, I am continuing my studies in the Lynch School as I pursue a fifth year master’s degree in Early Childhood Education."

Hometown: Born in Gilroy, CA and raised in Chiba, Japan

Program: M.A. in International Higher Education

Research Interests: Comparative higher education, liberal arts education, philosophical foundation of education, educational and political philosophy, politics and education

Why did you choose the Lynch School?

I began my graduate study in the field of political science and political philosophy. In the course of my graduate study at Boston College, I became drawn to the question of the general philosophical foundations of education after I was exposed to the writings of great thinkers, such as Plato, Aristotle, Locke, Rousseau, and Kant, who since then have served as my guiding lights in my thinking on education. For in all these thinkers the education of the individual and the community forms their central concern. Under their influenceI therefore began to reflect on what is the ideal model of citizenship the university should work towards cultivating in its students. Over time I came to realize that I must not only approach the question through the texts of political philosophy, but through the institutions of higher education as well.  The question from the latter that seized my focus is this: in what ways can liberal education, whose core principles are embodied in the teachings of philosophers, strengthen the bonds and virtues of citizenship and lay the foundation for a flourishing society? It is my conviction that the Master’s program in international higher education at the Lynch School of Education is the ideal program for me,  because here I can pursuit those vital questions with the greatest encouragement and support from its faculty. 

What was your work or educational experience prior to BC? 

In 2013, I completed a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts with a concentration in political science from International Christian University, a liberal arts college in Tokyo, Japan.  In 2016, I earned a Master of Arts in Political Science with a concentration in political philosophy from Boston College. Currently I am working as a full-time legal assistant in the immigration and global mobility field in a law firm in Boston while continuing my graduate study in international higher education. Working as an immigration legal assistant is a gratifying and fruitful task that as it were puts me at a crossroads between different professions where I can make the most of my diverse cultural and academic backgrounds, from which I have over the years acquired cross-cultural knowledge of Japan and America, theories of political behavior, and cutting-edge information on the internationalization of higher education as well as  employability and talent management in the U.S. Putting in practice all these kinds of knowledge in one setting proves to be highly conducive to my professional growth. 

What are your plans after graduation?

At present I enjoy balancing between my work as a legal assistant and my graduate course work. After some period of time, having acquired sufficient experience in the professional world, I can see myself pursuing Ph.D. degree for my future career.

Hometown: Stoughton, Massachusetts

Program: Secondary Education and English, Donovan Urban Teaching Scholar Fifth Year in Moderate Special Education

Research Interests: Educational motivation, developing reading and writing skills, improving literary analysis, employing cultural diversity in the classroom, utilizing first language skills during the second language acquisition process

Why did you choose the Lynch School? The decision to become a teacher and study in the field of education was widely accepted and respected in my family—largely a family of teachers. I chose to attend Boston College because walking through the Lynch School felt like home. While so many other colleges I visited felt surrounded by an air of high stress and unhealthy competition, at the Lynch School I felt as though the faculty, staff, and even my peers truly wanted to see me succeed and welcomed me into the new environment. From the fun, informational bulletin boards, to the lively chatter in the ERC, to the way professors and students held enlightening discussions outside of the classroom, I knew that the education I would receive from the Lynch School would not only make me a better student, but make me a better person.

What has been a formative experience during your years at BC? One of the most formative experiences during my years at BC was on the Natchez Service Immersion Spring Break Trip—a service trip offered through the Lynch School, but available to all students. Signing up for the trip on a whim my freshmen year, I was blessed with the opportunity to spend the next four years working with the Holy Family School, an early childhood learning center for two-to five-year-olds. Each year, a group of 21 other BC students and I would go down to Natchez, MS for a week to do odd tasks around the school, teach lessons, and form relationships with the kids, teachers, and other members of the community. During each trip, I grew to understand more and more the mission of the Holy Family School: "Learn, so we can Live, so we can Love." Working with the children, teachers, parents, and community members of Natchez, I came to understood the importance of learning, communication, and helping others in order to better serve not only one community, but many. As a leader of the trip my senior year, I had the opportunity to walk with other members of the BC community on this journey and grew into a strong leader, friend, and teacher.

Hometown: Medfield, Massachusetts 

Program: Ph.D., MESA

Research Interests: Teacher education accreditation, student teaching evaluation 

What has been a formative experience during your years at BC? The most formative experience during my graduate study in MESA has been my work on the accreditation processes for the Lynch School, both at the state and national levels. The accreditation process is a grueling one, but one that has given me the opportunities to explore all dimensions of the Lynch School’s organizational structures, and how data can inform continuous improvement for us as an institution. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) review process has many overlaps with our efforts with the Council for the Accrediation for Educator Preparation (CAEP), but also many distinct and challenging differences, something I was able to present on with Lynch staff Christine Power and Dr. Paula Szulc at the AACTE national conference this past year. 

Have you taken a course or worked with a professor who shaped you as a researcher/educator? MESA Department Chair and Professor Dr. Larry Ludlow’s courses General Linear Models and Psychometric Theory absolutely have shaped me as a researcher. While Dr. Ludlow teaches all of the statistical formulas and their applications necessary for any aspiring statistician, he encourages all to see ourselves as not only data analysts, but also storytellers. Dr. Ludlow’s recurrent chant “Know your data!” rings true in all the work I have done, and has pushed me to be not only thorough with my calculations, but perhaps most importantly, thoughtful in my presentation and analysis. 

What are your plans after graduation? After graduation, I see myself working alongside universities and accreditation bodies to help improve teacher education and utilize data in the spirit of continuous improvement. The road ahead is one sure to be exciting, intellectually stimulating, and one I believe will be incredibly fulfilling.

Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio

Program: School Counseling M.A.

Research Interests: School to Prison Pipeline

What has been a formative experience during your years at BC? After networking with number of schools, I was offered a pre-practicum position at the Jackson Mann K-8 School in Allston, MA. Applying what I learned from my current studies and previous experiences a student support staff member at Cristo Rey Boston High School, I felt I grew as a counselor after being trusted to take initiative within the Jackson Mann community. I have led several girls' groups and one-on-one sessions with students who are still developing their sense of self. It is during these sessions where I am allowed to transfer theory to practice that I am able to see the progress I am making as a counselor. One of the most rewarding moments thus far was when one of my students was able to raise her hand and respectfully disagree with another peer in the group. We had been practicing this skill for some time, as this student is a very eager participant in our group discussions. Thus, the moment when she raised her hand before speaking was a moment of reassurance that I could do it and the strategies I am learning at BC are expanding my counselor toolkit.

What are your plans after graduation? I plan to become a school counselor within the city of Boston. It is my ultimate hope that through my practice I can empower youth to be their most authentic selves while pursuing their passions in life.

Hometown: Sykesville, Maryland (though I have called Watertown, Massachusetts home for the past 6 years)

Program: Higher Education Ph.D. Program

Research Interests: College-age men, masculinities, gender, problematic outcomes of college students

What has been a formative experience during your years at BC? It is difficult to select just one formative experience from my time at BC. However, the mentorship I have received from Professor Ana Martínez Alemán and Professor Heather Rowan-Kenyon as a research assistant has been pivotal to my learning and growth. Borrowing from an analogy often used by Professor Martinez Aleman, I liken this experience to an apprenticeship to join the faculty guild. The competencies and confidence I have gained from this experience are immeasurable. 

 

Have you taken a course or worked with a professor who shaped you as a researcher/educator? Two courses played pivotal roles in shaping my dissertation research. I took â Gender Issues in Higher Educationâ with Professor Karen Arnold during my first semester at BC, and this course motivated me to pursue a research agenda on college men and masculinities. In addition to this course, I took â Philosophy of Educationâ with Professor Martínez Alemán. This course shaped the theoretical orientation that I use for my research, and I suspect I will continue to draw on the knowledge I gained from this experience throughout the remainder of my academic career.