Jocelyn Boudreau accepted a job as an Advancement Coordinator for Seattle University.

“I think one of my favorite parts of FPJ is that it is a DIY minor. I like that you can create your own cluster based on your interests. I didn't know what I liked to study when I took up the minor, and I appreciated having the freedom to explore that in the classes of my choosing. I thought the thesis seminar provided the perfect rounding-off of these studies, too, and I am so proud to have a document that is so meaningful to me tied to FPJ.”

Patrick Flanagan is a consultant for Roland Berger in Boston, MA.

“The FPJ minor has meant so much to me since I declared it at BC. I have taken classes in various disciplines that I would have never thought of taking if it was not for FPJ. For example, I took the poly sci class, ‘Democracies and Elections in Africa,’ and learned so much about a topic that I had no idea I was interested in. The combination of philosophy and theology allowed me to think critically and apply my learnings to relevant current social topics. Lastly, the FPJ seminar course gave me the opportunity to create the work I am most proud of at BC. Through writing the thesis, I learned a ton, met so many new people in various industries, and got to put my time and energy into something I was passionate about. On top of that, I became close friends with my classmates and was able to engage in reflective and personal discussions with all of them.”

Teva Kenny is attending graduate school at Pepperdine University where she will pursue a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology.

“Faith, Peace, and Justice has meant a lot to me–for personal reasons which I really got to explore in Prison Reform and Restorative Justice Course I took as a summer abroad course in Australia. The course helped encourage my professional goals of working with incarcerated women and their families. The concept of justice is complicated for me, but peace will always be my goal, interpersonally and internally. I am really grateful for the classes on faith, as well. I explored what is important to me and got involved with campus ministry this year, which gave me a whole new community of love and support. Overall, I am so happy I took the FPJ minor and I can't imagine my time at BC without it.”

Madeleine McGrath applied for the Friends Committee on National Legislation for an Advocacy Corps Coordinator position.

“Minoring in FPJ was among my best decisions at Boston College. Its interdisciplinary nature allowed me to fuse my interests in religion and politics into extraordinary coursework. I cannot speak highly enough of the Challenge of Justice (especially with Steve Pope) and the Senior Seminar (especially with Stephanie Edwards) as two of my all-time favorite classes. I loved our close cohort and I will hold lessons from FPJ wherever I go next.”

“The FPJ program has been the most unexpected but favorite part of my Boston College experience. Taking the Challenge of Justice to fulfill my Cultural Diversity core launched me into the amazing journey that is the FPJ minor. Every class, professor, peer, and class discussion has heightened my love for the minor and our world. I truly don't know what my BC experience would look like without FPJ to keep me heart-focused.”

Sarah Ryan went to become a mental health specialist at McLean Hospital, psychiatric hospital in Belmont, MA.

"Pursuing the FPJ minor has been an amazing experience for me. I have had the chance to meet an amazing group of people who are open to having tough conversations and supporting each other as we deal with injustices we hope to one day eradicate. The FPJ minor has allowed me to take a variety of interesting courses and really rounded out my Boston College experience. I am grateful for all the professors and classmates I have had and who make the FPJ minor what it is today.”

Matthew Vaccaro is going on to graduate school at Vanderbilt University where he will study Theology.

Natalie Arndt went on to do the ACE service program.

She is volunteering as an English teacher at LaSalle Academy. She is also working on her MA in Education at the University of Notre Dame.

Olivia Bird went on to the University of Buffalo School of Dental Medicine.


“Faith, Peace, and Justice, in many ways, was a way for me to continue a ‘pulse-y’ education while at BC. I finished my PULSE core with a strong desire to take more social justice courses, and Faith, Peace, and Justice provided me with that. As a pre-health student, it has encouraged me to study the ethics behind medicine and public health just as much as I study the science behind it. FPJ has been one of the most formative aspects of my BC education, and I am very grateful for that.”

Grace Collins is currently working on her Masters in Vocal Performance with a concentration in Classical Voice at New York University Steinhardt.

“When I came into BC, I knew I wanted to do something with transitional justice, and none of the majors available to freshmen explored exactly what I was hoping to study, and then I found FPJ. When I read the description and spoke with you, I knew that FPJ was the perfect minor for me, and I remember declaring it decidedly freshman year and never looking back. FPJ provided me the freedom to hone in on things I was already passionate about and to become passionate about new material that was presented to me in the many different classes I was able to take because of the focus on interdisciplinary study. I am forever grateful for the perspective that FPJ gave me.”

Catherine Downing went on to work as a case manager at St. Joseph’s Worker Program in Los Angeles, CA.

Nicholas Gallagher is a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. He is Assistant Operations Officer at Brute Krulak Center for Innovation and Future Warfare. In Fall 2024, he will begin his MBA at the University of Notre Dame.

Diana Hadjiyane went on to pursue her Master’s Degree in Theology at Boston College School of Theology and Ministry.

Mary Kenny went on to become the matching and enrollment coordinator at the Big Sister’s Association of Greater Boston.

“FPJ and specifically this thesis has been the perfect synthesis of everything that I have done throughout my time as a BC student (both academically and extracurricularly).”

Desiree Lewis is the development and operations associate for REACH Beyond Domestic Violence in Waltham, MA.

“As far as my FPJ minor, I have been truly grateful to learn about these diverse range of topics specifically racial and criminal justice. My experience at BC would not have been the same without the minor, and this thesis has also allowed me to delve into a topic I care deeply about.”

Sarah Lepsevich works as a child counselor at St. Anne’s Home and she is also in graduate school. She is doing the dual degree program at the STM in Social Work and Theology at Boston College.

Molly Malloy went on to do a year of service with Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Los Angeles, CA as a wellness program assistant.

“The FPJ minor has allowed me to explore my interests in theology and social justice and integrate multiple disciplines and experiences. I took the Challenge of Justice just for fun sophomore year and was hooked! I especially appreciate the minor's flexibility and how students can create their own set of courses to complete it.”

Peyton Olszowka is a litigation paralegal at Nutter, McClennen & Fish.

“The FPJ minor has complimented my academic experience at BC by giving me an outlet to probe the topics I've learned about in my International Studies classes from an ethical and philosophical perspective. I think I'm a much stronger student because I can now tackle issues from both a normative and descriptive/analytical angle. I've also really enjoyed the community in this minor and have learned so much from hearing my classmates speak about their passions.”

Felipe Pardo works as a Certified Public Accountant in Miami, FL.

“I decided to do FPJ first due to the wide range of courses you can take. I wanted to be able to take theology classes while fulfilling requirements for the CPA exam and being able to use courses from my attempt at pre-med. After completing Arrupe and the Challenge of Justice class, I knew that I wanted to further explore and understand issues of justice in Latin America, and I have been taught the tools to do just that. The most impactful classes I have been able to take in the FPJ minor have been Living Truthfully with Father Penna and Telling Truths with Professor Rizzuto. I took Living Truthfully the first semester of my senior year and every lesson felt like it was speaking directly to a question or doubt I was having that week. Telling Truths was a PULSE elective that took me completely out of my comfort zone. Our class was tasked with interviewing and writing obituaries for families who lost their lives to Covid-19 through a program called ‘Missing Them’.”

Jillian Sherwood went on to do a year of service with Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Yakima, WA.

“My course of study within my FPJ minor was undoubtedly my favorite part of my BC educational experience. I loved that I was able to craft my own course schedule with classes across disciplines. I felt that this minor perfectly encapsulates what I was looking for out of a Jesuit education, blending concepts from multiple fields of study and applying them to confront injustice in the world. An FPJ minor takes concepts from within the classroom and applies them in a meaningful way, and it's given me a baseline to work for justice when I enter the real world. I really couldn't recommend the minor enough.”

Winnie Chan went on to Physician Assistant School at Midwestern University.

After graduating, Kathryn worked in nonprofit operations. This was followed by a year and a half as a Grant Writer with a NYC social services nonprofit. Currently, Kathryn is focusing on freelance writing and working to get her first play produced.

Theresa Fallon did a year of service at Christ House Medical Respite in Washington, D.C.

“FPJ was so important to me because it allowed me to have practical application and context to my pre-health and biology major. I especially appreciated the ability to learn about the intersections of the history of medicine and philosophical frameworks.”

Sara Lara went on to intern at a Law Office in New Jersey. She is currently in the process of applying to Law Schools for AY 2024.

Zhanhao Liao went on to become a consultant with ZS Associates in Washington, D.C.

Sofia Marino was recently appointed to the U.S. Department of State’s Consular Fellows Program in the Foreign Service and will receive her post at a U.S. embassy abroad.

“FPJ reinforced my ability to make connections across fields and particularly in regard to ethics. My ability to combine political science, philosophy, sociology and urban planning courses resulted in my FPJ thesis (Urban Justice among Political Hostilities: Analyzing the Israeli Palestinian Conflict through Urban Planning). FPJ’s, cross field combinations and its specific emphasis on the ethical dimension is the true experience of the Jesuit liberal arts education. The minor reinforced my widespread interests while also integrating them nicely and revealing foundational linkages. Thanks to FPJ, I transformed my passions into an academic piece that aims to educate readers in each essence of the conflict.”

Michael Nelson went on to become an analyst for Deloitte in their technical consulting practice in Boston, MA.

“I found the Faith, Peace, and Justice program through PULSE, and I wanted to continue studying philosophy and theology with a grounded and actionable approach. At its core, my time in the FPJ program has taught me to think through difficult problems in the world, and continually seek greater empathy in others and myself.”

Jonathan Ng went on to do a year of service with Jesuit Volunteer Corps. After completing the year of service, he went on to the School of Social Work at Columbia University.

“The interdisciplinary approach of the FPJ program bolstered the myriad of interests I had in social justice, service-learning, philosophy, spirituality, rhetoric, and film, culminating in a documentary I never fathomed of producing. The nuanced yet amorphous structure of FPJ granted me leeway to discover my own voice and passions throughout my years at BC.”

Emma Saart went on to work at a clinical research clinic at Beth Israel Hospital. She is going to apply to medical school.

“After my freshman year experience with Appa, I became passionate about issues of social justice and didn’t want this to be a topic I reflected on only on the week-long spring break service trip each year. The FPJ minor has allowed me to engage in questions of justice and faith and how I can bring a dedication to these topics into my career and everyday life. I’m excited to continue to explore the questions I’ve begun to investigate through this program and am so grateful for the professors and students who have inspired me throughout.”

Andrew Wilson went on to do a year of service with Genocide Watch in Washington, D.C. He is currently at Georgetown University doing graduate work in Security Studies.

“I chose the FPJ minor because I wanted to look at my major field through a justice-driven lens. I’ve met many other amazing students through the interdisciplinary nature of FPJ. This experience has shown me how to take philosophy and theology into the world beyond BC.”

Haley Bannon is currently in Northern Ireland for a year-long volunteer program at Corrymeela, a peace and reconciliation community. She will be doing Programme and Hospitality work for the center, including welcoming groups onsite, leading group work, and developing knowledge and skills in peacebuilding and communication. Corrymeela was founded in 1965 by Presbyterian minister Ray Davey to bring together people from both sides of the conflict in Northern Ireland and provide a way for them to meet safely, have difficult conversations, and support one another. Today, Corrymeela's areas of focus are Sectarianism, Marginalization, Public Theology, Legacies of Conflict, and Nurturing Hope. Corrymeela’s core purpose then and now is to nurture respectful relationships so we can live well together.

After graduating from Boston College, Maura completed a year with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps as a tenants right-to-counsel paralegal at the Eviction Defense Collaborative in San Francisco, CA. She currently is a third-year law student at the University of Notre Dame Law School; Maura loves living in the South Bend community and working part-time as a youth public defender at the Juvenile Justice Center. After graduation, she is planning on returning to her hometown of Chicago, IL to work in youth advocacy and family defense work!

Hannah Ditchik went on to graduate from Fordham University School of Law. She is currently working for Ditchik and Ditchik, PLLC in Manhattan.

Morgan Gamble went on to earn a Master’s Degree at Duke University and is currently in Medical School.

Kieran Harrington went on to the School of Social Work at Boston College.

Maya Trinka graduated from the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice with a Master of Arts Program in Social Work, Social Policy, and Social Administration in June of 2023. She  now works as a school social worker in a public charter school in Chicago serving students in grades 7-12.

Katya Van Anderlecht went on to graduate from Emory University School of Medicine in 2023. She is currently a doctor doing her general surgery residency at Medstar-Georgetown in Washington, D.C.

After Graduation, Christina Be worked in development for YouthBuild USA, a nonprofit that helps youth find meaningful careers while completing their GEDs. Currently, she is President of Doing People Ops, a fintech startup with the mission of getting people out of financial debt.

Tia Rashke went on to do a year of service with Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Chicago.

Following graduation, Ryan Reichert began medical school in Chicago. 

“I try to do my best to incorporate all that I learned in my FPJ minor into my practice and patient interactions.”