Woods College of Advancing Studies Interim Dean David Goodman (third from left) with graduate program award winners Thom Shola, Elif Cakir, Michael Aparicio,聽Basel Tarab, and Richkaard Verrier. (Photos by Peter M. Julian)
More than 150 students, family members, and friends gathered in the Heights Room of Corcoran Commons on April 16 for a celebratory dinner and awards ceremony in honor of 2019 graduates of 亚色影库's Woods College of Advancing Studies.
The event also recognized distinguished alumni of the school, which provides rigorous, formative, and ethics-focused undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs for non-traditional students.
In his welcoming remarks, Woods College Interim Dean David Goodman acknowleged the significant sacrifices and dedication of those assembled, noting that many of the students had balanced their studies with the demands of full-time work, caring for a loved one, or other responsibilities.
Education, he said, "calls each of us, inspiring our imagination toward the fullest version of what we can bring to this life. Whatever your circumstances, you committed to your education, investing in the best version of yourself, and you have inspired us."
“"With your Boston College education, you know the value of empathy, social justice, and service. As you rise upward in life with these new degrees, I know that you will send the elevator back down and bring others up with you. Your impact on the world will have lasting effects.”
Keynote speaker Kelli Armstrong
Boston College Vice President for Planning and Assessment Kelli Armstrong, a longtime member of the Woods College advisory board, delivered the event's keynote address, echoing Goodman's sentiment.
"You have proven that you can make it to the finish line, even with some extra weight to carry," she told the graduates, "with well-honed traits of perseverance, dedication, and strength."
Reflecting on the Woods College's Jesuit mission to prepare students for principled leadership in a global society, Armstrong noted that leadership, as defined by Society of Jesus founder St. Ignatius Loyola, is "about who we are as much as what we do.聽 It鈥檚 not only what we accomplish, it鈥檚 the way in which we do it. An Ignatian leader is a servant leader, focused on the growth and well-being of both people and the communities to which they belong.
"With your Boston College education, you know the value of empathy, social justice, and service," she said. "As you rise upward in life with these new degrees, I know that you will send the elevator back down and bring others up with you. Your impact on the world will have lasting effects."
The evening included presentation of academic ho