Summer 2024

Inspiration Around Every Corner

by Joy Moore ’81, H’10
Vice President and Executive Director,
Pine Manor Institute for Student Success

Hello!

Like countless other alumni, friends, students, faculty, administrators, and families who have joined our community over generations, Boston College’s ethos of “Eagles for others” is so imbued in me. It’s one of the many reasons why I am thrilled to be the inaugural executive director of BC’s Pine Manor Institute for Student Success. 

This issue of Beacon is brimming with examples of Ignatian values at play in the world. Our cover story features trustee associate David Griffith ’68 and his wife, Janet Griffith, P’00, ’02, ’06, and their deep affection for BC. I had the pleasure of getting to know them when David was a member of the alumni board of directors, and I greatly admire this couple’s commitment as volunteer leaders and university champions who have made a dramatic impact across a wide range of areas, from faculty support to financial aid to athletics. You can also read about how Carroll School of Management graduates Fifi ’94 and Agus Pangestu ’94 are finding ways to contribute to campus from the other side of the world. 

The Office Hours section includes a profile of Dean Gautam N. Yadama of the BC School of Social Work, a compassionate leader whose life work involves improving lives on a global scale. You’ll also have a chance to meet another sociologist and my colleague in the Pine Manor Institute, Erick Berrelleza, S.J. As dean of Messina College, Fr. Erick has an inspiring vision for BC’s newest school, which will offer first-generation students and students from underrepresented and underserved communities an excellent two-year education toward attaining an associate’s degree. A key component of Messina College will include formative education programs led by campus figures like Biz Bracher ’91, MA’95, PhD’03, P’22, this issue’s guest contributor to the Beacon Book Club. 

Boston College has always been a good neighbor, and I am proud that the Pine Manor Institute is already raising the aspirations of students from middle school to college. From Chestnut Hill to Brighton, Newton to our new Brookline Campus, inspiring stories are around every corner. Here’s to sharing BC’s light with the world and here’s to your everlasting commitment to being an Eagle for others.

IN THIS ISSUE

A large, elegant banquet hall filled with people seated at round tables, adorned with red and white floral centerpieces. The room is illuminated with warm, colorful lighting. Waitstaff in white shirts move efficiently between tables, ensuring guests receive exceptional service—a true return on investment in memorable experiences.

Return on Investment

BC’s Wall Street community gives back by supporting an exceptional cohort of students.

An elderly man in a purple shirt and a smiling blonde woman in a patterned top and yellow cardigan share the lifelong gift of laughter outdoors, with green foliage blurred in the background.

Lifelong Gifts

Every BC story involves a moment when someone first felt at home at the Heights. Janet and David Griffith ‘68, P‘00, ‘02, ‘06, love providing that feeling for the next generation of Eagles

A man gestures while speaking, wearing a maroon sweater over a white shirt. He is seated indoors against a plain background.

Andrew Davidson

BC’s new senior vice president for university advancement is excited to join a Boston College that he says is “firing on all cylinders.”

A family of five stands together in a room, their outfits resplendent in red and patterns. With widened smiles, they create a vivid vision against the backdrop of a window adorned with yellow flowers. Overhead, a chandelier casts its gentle glow.

“Our Vision Has Widened”

Among Indonesia’s leading philanthropists, Fifi ‘94 and Agus Pangestu ‘94 continue to find inspiration at the Heights.

A smiling person in glasses and a suit jacket stands outdoors with others, engaging in conversation about global responsibility. The background features a stone wall and trees, suggesting a casual, sunny setting.

Local Commitment, Global Responsibility

Dean Gautam N. Yadama shares what guides his work leading the Boston College School of Social Work at a time when society needs compassionate people to serve and support the world’s most vulnerable communities.

A woman with long blonde hair sits smiling in an office chair, holding a book titled "Let Your Life Speak". She's wearing a grey sweater and a beaded necklace. Behind her are shelves filled with books and a giraffe-shaped ornament on a desk.

Let Your Life Speak

Cornerstone Program director Biz Bracher ’91, MA’95, PhD’03, P’22, shares her book selection.

Father Erick Berrelleza S.J.

Leading from Experience

A conversation with Fr. Erick Berrelleza, a first-generation college student who’s now the founding dean of Messina College, BC’s bold new two-year associate’s degree program for underserved students.

A large, elegant banquet hall filled with people seated at round tables, adorned with red and white floral centerpieces. The room is illuminated with warm, colorful lighting. Waitstaff in white shirts move efficiently between tables, ensuring guests receive exceptional service—a true return on investment in memorable experiences.

Return on Investment

BC’s Wall Street community gives back by supporting an exceptional cohort of students.

An elderly man in a purple shirt and a smiling blonde woman in a patterned top and yellow cardigan share the lifelong gift of laughter outdoors, with green foliage blurred in the background.

Lifelong Gifts

Every BC story involves a moment when someone first felt at home at the Heights. Janet and David Griffith ‘68, P‘00, ‘02, ‘06, love providing that feeling for the next generation of Eagles

A man gestures while speaking, wearing a maroon sweater over a white shirt. He is seated indoors against a plain background.

Andrew Davidson

BC’s new senior vice president for university advancement is excited to join a Boston College that he says is “firing on all cylinders.”

A family of five stands together in a room, their outfits resplendent in red and patterns. With widened smiles, they create a vivid vision against the backdrop of a window adorned with yellow flowers. Overhead, a chandelier casts its gentle glow.

“Our Vision Has Widened”

Among Indonesia’s leading philanthropists, Fifi ‘94 and Agus Pangestu ‘94 continue to find inspiration at the Heights.

A smiling person in glasses and a suit jacket stands outdoors with others, engaging in conversation about global responsibility. The background features a stone wall and trees, suggesting a casual, sunny setting.

Local Commitment, Global Responsibility

Dean Gautam N. Yadama shares what guides his work leading the Boston College School of Social Work at a time when society needs compassionate people to serve and support the world’s most vulnerable communities.

A woman with long blonde hair sits smiling in an office chair, holding a book titled "Let Your Life Speak". She's wearing a grey sweater and a beaded necklace. Behind her are shelves filled with books and a giraffe-shaped ornament on a desk.

Let Your Life Speak

Cornerstone Program director Biz Bracher ’91, MA’95, PhD’03, P’22, shares her book selection.

Father Erick Berrelleza S.J.

Leading from Experience

A conversation with Fr. Erick Berrelleza, a first-generation college student who’s now the founding dean of Messina College, BC’s bold new two-year associate’s degree program for underserved students.