BOSTON COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL CELEBRATES 284 GRADUATES AT SCHOOL’S 158th COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY

BOSTON COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL CELEBRATES 284 GRADUATES AT
SCHOOL’S 158th COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY

BC High Graduates Heading to Top-Tier Colleges and Universities Nationwide (Click for photos)

Boston, MA (May 23, 2022): After a high school career filled with unparalleled challenges, the Boston College High School Class of 2022 crossed the graduation stage on May 21 to receive their diplomas on what was an unseasonably hot day at McCoy Field. More than 2,000 members of the BC High family were on hand to honor the 284 graduates and their accomplishments, celebrate their resiliency, and reflect on the lasting legacy and impression these young men will leave on the school and their peers.

“We are incredibly proud of the Class of 2022 and the ways they’ve come together during their time at BC High,” said Grace Cotter Regan, President of Boston College High School. “This class has endured so much during the pandemic, bonding over computers, in classrooms and performing arts spaces, and on athletic fields. Through it all they’ve forged lifelong friendships, explored their faith, committed to serving others, and developed their own vision for the future that is sure to feed their curiosity and fuel their spirit. I know they will be leaders for their generation. ”

The keynote speaker was Northeastern University President Joseph E. Aoun, a renowned scholar in linguistics and an internationally-respected – and highly sought after – proponent of the value of a global, experiential education. In his remarks, President Aoun challenged the graduates to embrace flexibility as they explore their futures in unexpected ways.

As the Class of 2022 looks towards their higher education journeys, he told the young men to learn and grow outside of the traditional academic setting because “what happens in the classroom isn’t the most important part of college. It’s the complete experience that counts.” He also reminded the graduates of the value of experiential learning as “the most powerful way to transform knowledge into capability. Co-ops, internships, service, entrepreneurship, solving real world problems: The world needs you.”

The BC High Class of 2022 excelled in all aspects of their education, culminating in graduates being accepted to more than 350 colleges and universities across the country and globe. Of those seeking higher education, 35 percent will continue their Jesuit education at 11 different Jesuit colleges and universities. In addition, two graduates received full tuition, merit-based scholarships, and eight others will attend Ivy League institutions. Three graduates will proudly enter ROTC programs, and one will enter the United States Coast Guard Academy.

“This class has demonstrated fierce commitment to their studies, extracurriculars, volunteer work, and Jesuit values as they navigated the acute impact of COVID-19 on their final years of high school,” said Adam Lewis, Principal of Boston College High School. “We are exceedingly grateful for all they have given our community – and each other – during their time at our school.”

“We are thrilled to welcome these exceptional young men into our BC High alumni network,” said Regan. “No matter how far they travel, may they always call BC High home.”

Looking ahead, BC High is excited to welcome, for the second year in a row, more than 300 new students in the fall – an incoming class that is sure to benefit from what has been a monumental year on Morrissey Boulevard.

After several years of positive enrollment trends, remarkable growth, consistent fundraising efforts, and rapid expansions in technology to prepare for the evolving innovation economy, President Regan, in collaboration with the Board of Trustees, announced Vision 2026, a five-year strategic plan that will guide the school’s ongoing formation of students for faith, for depth, for reconciliation, and as global citizens.

To further the student health and wellness priorities outlined in Vision 2026, BC High received three major gifts from alumni within the last 18 months. This includes a transformative $49 million gift – the largest single gift in BC High’s 159-year history, the largest ever to a Catholic secondary school in New England, and among the largest to a high school nationwide – from the Patrick F. Cadigan ’52 Family Foundation in April 2022 for a 50,000 square foot Wellness Complex on campus. Construction on the Wellness Complex is anticipated to begin in January 2023.

In addition, in March 2022, BC High received a $2.5M gift from alumnus John V. Murphy ’67, P’98 to build a new stadium and athletic facilities. In October 2020 the school received a $5M gift from alumnus Jack Shields ’70 to establish the Shields Center for Innovation. The Shields Center, which helps students prioritize entrepreneurial thinking and prepare for the rapidly evolving innovation economy, offers an innovation curriculum; provides students and alumni with networking programming and opportunities, including the ongoing Virtual Event Series.

The full Strategic Plan, which includes an anticipated timeline and comprehensive Campus Master Plan, is available for review online.

About Boston College High School: Boston College High School is a Jesuit, Catholic, college-preparatory school for young men in grades 7 to 12. Founded in 1863, the school enrolls approximately 1,500 students from more than 140 communities in eastern Massachusetts. For more information, please visit bchigh.edu.

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