Boston College

To gain a participant’s perspective, @BC asked four graduating seniors—Patrick Bittorf of the Lynch School of Education, Lindsay Paladino of the Carroll School of Management, Brittney Sullivan of the Connell School of Nursing, and Kyle Trainor of the College of Arts & Sciences—to film their experiences as they went through Commencement Day, May 18. We present highlights from their videos.

Some 3,000 degree recipients assembled on the field of Alumni Stadium for Boston College’s 133rd Commencement. “You have made Boston College better, stronger, more alive,” President William P. Leahy, SJ, told them. Filmmaker Ken Burns, recipient of an honorary doctorate in fine arts, delivered the Commencement address, advising students, “History, I have learned over 30 years of practice, is the greatest teacher there is.” The University also awarded honorary degrees to Margot C. Connell, board chair of the Connell Limited Partnership; Joseph E. Corcoran ’59, a pioneer in the development of mixed-income housing; Daniel J. Harrington, SJ, eminent scholar of the Bible; Carolyn A. Lynch, a founder of the Lynch Foundation and the Urban Catholic Teachers Corps; and Benaree Pratt Wiley, president and CEO (emeritus) of The Partnership, Inc., and a University Trustee Associate. The full onstage proceedings, including Burns’s address, are available online at the Commencement Day website.

Summary of degrees:

The Law School Commencement took place May 22, with Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke delivering the address. Some 252 graduates received their JD degree, 12 received the LLM.