 "Photo: Ryan Joyce")
"Teach us to give and not to count the cost." John Feudo, associate vice president for alumni relations, quoted St. Ignatius of Loyola to open this year's Alumni Awards of Excellence ceremony. The awards are given annually to alumni who, according to the BC Alumni Association, "have distinguished themselves in their chosen fields and whose lives are a true fulfillment of the University's motto 'Ever to Excel.'"
The four awards given out on Friday night were the Alumni Award for Professional Excellence, the Ignatian Award, the Gold Award, and the William V. McKenney Award, which is the highest honor bestowed by the Alumni Association. The four recipients each praised the University for not only giving them the education to succeed, but also inspiring them to use their gifts to help others.
The Alumni Award for Professional Excellence was given to Phillip Landrigan, BC '63. This award is given to men and women who have distinguished themselves through success in their chosen career field. Landrigan has had a long and illustrious career in public health and preventative medicine. He is currently a professor of pediatrics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and has served as a senior adviser to the Environmental Protection Agency, a chair of various National Academy of Sciences committees, and is a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses. "I owe BC a great deal," Landrigan said. "BC filled me with a sense that it was very important to give something back, to use the education I've been given to remedy social injustice."
The Ignatian Award was presented to Michelle Lyden, BC '92. The Alumni Association gives this award to someone who serves as an example of the Ignatian mission of "men and women for other," for the BC community. Lyden is founder and president of Global Action, a nonprofit organization that provides aid to children in need to decrease serious childhood diseases in developing countries across the globe, particularly Tanzania and other African nations.
"BC has contributed in such a profound way," Lyden said. "Not only has it equipped me with the skills and knowledge, but also taught me the art of caring and to never stop asking the questions or seeking the solution to social injustice."
Brendan Kennealey, BC '98, received the Gold Award, which recognizes an outstanding graduate of the last decade who is truly inspirational to others. Kennealey is the founder and president of Mission Schools International (MSI), a nonprofit organization that builds secondary schools in Africa for children grades 7-12. MSI plans to open its first two boarding schools in January 2010 in Rwanda. Kennealey is also founder and chairman of the Benebikira Sisters Foundation, which funded the building of a high school in Rwanda.
Kennealay, a recent graduate, talked about many current programs that BC offers to its undergraduate students, such as the PULSE program. "BC has given me so much," Kennealey said. "One of the biggest things that impacted my life was the PULSE program." He praised how the program showed students many social injustices in the surrounding areas and allowed them to process it in an academic setting.
The William V. McKenney Award was awarded to Robert L. Winston, BC '60. This award recognizes a graduate whose outstanding contributions to service, industry, and the University reflect honor and glory on BC. Previous winners of this prestigious award include Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, former Speaker of the House.
Winston is a retired senior vice president of American Funds Distributors. In 2006 he led the founding of the Carroll School of Management's Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics. He also serves on the board of trustees' Academic Affairs Committee. Winston spoke of how BC has impacted his life and career over the past 48 years. Winston said, "This has been a lifelong marriage for me and it has done a world of good for me."
He also mentioned the US News & World Report college ranking issue. "It doesn't do justice to Boston College, it should focus on whose graduates contribute significantly to society," Winston said.
The event was attended by about 200 alumni who represented many different graduating classes and geographic locales who came out to support BC and their fellow alumni. University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., addressed the crowd and commended them for their continued support of the University. "We need our alumni now more than ever," Leahy said.
Leahy also applauded the four awardees in his address. He said, "We celebrate these four honorees for the way they have lived up to the BC model." Feudo said this award ceremony is important for the way it celebrates the accomplishments of BC alumni. He said, "This is the most special part of the week, learning about some of the tremendous accomplishments of our alumni."
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