Attending graduate school, an eventual occurrence for most Boston College students, never made its way into Amanda Jack's game plan. Instead, since her graduation from BC in 2002, she has volunteered at a migrant shelter, worked at the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, and currently works as a human rights accompanier for the Fellowship of Reconciliation's Colombia Program. In many ways, however, her experiences have made her the wiser.
Jack fondly remembers the time she spent at BC. "There were so many experiences to be had, and I was lucky to participate in a wide variety of activities," she said in an e-mail. "BC is just the perfect combination of excellence in academics, formation outside of the classroom, and all the necessary 'college experience' … [although] I think my most enriching, 'meaningful' experiences were those I had while on immersion trips and volunteer experiences throughout the semesters and during school breaks," Jack said.
An example of her willingness to reach out is exemplified by Jack's participation in the first Borderlinks Mexico Immersion Trip as a sophomore, and then her leadership of the trip the following year. She recalls it as a wake-up call and one of the most educational experiences of her life. "I remember standing on a hill by the Casa Miseracordia in Nogales, Mexico, overlooking the colonia laid out below and just being overwhelmed by how unaware I had been of my immense privilege and of the awful life-or-death struggle being played out everyday in so much of the world. Those are the kind of awakenings that stick with you, the kinds of experiences that, if you're lucky, drive the rest of your life," she said. For Jack, it stood the test of time.
Jack also became involved in political organizations on campus, becoming the Undergraduate Government of BC's fourth woman president. Having been involved with the UGBC since her freshman year, running for president seemed like the next logical step. "I had a lot of earnest ideas for how to provide better services to students and change some of the archaic methods and ideologies that were still in place in what had traditionally been an all-male, white college," she said. In her presidency, the UGBC made headway in having the Gay-Straight Alliance, Allies, become an officially recognized student group, which was officially passed the year following her presidency, an accomplishment that she considers her most meaningful.
2008 Woodie Awards
