Advancement News

Coloring the Heights

Sometimes you just have to let them color outside the giraffe. This, in 1972, was the invaluable lesson that Susan Martinelli Shea learned from a professor as a freshman in BC's School of Education. At the time, Sue, Class of 1976, along with her future husband, William H. Shea '76, was pursuing a double major in special and elementary education. Seated in a classroom in McGuinn Hall, Sue and her classmates stood up to applaud the professor. "I remember it as though it were yesterday," says Sue. "Those were such prophetic words."

For Bill and Sue Shea, Boston College's School of Education was the launching pad for their affinity for education - as both a teaching profession and an instrument of social change. "One of my best memories of college was the curriculum of the School of Education," says Bill. "By the second semester of our freshman year, we were teaching in the community. That kind of opportunity combined with BC's focus on academics made it a great experience."

After graduation, Bill and Sue found jobs as special education teachers in a low-income section of Baltimore. "I loved the challenge of working with kids who had special issues and requirements," says Bill. Sue, for her part, knew that with her love for children and her comfort in teaching, she had found her profession.

Several years later, Bill earned an MBA from the University of Virginia. He is now the CEO of Buckeye Partners, a leading transporter of petroleum products. Meanwhile, Sue, who earned a Master of Education at Johns Hopkins University, has taught at elementary schools in several states. She is now a trustee and the Chairman of the Education Committee at the Gesu School, an independent Catholic school that educates children from disadvantaged families in the Philadelphia area.

Through the years, the Sheas have continued to support the two things that they say gave them so much: education and Boston College. In 2004, the Sheas made a gift to BC by endowing a Millennium Chair in the Lynch School of Education. "We feel strongly that every good thing in our lives started with BC," says Sue. "We found our partners in life, our best friends, and the teaching profession. We both loved the School of Education, and this was one way we could say thank you."

According to Bill and Sue, from their years at BC and through the PULSE Program in particular, they learned the importance of active service. "To this day, Bill and I are very hands-on. We may make a donation, but we'll also volunteer at the organization and be directly involved," says Sue. "We aren't the type to just write a check."

Recently, Sue joined the Board of Trustees at BC. "It was a total surprise, a total 'knock my socks off' honor," says Sue of her invitation to join. "The common ground among the trustees is that everyone wants to make a great school even better."

The Sheas have also hosted at their Philadelphia home several First-Year Sendoff events, at which incoming BC freshmen who live in the area can meet each other before heading off to the Heights. The Sheas hosted their first sendoff during the summer before their son Andy '04 entered his freshmen year.

The Sheas were delighted that Andy attended their alma mater. "It gave us an excuse to visit more often," says Bill, "and it produced yet another connection to BC."