Music, Leadership, and Scholarships
highlighting the fall events season
Autumn at Boston College is always nostalgic—a time when the BC community reconnects, both on campus and off, to celebrate long-held traditions and create new memories. As the leaves turned, four signature events drew thousands to gatherings everywhere from Alumni Stadium to Asbury Park, N.J.
On Sept. 16, the annual Athletics Scholarship Luncheon drew a record crowd, with nearly 400 attendees coming together in Conte Forum to honor donors who have partially endowed nearly 220 scholarships and fully endowed eight team positions.
Then Sept. 30–Oct. 2, more than 1,600 families returned to the Heights for Parents' Weekend. Forty-plus members of the Parents' Leadership Council volunteered at the festivities, which included Mass celebrated by University President William P. Leahy, S.J., and a home football matchup against Wake Forest.
A highlight of the weekend was Friday night's annual Pops on the Heights Scholarship Gala, which raised nearly $2 million in financial aid for the 50 Pops Scholars. Since its inception in 1993, this spectacular concert, which is headlined by the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra under the direction of conductor Keith Lockhart, has generated more than $19 million and created more than 730 scholarship awards.
Later in October, the BC fall events season hit another high note with the return of the Asbury Park Benefit Concert in New Jersey. Hosted by rock superstar and committed BC parent Bruce Springsteen, the annual show has raised more than $5.3 million for financial aid through its Dream Scholar program. Since the inaugural concert in 2009, 130 BC students have been named Dream Scholars thanks to the generosity of all involved.