Family Ties
generational connections lead to research and financial aid gifts
Like many alumni, Ronald Hovsepian '83 is part of a large Boston College family. His brother, Rich '81, was the first Hovsepian to attend college, and the rest followed his lead to Chestnut Hill. Eagles in the clan include several of Ron's siblings and cousins as well as his three elder children: John '09, Courtney '10, and Kathryn, currently a junior. Son Thomas, though in eighth grade, is already eyeing the Heights.
"When this family gets a good idea, we stick with it," says Ron Hovsepian, co-chair of the Boston Campaign Leadership Council and president and CEO of IntraLinks, a provider of business collaboration solutions.
Now, he and his wife, Megan, want to help other families find a similar path to scholarly success. The couple have established the Ronald W. Hovsepian Scholarship Fund and the Ronald W. Hovsepian Family Scholarship Fund, providing financial aid to deserving undergraduates.
"As a parent, you hope that your children will find opportunities that help them maximize their potential," says Megan Hovsepian. "BC has proven extraordinary for our own children, and it's deeply satisfying to help other families tap into those possibilities." Gifts like these are crucial because they enable the University to meet its long-standing commitment of accepting students without regard to their economic situation—and then ensuring that those students have the financial resources they need to attend BC.
The Hovsepians have also helped the University strengthen its academic standing by endowing the Ronald W. Hovsepian Faculty Research Fund in the Carroll School of Management, which each year can support critical investigations and real-world applications in such disciplines as business law and information systems.
Through all their gifts, the couple have embraced the BC experience in a way that remains personally relevant and highly rewarding.
"Now that our children are at the University, I love seeing how those Boston College values are passed to this generation," says Ron Hovsepian. "Megan and I are truly happy to help today's deserving students while advancing BC at the same time. Our giving comes from the heart."