Each year, Boston College distributes a general graduation announcement to students' hometown newspapers. This general news release is submitted automatically - you don't need to request it - for every graduating senior shortly after Commencement, and includes the student's name, hometown, and undergraduate degree(s)/honors, as well as information about Commencement itself.

If you would like to submit a more detailed news release that includes personal information specific to the graduate (photo, interests, awards, plans, etc.), you may use the template below.

Commencement Hometown News Release

Each year, Boston College distributes a general graduation announcement to students' hometown newspapers. This general news release is submitted automatically—you don't need to request it—for every graduating senior shortly after Commencement, and includes the student's name, hometown, and undergraduate degree(s)/honors, as well as information about Commencement itself.

If you would like to submit a more detailed news release that includes personal information specific to the graduate (interests, awards, plans, etc.), you may find it helpful to follow the format below. Simply copy the template onto your own document or paste it into an e-mail message, insert information about the graduate in place of the notes within brackets or where indicated by asterisk, then send the finished release to the news desk of your local newspaper. (E-mail and postal addresses usually are available online via the 'Contact us' link on the paper's website.) You may also want to include a photo of the graduate; if you do so by mail, remember to write his or her name on the back of it. If you do so by e-mail, it is helpful to compress the photo; very large file attachments sometimes interfere with message delivery.

_____________________________________________________________________

CONTACT: [your name and telephone number or email address]

SPECIAL TO:  [name of your local newspaper]

RELEASE DATE: AFTER Monday, May 20, 2013

[CITY] RESIDENT [STUDENT NAME] GRADUATES FROM BOSTON COLLEGE

                CHESTNUT HILL, MA (Monday, May 20, 2013) -- [Student name], [select one: son/daughter] of [names of parent(s)/guardian(s)] of [city], was awarded a [cite degree received*] at the 137th Commencement of Boston College on Monday, May 20. Approximately 4,400 students received undergraduate and graduate degrees.

The 2013 Commencement speaker was Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny, whose career in public service spans four decades. He was elected as Taoiseach (prime minister) in March of 2011, almost nine years after being chosen as leader of Fine Gael, the largest political party in the Dáil Éireann (House of Deputies). Kenny has articulated a vision of Fine Gael as a party of the progressive center, focusing on the rights and responsibilities of all citizens, while also demonstrating his concern for social justice: Earlier this year, he delivered an emotional apology in the Dáil on behalf of the state to the Magdalene Laundry survivors.  During his previous service as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994-97, Kenny was credited with overseeing an unprecedented growth in Ireland’s tourism business, and with helping strengthen its trade position internationally — thus playing a significant role in Ireland’s “Celtic Tiger” era of economic growth.

Boston College also presented honorary degrees to four other distinguished individuals: Wayne Budd, former U.S. attorney and long-time BC trustee; Mary Lou DeLong, who served in several key administrative roles at BC including vice president and University Secretary; Cornelia Kelley, headmaster emerita of Boston Latin School; and James A. Woods, S.J., founding dean and namesake of BC's Woods College for Advancing Studies;.

Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., 25th president of Boston College, presented the degrees to the graduates.

                [Student's name] is a graduate of [name/city of high school]. At Boston College, [cite here any academic honors, memberships in clubs, athletics activities, et. al. **]

Celebrating its Sesquicentennial anniversary this year, Boston College was founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus—the first institution of higher education in the city of Boston. Today, it is one of the foremost universities in the nation, with a coeducational enrollment of approximately 14,600 undergraduate and graduate students drawn from all 50 states and more than 80 countries. Its faculty of eminent scholars is dedicated to teaching, both at the undergraduate level and in its nationally noted graduate programs in education, law, management, nursing, social work and theology and ministry. Though it has grown in size, stature and diversity, Boston College remains focused on its founding Jesuit mission to offer students a transforming educational experience: to help them develop both their intellect and their character, and to encourage them to lead lives of faith, integrity and service to others.

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* If the degree is awarded with honors (cum laude, etc.) include that information here.

**If the graduate's plans are known, a new paragraph including that information could be added after the activities list.