The work of Boston College touches many thousands of lives each day. Its student volunteer programs lift up needful hearts both locally and abroad. Its faculty contributes to new knowledge in a spectrum of important fields, from public education to the development of new pharmaceutical products that contribute to quality of life. Its Citizen Seminars continue to contribute to a healthier Boston. And its Church in the 21st Century initiative continues to provide thoughtful discourse and hope for renewal across the country.

But of the many products of this great University, the one that has had the greatest effect in past years, and that holds the greatest possibilities for the future, is the young woman or man who receives an undergraduate degree from Boston College. For not only are these individuals intellectually accomplished and well trained in their chosen fields, but they are also formed in a Jesuit educational tradition that for nearly five centuries has been challenging individuals to be leaders in the world.

The stories in this Annual Report are just ten of the many that could be told about gifted members of the Class of 2004. As the years go by, additional stories about men and women of this class will become known to us and will no doubt once again make us proud of having supported this important mission called Boston College. All of these stories will offer evidence of accomplishment and leadership. But I also believe that they will offer evidence of the Boston College difference: a proud intellectual heritage that insists on the importance of knowing truth, and a proud religious heritage that views all of us as brothers and sisters responsible to and for each other.

JACK CONNORS, JR. ’63
CHAIRMAN, BOSTON COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

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