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Midway through 2024, Bill Reynolds got an email no one wants to receive. The telecommunications company where he’d worked as a network architect for the past decade was laying off ten thousand workers, and the following year it would lay off ten thousand more, Reynolds included. He wasn’t ready to retire just yet, but as he pondered his next move, he felt pigeonholed by his resume, which listed thirty-five years of experience in an industry that no longer excited him. “For the previous few years I’d been drawn to reading all about climate, sustainability, and alternative energy,” he recalled recently. “I wanted to do something that felt more purposeful to me, but I was stuck on how to pivot.”

Last year, Reynolds became one of the first people to enroll in Boston College Companions, a yearlong on-campus program that combines academic study with formative experiences and opportunities for reflection. Participants, referred to as fellows, audit courses of their choosing from across the University’s nine colleges, form lasting bonds during twice-weekly in-person group seminars, and chart their path forward through conversations with advisors. They have opportunities for spiritual direction as well, including a pilgrimage through Spain and Italy inspired by the life of Jesuit founder St. Ignatius of Loyola, and a five-day silent retreat. “Companions is about ongoing lifelong formation, intellectually but also morally, spiritually, and personally,” said Robert L. and Judith T. Winston Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley, who helped develop the program in partnership with Jack Butler, SJ, and University Mission and Ministry.

The inaugural cohort of Companions was an eclectic group of those in their fifties, sixties, and seventies who hailed from eight states, with backgrounds in professions ranging from corporate law to pastoral care. About half are alumni of Boston College. Some, like Reynolds, enrolled in the program to prepare for a new vocation. Others wanted to use their retirement to explore personal interests or make a greater impact. What united them, aside from intellectual curiosity, was a desire to find purpose in their next chapter of life, said Law School Professor Emeritus Frank Herrmann, SJ, the program’s faculty advisor. “Purpose is really the key to the whole program,” he said. “We’re providing space for fellows to reflect on their lives in order to clarify what they feel drawn to in the future.”

Fellows were free to enroll in whatever courses interested them. Deb McCarter, who recently retired from teaching after a lengthy nursing career, took graduate-level theology courses through the Clough School of Theology and Ministry, in addition to studying creative nonfiction writing. “I’ve always been interested in theology, so it felt like a tremendous gift to just throw myself into it,” she said. “The classes I’ve taken have really opened my mind and helped me go in new directions with new disciplines.”

For his part, Reynolds said, he enjoyed learning alongside the younger generation in undergraduate courses in alternative energy, entrepreneurial leadership, and US climate policy. “I was curious how they would react to my presence, but they were so welcoming,” he said. “I felt like just another member of the class.” In his spare time, Reynolds attended events all over campus, from lectures and poetry readings to student-led prayer sessions, yoga classes, and musical performances. He even picked up de-escalation techniques at a peacemaking seminar. “I treated Companions like an educational sabbatical,” he said. “It was a chance to retrain myself for a new job, but also unplug from the rest of the world and do some self-exploration.” Reynolds is currently searching for a role in the energy sector where he can combine his technology and leadership skills. “I was reminded this year that my greatest joy is when I’m setting up the environment for a team to thrive.” ◽