Parting thoughts

Daniel Ponsetto
Welles Remy Crowther Director of the Volunteer & Service Learning Center
Years at BC: 30

In 2003, eight years after arriving at BostonCollege, Ponsetto became inaugural director o fthe VSLC, which assists BostonCollege students, staff, and faculty seeking opportunities to serve on campus, in the Greater Boston area, or abroad. Among other accomplishments, Ponsetto created the BC BIGS program, through which students serve as mentors to Boston-area youths, and helped launch the Welles Remy Crowther Red Bandanna 5K, a signature campus event that draws upwards of 1,500 registrants each year.

He also was instrumental in the success of BC’s annual Relay for Life fundraising event for the American Cancer Society.

"I initially came to BC as a campus minister and spent eight years working with wonderful colleagues and students on projects including retreats, liturgies, pastoral accompaniment, social justice initiatives, and service projects. Then I was invited to direct the newly created Volunteer & Service Learning Center, through an endowed position named in honor of Welles Crowther, who had lost his life while saving others on 9/11. Imagine the privilege it has been to be aligned in any way with Welles, and to come to know, love, and work with the Crowther family over several years.

“We have built a robust center that promotes experiences that engage students in relationships and realities that challenge them to consider how their faith informs, and how their life and vocation can contribute to a more just world. A key highlight has been the creation of BC BIGS, a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters that thas matched nearly 4,000 students as mentors to boys and girls in Boston since 2010.

"I am deeply grateful for the experiences and relationships that have been so formative for me. I never imagined landing here at BC, and I consider it one of my life’s beautiful blessings to have had the chance to minister and work in such a wonderful community.”