Rise

Victoria Garcia
Assistant Director, Intersections

Where did you grow up? Why aren’t you there now?
I was born in Montevideo, Uruguay and I grew up in Miami, FL. I’m not there now because I failed to remember warmer weather is where I truly thrive. Now I’ve been bamboozled, hoodwinked, led astray to stay in Boston because of both my husband’s and my careers. I’m obviously kidding - I do love Boston, but I try to make it back to Miami as often as I am able.

What path brought you to BC?
After completing my undergraduate at the University of Florida, I moved to Boston for a year of service through City Year/Americorps. I worked as a college access counselor at a local nonprofit called Bottom Line after that. I knew if I wanted to make any kind of impact in higher education that I would have to further along my studies. I came to Boston College for my master’s at the Lynch School and worked as a graduate assistant at the Women’s Center and the Montserrat Office. BC was dying for me to keep my talents at the Heights and offered me a 5-year $200 million contract so I have been here ever since! In reality, I worked at OIP and now at Intersections, which is an office in Mission and Ministry that helps faculty and staff engage with the Jesuit, Catholic mission of the university.

What are you most passionate about professionally?
I am passionate about providing first-generation, low-income, and/or BIPOC students with transformative college experiences. Whether I’m doing that work directly, like I’ve done in the past working in student affairs or study abroad, or indirectly, like I’m doing now since I work primarily with faculty and staff, that is where my vocation lies.

Where can we find you when you’re not working? What’s your favorite way to spend a weekend or Sunday afternoon?
I’m obsessed with getting a good night’s sleep, so any good weekend has me focused on feeling rested so that it does not end in tragedy (i.e. me being in a bad mood). I love to cook so I have to make some kind of elaborate brunch at home. I don’t like having brunch at a restaurant because I consider it a scam when a dozen eggs costs two dollars at the grocery store. Ideally I’d follow that up with some kind of activity like biking, meeting up with a friend, exploring a new town, shopping, etc. I’d end the day by watching a movie and/or tv show that either enriches my worldview or rots my brain. You know, balance.

Any volunteer activities you’re crazy about?
I love serving as an advocate on the Boston College Sexual Assault Network. I kind of stumbled upon the work while as a graduate assistant at the Women’s Center, and now I’m forever passionate about supporting survivors of gender-based violence.

Who is your hero? Why?

My brother Ricardo is my hero. He is autistic and proud, and he is the funniest, most poignant, most true-to-self person I know. He pushes me to be the kind of person I have always wanted to be. 

Who is your mentor? How did you connect with him/her?
I am lucky to have a variety of people I look up to and whose lives I want to emulate, but whom I’ve also tricked to be my friends and conversation partners. These include previous coworkers, old bosses, current coworkers and bosses’ bosses, etc. Like I said, I connected with them and stayed connected with them because I tricked them. Now they are in my life forever and I know I can go to them for conversations on life, love, career, spirituality, justice, and the like. I also like to think these people know they can come to me for anything as well. For example, I really feel like I mentored Katie Dalton recently when I taught her how to post a Story on Instagram. 

What’s the most unusual place you’ve visited?
The most unusual (to me) place I’ve ever visited was the Blue Mountain Peak which is the highest mountain in Jamaica and one of the highest peaks in the Caribbean. As I mentioned, I am from Miami which is currently sinking so I am not familiar with mountains and/or hiking. Jamaicans prefer to reach the peak at sunrise so the group I was with started the hike (again, first time hiking) at 1 in the morning in complete darkness. When we reached the summit and watched the sunrise it felt like rebirth. Then, I remembered just as I came up the mountain I had to go back down it. There’s a metaphor there somewhere!

What would be impossible for you to give up?
It would be impossible for me to give up pop culture. Even if I can’t consume or like everything, I at least have to know “of” the newest movies, music, tv shows, memes, trends, etc. I feel like TikTok is the first social media platform I’ve officially aged out of which makes me feel old but I’ve ultimately accepted it.

What’s one thing you want to accomplish before you die?
This is not really an accomplishment, but I really want to attend a World Cup before I die. Hopefully it will be held in South America in 2030 because it’ll be the 100th anniversary of the first World Cup that was hosted and won by Uruguay. Something I’ve already accomplished is winning a World Cup trivia game at a bar but the prize was an Argentina jersey which I gave to my husband since I’d be disowned for wearing that.


Jocelyn Gates
Senior Associate Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator

Where did you grow up? Why aren’t you there now?
Wilmington, Delaware. Because I couldn’t wait to get out of Delaware and experience new places and meet new people. My career requires me to move around in order to move up— and there are currently no schools in Delaware that compare to the level I desire to work at in this place in my career.

What path brought you to BC?
In the past couple of years, I have been saying there are two people I would leave my job for while I was working at the University of South Florida. One of those people happened to call me about an opportunity at BC—and that person was Martin Jarmond, current director of Athletics here at BC. When he called me, it was a no brainer that I wanted to come work for him. And the cherry on top is that it’s at BC, which is a school in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)—one of the conferences in college athletics.

What are you most passionate about professionally?
Helping college students reach their full potential. Also, I’m extremely passionate about helping people of color, and showing them that there are faces like their own in high-level positions. I want them to know they have someone to come to that may understand some of the struggles they experience. Lastly, I’m a “girl’s girl” and I truly believe in uplifting and helping other women.

Where can we find you when you’re not working? What’s your favorite way to spend a weekend or Sunday afternoon?
Right now, I have an almost 2 year old, so you will find me playing with him on the weekends! Additionally, I’m a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, so you will see me spending time with my sorority sisters and doing community service in the greater Boston area. Lastly, I love to travel, so I’m away most weekends or at a sporting event cheering our Eagles on!

Any volunteer activities you’re crazy about?
Giving back to underrepresented communities! And I’m fortunate to be able to do this along with my sorority.

Who is your hero? Why?
Totally cliché – but my parents. They are amazing and have been married 44 years, which is something I pray my husband and I will reach. My mom took care of the entire household while my father worked. My brother and I wanted for nothing and got everything we needed. I’m so thankful to have them as examples of who I strive to be.

Who is your mentor? How did you connect with them?
I have two mentors: Stan Wilcox (athletic director of Florida State University) and Kevin White (athletic director of Duke University). I was fortunate to work with both of them. They have guided me and counseled me in my career and in life. I will go further and say they are more than mentors, they are my “Champions”. They make calls on my behalf without me even having to ask. I think everyone should find a “Champion” in their life.

What’s the most unusual place you’ve visited?
I’ve visited a lot of places, none of which have been unusual though. So I’m no fun with this question!

What would be impossible for you to give up?
My cell phone. I don’t live near my family. My husband lives in Cleveland, OH. It’s my only way to communicate with the people who are closest to me.

What’s one thing you want to accomplish before you die?
Raising my family and watching my husband win a National Championship in Men’s Basketball (he is the head coach at Cleveland State University). And since being a coach’s wife is hard work, that would be an accomplishment of mine to see him get there!

Julianna Gonzalez-McLean
Assistant Dean of Diversity and Inclusion, Connell School of Nursing

Bio is coming.

Ali Bane Hammond
Director, First Year Experience

Where did you grow up? Why aren’t you there now?
I grew up in Manchester, MA. I would love to live there again someday, but right now the rush-hour commute would mean too many hours in the car and away from my 14-month old son, Harry. I now live in Stoneham, MA - about half way between BC and Manchester, where my parents and many other family members still live.

What path brought you to BC?
For starters, I went to BC. I studied theater and communication and had no idea what I wanted to do after graduation. I ended up moving to New York City and working at NBC during my first few years out of college. During this time, I engaged in what I now recognize as “discernment” and discovered that I wanted to pursue higher education administration. After getting my Master’s in the field, I worked at a few different Boston-area institutions and did a short stint in Washington DC at the Department of Ed before accepting a job in 2014 as the Assistant Director of FYE – an office that had a big impact on me during my own undergraduate days.

What are you most passionate about professionally?
I am passionate about the idea of belonging. This desire to belong to one another is so innate, yet often so hard to come by. I believe the desire to belong plays an important role in the transition to college, for better and for worse. Most of the programs I run in FYE and the research I engage in as a graduate student in the Lynch School concerns, to some extent, belonging.

Where can we find you when you’re not working? What’s your favorite way to spend a weekend or Sunday afternoon?
At the beach. In the summers, I’m there as often as possible enjoying the golden hour with family and friends. In the winter, I like to bundle up and go for walks along the shoreline. Being by the ocean has always been very centering for me.

Any volunteer activities you’re crazy about?
I love the Posse Foundation – a city-based organization that recruits and prepares high school students to receive full-tuition leadership scholarships to college. I volunteered with them for years as a writing tutor. I also used to volunteer at Mass General Hospital. My dad had a life-saving surgery there while I was in college, and it felt like a small way to repay the incredible healthcare workers who perform miracles on a daily basis. Over the last few years, I’ve had less time to devote to those organizations, and have instead tried to support candidates for political office that I really believe in.

Who is your hero? Why?
Totally cliché – but my parents. They are amazing and have been married 44 years, which is something I pray my husband and I will reach. My mom took care of the entire household while my father worked. My brother and I wanted for nothing and got everything we needed. I’m so thankful to have them as examples of who I strive to be.

Who is your mentor? How did you connect with them?
I have been lucky to have had mentors who have supported me in different seasons of life. From high school teachers, to faculty members, and supervisors at BU and BC. A common thread among these relationships is that I had to take some initiative – usually by requesting a conversation, in which I learned about them or sought advice.

What’s the most unusual place you’ve visited?
The place I have visited that has felt the least familiar to me is Marrakech, Morocco. My husband and I traveled there on the first trip we ever took together, so it holds a special place in my heart. I still have a bag of authentic Ras el hanout (a classic Moroccan spice) that I purchased in the medina. Every now and again I take it out of the cupboard and take whiff and it’s like I’m there!

What would be impossible for you to give up?
My first thought was coffee. My second was ice cream. But I’m going to go with my third, which was dancing. Dancing has been my “thing” since I was a little girl and even throughout my undergrad days at BC. Though I rarely take class any more, I do a lot of dancing in my kitchen – often with my son Harry on my hip.

What’s one thing you want to accomplish before you die?
I would love to write a book someday. Maybe a children’s book.

Mara Hermano
Vice-President, Institutional Research and Planning

Where did you grow up? Why aren’t you there now? 
I grew up in Manila, Philippines. I wanted to study art by seeing the actual work, not from slides, so after two years at University, I transferred to college in NYC so I could go to museums and see a lot of art, right up close. I also wanted to get away from what I thought at the time were restrictive cultural and gender stereotypes.

What path brought you to BC?
A meandering path has brought me to BC. Prior to higher ed, I worked in arts and culture. I’ve been in higher ed for close to 20 years, first at Washington University in St. Louis, then at Rhode Island School of Design. After 10 very busy and fulfilling years at RISD, I started to look for new learning opportunities and experiences and found myself interviewing at BC. I’ve been at BC since September 2019.

What are you most passionate about professionally?
There are two things that I advocate for passionately, one is integrated planning, which my professional organization defines as “ a sustainable approach to planning that builds relationships, aligns the organization, and emphasizes preparedness for change.” The other is the fundamental value of art and design -- as affirmations of our humanity and our connectedness, as catalysts for social justice, and engines for innovation and economic recovery. As one of my mentors said, art and design are a “need-to-have, not a nice-to-have.” Finally, I think one has to find ways to have some fun at work.

Where can we find you when you’re not working? What’s your favorite way to spend a weekend or Sunday afternoon?
Swimming pool or beach, visiting museums, catching up with friends, reading, trying new restaurants.

Any volunteer activities you’re crazy about?
It is a lot of work but I really enjoy serving as a visiting evaluator for regional and professional accreditation organizations. I’ve learned so much about higher education, the opportunities and challenges, what institutions have in common as well as what is distinctive about each of us. I’ve also met interesting people and made new friends.

Who is your hero? Why?
My “lola” or grandmother, who raised 6 children, including an infant, traveling between city and countryside, while my grandfather was in military prison camp in the Philippines during WW2. I can’t even begin to imagine the strength that took, so any time I’m having a tough day, I think about what she had to go through, and my experience just pales in comparison. She was a tough woman.

Who is your mentor? How did you connect with them?
I have two former bosses I consider mentors. They’ve shown me different ways to lead, and both continue to be tremendously generous with their knowledge, perspective, networks, and time.

What’s the most unusual place you’ve visited?
Taal Volcano and Lake, just south of Manila is an extraordinary geological formation, an active volcano in the middle of a lake that formed in the crater of a dormant volcano.

What would be impossible for you to give up?
Travel (this year has been painful!), shoes, books, and good food.

What’s one thing you want to accomplish before you die?
Learn to sail-- I just need to find the time. And more travel!

Sarah Hood
Assistant Director Field Education, Social Work

Where did you grow up? Why aren’t you there now? 
I grew up in Newton, MA. I think my mom thinks I’m too old to live with her at this point.

What path brought you to BC?
I attended BC undergrad and then for my Masters in Social Work. I have always loved BC. After 15 years at the same company, I wanted to work with students at BC and I was lucky to get a job.

What are you most passionate about professionally?
Student Formation. Getting to know people individually, hearing about their past, present and dreams for the future.

Where can we find you when you’re not working? What’s your favorite way to spend a weekend or Sunday afternoon?
Cooking something exotic or new for family and friends.

Any volunteer activities you’re crazy about?
I love serving on the United Way and Camp Harborview Advisory Councils. Both organizations are incredibly different but have a huge positive impact on the community and its members.

Who is your hero? Why?
My hero is my husband Darren. He is incredibly loving and approaches life in the most positive way. He sees the good in people and this allows him to be genuine, generous, optimistic, and super fun.

Who is your mentor? How did you connect with them? 
My mentor was and is my old boss, Paul Cataldo. He was my boss for 15 years at The Mentor Network. He is a brilliant man who leads by example by treating all employees and stakeholders with dignity. He would bring out the best in everyone and wanted anyone who worked for him to do better then he.

What’s the most unusual place you’ve visited?
Medjugorje Yugoslavia

What would be impossible for you to give up?
Laughing

What’s one thing you want to accomplish before you die?
Travel more
 

Kelly Hughes
Campus Minister, Retreats

Where did you grow up? Why aren’t you there now?
I grew up in southern New Jersey, and am a product of town sports, Bruce Springsteen, and lots of Wawa. While South Jersey was a great place to call home, I was captivated by New England from a young age, dreaming of city life, fall foliage, and nights at Fenway Park. I still make sure to return to my roots at the Jersey Shore each summer!

What path brought you to BC?
My first path to Boston College led me to graduate study at the School of Theology and Ministry in 2012, with an exciting (and unexpected) vocational call to ministry with college students. The path that brought me back to the Heights in 2017 was a very exciting opportunity to realize that dream cultivated in graduate school, and serve as a Campus Minister. Thankfully, I already had some BC swag ready for my return!

What are you most passionate about professionally?
I am deeply committed and curious about the multifaceted needs of college students, with particular emphasis on the care and integration of the whole person. Whether planning a retreat or having a conversation, I am eager to support students in all aspects of their college experience, and hungry to create spaces and ask questions that point to the deepest desires of our hearts and the immeasurable love of God. I firmly believe (and would give my TedTalk about) the transformative power of attentive listening, faith-filled community, and Ignatian spirituality.

Where can we find you when you’re not working? What’s your favorite way to spend a weekend or Sunday afternoon?
You are most likely to find me at a spin class, hosting friends on my porch, or curating Spotify playlists and cheese plates for any occasion. My Sunday afternoons are best spent around Jamaica Pond, taking in the beautiful scenery (and people-watching) with coffee, a journal, or a walk with friends.

Any volunteer activities you’re crazy about?
Music plays a central role in my life and faith, and I have participated in a number of church choirs since college. I also serve as a church cantor, and relish the opportunity to bring music, community, and prayer together.

Who is your hero? Why?
I have Boston College to thank for introducing me to one of my closest friends and greatest inspirations! What makes this friend a hero to me is her unwavering commitment to the fullness of life--to learning, growth, relationships, faith and justice, meaning and purpose--always with the lens of hope. Her brilliance, humor, boundless compassion, and perseverance remind me again and again that not all heroes wear capes!

Who is your mentor? How did you connect with them?
At the risk of sounding cliché, I would say one of my most formative mentors was my college campus minister. (Shocking, I know.) He was my first example of faith animated with authenticity and joy. He went out of his way to support my own exploration of faith and service, and helped me navigate the many ups and downs of my college experience, especially discerning a call to college campus ministry (…and one or two break-ups). Most notably, this mentor walked me through the heartbreaking experience of losing a friend to leukemia. In the darkest moments of suffering and grief, he accompanied me in my pain and pointed to the light of grace. I vividly remember thinking, “I don’t know what this job is, but I want to do this forever.”

What’s the most unusual place you’ve visited?
When I first moved to Boston, a dear friend took me to Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge. At first mention, I was pretty hesitant about the unusual destination choice. Now, I would HIGHLY recommend a visit and consider Mt. Auburn Cemetery to be one of my favorite places in the city!

What would be impossible for you to give up?
My family and friends, chicken wings, and terrible puns and dad jokes.

What’s one thing you want to accomplish before you die?
I am excited to continue to grow and to put down roots here in New England, and can’t wait to deepen community and raise a family in the future!

Margaret Laurence
Director, Initiatives for Formative Education

Where did you grow up? Why aren't you there now?
I grew up in Worcester, MA (Central Massachusetts)—and originally left Worcester in 2000 because I was recruited to work at Boston College. After living in this area a few years, I decided I wanted to build my community here and never looked back. I am blessed with friends from all different times in my life. I loved growing up there, but happy I continued my journey personally and professionally in the Boston area. So many opportunities—and a short drive away from family members who are still in central Massachusetts.

What path brought you to BC?
The first part of the story is noted above. I left BC in 2005 to work at Harvard Chan School of Public Health, then continued my career working for a private family foundation. At the end of my nearly eight year tenure at the Foundation, I missed working collaboratively with colleagues and being part of a larger community. In exploring different positions, coming back to BC to continue my career in higher education administration and to be part of a university-wide initiative was a winning combination for me.

What are you most passionate about professionally?
I am most passionate about being part of the mission and collaborating with others. Early in my career, I was a fundraiser. When I began fundraising, I learned quickly that it is important to believe in the mission of the institution in which you are asking for support. BC’s community is filled with people who care deeply about the mission and are willing to come together to make things happen. It’s this passion and creativity that I love to be around every day. For me, in collaborating, I learn so much about myself and, more so, insights from others always add to the projects I am working on. 

Where can we find you when you’re not working? What’s your favorite way to spend a weekend or Sunday afternoon? 
In summer, beach, cycling, swimming, tending to my herb garden, then to my hammock. In fall and spring, you would find me walking in the woods enjoying the warmth of the sun. In winter months, I “hibernate” by reading a book or taking a nap (or both). All year it is being with family and friends—visiting over a cup of tea, a home-cooked meal or the like. I love to travel—whether a weekend get-a-way or vacationing in a new location (most recently to Spain). Balance and self-care are high priorities for me.

Any volunteer activities you’re crazy about?
I volunteer as a board member for my Condo Association. Hopefully, my contributions help 300+ neighbors by being part of the solution to bring the community together on every level. I know we all work hard to create home—so I’m “crazy about” serving my little village in this way.

Who is your hero? Why?
Rosa Parks. She changed the world and did so peacefully. (I met her in 1987.)

Who is your mentor? How did you connect with him/her?
I am fortunate to have many mentors of all ages. Two of my mentors, I met when I first worked at BC. Although I have not worked with either of these women since I left BC in 2005, they continue to be inspirational to and supportive of me both personally and professionally. Each is a phone call away when I need to bounce around an idea or talk through something.

What’s the most unusual place you’ve visited?
The Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. Hiking in the rainforest, beautiful beaches, lots of monkeys, and much, much more. Farthest away—Uganda and Tanzania.

What would be impossible for you to give up?
The love and support of my friends...and avocadoes. 

What’s one thing you want to accomplish before you die?
Be kind and generous to everyone I meet (and to those I don’t meet). I get to re-set the clock every day… some days are better than others. In addition, to always be brave.


Mary Nardone
Associate Vice President, Capital Projects Management

Where did you grow up? Why aren’t you there now? 
I grew up here in Massachusetts. I went to junior high and high school (that’s where you “grow up”, right?) on Cape Cod. After college in Pennsylvania I came back to Massachusetts to be near both my family and the ocean.

What path brought you to BC?
I was working for a large contracting firm and was assigned to a project here at BC, I loved the campus and pursued a job opening in Capital Projects Management as an engineer—and that was 26 years ago. I have had the opportunity to grow over the years and have not a slow day in all that time!

What are you most passionate about professionally?
I am passionate about making a lasting imprint on the physical campus. But my interests are not just architecture and construction. For the past 20 years I have served as adjunct faculty in the Carroll Graduate School of Management (finance) and I have also served as a pre-major academic advisor in Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences. I enjoy being knit into the fabric of Boston College.

Where can we find you when you’re not working? What’s your favorite way to spend a weekend or Sunday afternoon?
During the week you may find me running around the reservoir. On the weekends I try to be near the ocean, as I find being near water so relaxing. My husband and I will be at our little cottage in Fairhaven MA, probably both reading a shared stack of books, and if it’s summer I might get out on my paddleboard.

Any volunteer activities you’re crazy about?
I have really enjoyed my time with the 4th and 5th graders at the St. Columbkille School’s “Engineering Club for Girls”!

Who is your hero? Why?
This one is easy—my mother is my hero. She went to college, then had 6 children (I’m the youngest), and when I started kindergarten she started volunteering part-time at my school. When I started junior high she went back to college for an advanced degree and enjoyed a successful career in a male-dominated field (you’ll have to ask me which field).

Who is your mentor? How did you connect with them?
I have many, many mentors. Remember that mentor/mentee relationships are a two-way street – someone reaches out to you for mentoring, and you end up learning so much from them! What’s the most unusual place you’ve visited? Given that I love being near the water, Venice would probably be the most unusual, it’s amazing the degree to which water is integrated into life there.

What would be impossible for you to give up?
I am a lifelong learner, so I always want to be studying a new topic. Most recently I have started studying Italian, really just to keep my brain young. I also love running and hope I never have to give that up.

What’s one thing you want to accomplish before you die?
This is a great question, I guess I hope to slow down a little.

Akua Sarr
Vice Provost, Academic Affairs

Where did you grow up? Why aren’t you there now?
I grew up in New York City, in Washington Heights. I have not lived there for close to 30 years because I never moved back after going away to graduate school and starting a family and work outside of NYC.

What path brought you to BC?
I’ve been at BC for ten year. I started in the Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office as an Associate Dean and then, in August 2015, I started in my current role as Vice Provost. I came to BC from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where I did my Ph.D. and worked in Student Academic Affairs.

What are you most passionate about professionally?
I am most passionate about working with students to help them to meet their personal and academic goals. Working with young people who are just discovering themselves intellectually and spiritually is the most rewarding part of my work.

Where can we find you when you’re not working? What’s your favorite way to spend a weekend or Sunday afternoon?
I love literature, theatre, the arts, and food. Restaurants, museums, a good show and a great book are some of the ways that I like to spend my time.

Any volunteer activities you’re crazy about?
I have not had a lot of time to volunteer but I’ve done a few afternoons at Cradles to Crayons, and I’ve served food at a homeless shelter when my children were younger. I enjoyed the experiences and will have to carve out more time to volunteer when I can.

Who is your hero? Why?
Toni Morrison. I am in awe of the way in which she is able to use language in her writing. I wish I had that gift!

Who is your mentor? How did you connect with them?
I’ve had a lot of mentors in my life—both personally and professionally. I think I learned the most professionally from the assistant dean that trained me as a graduate student at the UWMadison—his name is Jack Cipperly. He really gave me great insight into student academic affairs. I’ve followed his path and have a career that I love. I owe much of my success to his guidance.

What’s the most unusual place you’ve visited?
I don’t think it’s unusual, but I love Senegal in West Africa. It has such a rich history and culture. It’s just a beautiful country.

What would be impossible for you to give up?
Sugar. I have tried but I have a real sweet tooth.

What’s one thing you want to accomplish before you die?
I’d like to own a home in Dakar, Senegal. It would be nice to spend winters in Dakar and summers on Martha’s Vineyard reading all of the novels that I can.