Ann Hwang, president of the Atrius Health Equity Foundation, gave the keynote address. Photos by Tim Correira.
Do big things. Embrace collaboration. Challenge the status quo. Make space for joy.
That was the message Ann Hwang, president of the Atrius Health Equity Foundation, delivered Monday as keynote speaker at Boston College School of Social Work’s diploma ceremony.
Hwang anchored her remarks in her experiences as a primary care physician, public policy expert, and advocate for people with complex needs, arguing that tackling major social problems requires deliberate action, collaboration across systems, and a sustained commitment to joy.
“Do not be afraid to do big things,” said Hwang, whose foundation aims to close the gap in life expectancy in Eastern Massachusetts. “Trying and failing to do the big, important things is far more valuable than pursuing many small achievements that are unimportant.”
She pointed to a 20-year gap in life expectancy between Boston’s Back Bay and Roxbury neighborhoods as a prime example of the kind of “big thing” that the Atrius Health Equity Foundation is addressing, saying that the foundation has granted more than $55 million to organizations working to tackle the social and economic drivers of poor health.
Her fellow speakers shared similar words of wisdom, urging graduates to apply the lessons, skills, and knowledge they accumulated at BCSSW to build a more equitable world. Remarks were frequently punctuated by whoops and cheers from an audience of more than 1,000 people gathered under a big tent on the lower campus lawn to watch more than 270 graduates receive diplomas wrapped in gold and maroon bows.
More than 270 graduates receive diplomas wrapped in gold and maroon bows.
Framed by a large BC banner, Hwang told the newly minted social workers that big things can’t be done alone. She pointed to a partnership between BCSSW and the Atrius Health Equity Foundation to improve youth mental health and family wellness in Lawrence, Massachusetts. The project, part of a five-year, $5 million initiative funded by the foundation, brings together nine local community-based organizations to develop programs that center the voices and needs of young people.
“Social justice work is not easy,” Hwang told the graduates, “but you will find that your work will be more effective and far more fun if you can find a way to do it with others.”
Hwang also urged graduates to challenge the status quo in the face of inequity. Her foundation works to eliminate medical debt, which disproportionately affects low-income communities and communities of color. The foundation buys and abolishes debt, supports consumers, and advocates for policy changes to prevent debt from occurring.
“Remember,” she said, “inequity is a choice and we can and must make different choices.”
As graduates navigate the challenges of a world rooted in inequities, Hwang advised them to make room for joy. She recalled feeling guilty for leaving work during her medical internship while a patient remained hospitalized. The patient reassured her that her own suffering would not lessen his, and Hwang took his words to heart.
“Even in the face of suffering, loss, and grief, we also have the responsibility to hold on to joy,” she said. “It’s that lightness that can help sustain you through what I hope will be long and rewarding careers in social work.”
BCSSW Dean Gautam N. Yadama told graduates that successful careers in social work require critical thinking, ethical leadership, and the ability to respond thoughtfully to the complex systems shaping people’s lives.
Hwang’s call for graduates to confront inequity with courage echoed themes raised earlier in the ceremony by BCSSW Dean Gautam N. Yadama, who said successful careers in social work require critical thinking, ethical leadership, and the ability to respond thoughtfully to the complex systems shaping people’s lives.
The graduates will face complex social problems in their day-to-day work, he said, pointing to poverty, hunger, displacement, mental health crises, housing insecurity, and social isolation as some of the defining issues of our time. But their BCSSW education has prepared them to collaborate with communities to respond to these challenges.
“We have sought to prepare you not only with professional skills, but also with the values, ethical grounding, and intellectual courage needed to address the difficult issues of our time,” Yadama told the graduates. “As social workers, your ethics must be visible in how you practice, lead, listen, and stand with communities facing adversity. You are prepared to think critically, act compassionately, and engage courageously with the world.”
Among the graduates Yadama addressed were Makesha Mercedat, who gave the invocation; Ana Tueme Lezama and Christopher Baidoo, who served as degree representatives; and Kimberly Nicole Palmer, who delivered the class greeting.
Palmer said that graduates—who come from different backgrounds, cultures, and lived experiences—were nevertheless united by a shared commitment to compassionate and intentional social work.
“Choosing this work was not accidental. It asked something of you,” she said. “We stepped into knowing that it would require resilience, reflection, and a willingness to keep showing up. And still, we chose it.”
Kimberly Nicole Palmer, who delivered the class greeting, said graduates were united by a shared commitment to compassionate and intentional social work.
Palmer closed her remarks by thanking her peers for becoming trusted friends during tough times—for turning from strangers into familiar faces who sustained each other through long days, difficult conversations, and moments of uncertainty.
“Today, we recognize this moment for what it is: a reflection of who we’ve become through it all,” she said. “And as we leave this space, we do so carrying forward not just knowledge or training, but the relationships, values, and sense of purpose this community helped us cultivate.”
Following the speeches, the School awarded diplomas to 271 graduates, including 268 who earned master’s degrees and three who earned doctoral degrees.
Nine students who graduated from the master’s program received named awards for their outstanding contributions in the classroom, the community, and their fields of practice.
- Antonella Achille received the Dean’s Leadership Award, which is granted to a student who has shown a deep commitment and dedication to championing student voices at BCSSW.
- Avery Grace and Lauren Ware received the Community Engagement Award, which is given to two students who have exhibited extraordinary leadership in advancing social work throughout the school.
- Ware also received the Afrocentric Field of Practice Award, which is given to a student who has demonstrated a commitment of excellence in working holistically toward a critical examination of social work from an African-centered perspective in their academic and field performance.
Dozens of graduates decorated their caps and gowns for the diploma ceremony.
- Anne Elizabeth Spielberger and Kriscilla Daisy Marie Yandura received the Matthew L. Pisapia Memorial Award, which is granted to two students who have demonstrated academic excellence and leadership in the field of Children, Youth, and Families. The award was established through gifts from family and friends in memory of Matthew Pisapia, director of Field Education from 1969 to 1984.
- Grace Jenkins received the Leo P. Haley and Reverend John Essien Memorial Award, which is given to a student who has demonstrated academic excellence and leadership in Global Practice. This award was established through a gift from Mary Hogan, former assistant to the dean of the School of Social Work, and is named after two tragically short-lived graduates, one from Greater Boston and one from Nigeria, who were especially gifted in breaking down barriers to communication, justice, and peace.
- Kayla Goncalves and Rachel Wiggs received the M. Rita Walsh Memorial award, which is granted to two students who demonstrate excellence in their academic and field performance in Health and Mental Health. The award was established in honor of Walsh, a devoted alumna of the Class of 1940, by her sister, Mary Ruell, and friend, Margaret Winne.
- Idrialys Matos Dominici received the Latinx Communities Award, which is given to a student who has demonstrated a commitment to excellence in working with Latinx communities to design sustainable solutions to complex problems in their academic and field performance.
After graduates received their diplomas, Jesuit priest and Assistant Professor Alejandro Olayo-Méndez offered a benediction in Spanish and English.
“May the creator of this vast universe keep you safe as you go forth from this place that has nourished your mind and your spirit,” he said in part. “May the Almighty God look down upon you and give you success in all your endeavors, understanding in all that is new to you, and wisdom to choose what is right and do what is good.”