BC Strong Scholars celebrated

The newest Boston College Strong Scholarship recipients—Alexander Fagan ’29, Kelly Giancotti ’28, and Nora McCabe ’28—were celebrated at an event hosted by Boston Marathon bombing survivors Patrick Downes ’05 and his wife Jessica Kensky, and the BC Strong Scholarship Committee on December 4 at the Cadigan Alumni Center.

The BC Strong Scholarship, which supports Boston College students who have overcome adversity, was established by a group of Downes’ friends from the Class of 2005—Kevin Collins, Elizabeth Stowe Fennell, Michael Hundgen, and Grace Simmons Zunic—to honor Downes and Kensky.

“The BC Strong scholarship embodies the best of Boston College,” said Dean of Undergraduate Admission and Financial Aid Grant Gosselin in the event’s opening remarks. Gosselin and Senior Assistant Director of Admission Taylor Hart identify candidates for the BC Strong scholarship during the admission process and present them to the scholarship committee, which consists of Downes, Kensky, Fennell, and Carolyn Barrett ’16.

The goal of the scholarship program is to make Boston College a welcoming place for people of all abilities, said Downes in his introduction. “I know that Boston College is a stronger community because Alex, Kelly, and Nora are here.”

Addressing the scholars, Downes continued, “In this moment, we celebrate not only the journey that you have been on, the people who you are, but who you are becoming [and] what comes next. We celebrate your remarkable courage in the face of adversity, resolve to overcome obstacles, and the unconditional love and support of the teams of people who have helped you along the way.”

The three winners reflected on how their experiences in dealing with adversity shaped their lives.

After spending most of his childhood hiding his limb condition, Fagan—who has only three fingers on each hand—became determined to turn his disability into a strength and become an advocate. At the event, the engineering major from Brick, N.J., quoted from his common application essay: “I became active in a young disability group and became a mentor to other children like myself. I volunteered at a local hospital and discussed my disability with multiple age groups. I created a community where everyone was welcome for how they were created. I live to tell, inspire, and diversify every area I step into. I live to represent the disabled population.”

Giancotti, a Townsend, Mass. resident who is enrolled in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, recalled when she found out she was a finalist for the scholarship. “It meant so much to me that people had read my essay and saw not just the challenges I faced with cerebral palsy, but who was behind it. Being recognized means the world to me and I’m incredibly grateful for the support and belief in my future.”

A Carroll School of Management student from Newton, Mass., McCabe suffered a spinal cord injury as a result of a swimming accident and was diagnosed as a quadriplegic. After weeks in the ICU and a grueling stint of physical and occupational therapy at Spaulding Rehabilitation, she was able to regain the movement of her arms.

In her remarks, she talked about how she has learned that having others care for her is not a sign of weakness and that asking for help shows her strength. “A gift of having others to help is humanity. It is the ability to have a community and surround yourself with people you love.”

At BC, McCabe is involved in PULSE and the Arrupe Immersion program. “I’m so thankful to be at BC and to be able to have these experiences that I always dreamed of.”

Also attending the event were past BC Strong Scholarship recipients Conor McCormick ’22, Jennifer Castro ’26, and Sophie Rand ’27.

Downes and Fennell expressed gratitude to members of the BC community who have supported the BC Strong Scholarship program, including Gosselin, Hart, Assistant Vice Provost for Student Financial Strategies and Enrollment Bernie Pekala, retired Vice Provost for Enrollment Management John Mahoney, Associate Vice President for University Communications Jack Dunn, and Teal Cole and Christina Connelly of University Advancement.

"From the beginning, the shared vision was to develop a BC Strong community, and that's become a reality," said Fennell.

The program ended with the announcement that the BC Class of 1974, which includes Downes’ mother Deborah Downes, is donating a portion of their class gift to the BC Strong Scholarship fund.