Class of 2025: Seniors to Remember

Meghan Heckelman characterizes her BC experience as a lab for her development as a servant leader. She was elected the 56th president of the Undergraduate Government of Boston College after a term as vice president the previous year. In addition to her stints as an orientation leader and Appalachia Volunteers program student leader, she served for three years as a campus ambassador for the Gift of Life Marrow Registry, inspiring students to help those with blood cancer.

How has BC made a difference in your life?

I vividly remember one sunny spring afternoon during the pandemic, when I opened my mailbox and pulled out a Boston College admissions booklet. As an ambitious, high-achieving student, I was considering a long list of colleges. But as I flipped through the pages of the publication, something about [Theology Professor] Fr. Michael Himes’ three questions—What are you good at? What do you love? What does the world need you to be?—stuck with me. I ran to tell my dad that the Jesuit school up in Boston was now a contender. My family made countless sacrifices to send me to Boston College, and now I cannot imagine my life without these four years. Living, learning, and leading at BC taught me that my purpose in life is to be the woman people know they can turn to.

What experience at BC had the most significant impact on you?

UGBC afforded me the opportunity to represent and advocate for nearly 10,000 students by engaging with many different stakeholders. In doing so, I learned how to approach difficult situations with conviction, candor, and compromise; how to ask the right questions; how to talk in front of a lot of people; how to connect meaningfully one-on-one. Orientation was a new and different opportunity to enhance these skills. Serving our incoming class of first-year students demanded that I step outside of my comfort zone and look inside my heart. Taking risks in my involvement outside the classroom while practicing the Jesuit tenets of “Be Attentive, Be Reflective, Be Loving” helped me discover the leader and person I want to be after I graduate.

What was your favorite class?

Business Law with Thomas Wesner perfectly encapsulates what formative education means to me. While I loved learning all about contracts and administrative procedure, this class was special because we were asked to critically examine some of our deepest held beliefs. As a renowned teacher and attorney, Professor Wesner animated the material through storytelling, and by getting every student involved in his lectures.  After just the first 75-minute session, I was sold: I am going to become a lawyer.

What sparked your interest in student government?  

Coming from a small hometown where everyone knew everyone, the first few weeks of my first year felt particularly lonely. As I searched for some semblance of community, I saw an email about applying for UGBC. After participating in student government throughout high school, it felt like a natural fit. As I progressed in the organization, I was terrified to put myself out there and run for vice president. However, it was a few upper-class mentors who trusted and believed in me and who inspired me to take the risk. When you are in a position of power, whether you are older or simply more experienced, you can make all the difference for somebody. The best part of my role now is paying that forward by uplifting and advocating for students on the margins.

What is your proudest accomplishment as president of UGBC?

During my term, we wanted to shift our approach: Rather than promising to generate sweeping change, we would chip away at long standing issues by taking small, pragmatic steps. Context is everything. Before tackling a problem, we had to diagnose it. We researched the history and connected with our peers at other Jesuit schools to learn about their strategies. We asked questions and partnered with administrators to devise solutions that would reach students with diverse needs. Many of our ideas and eventual wins—from academic advising improvements to practicum transportation funding to student printers in residence halls—came from conversations with our peers in dining halls and dorm rooms. Graduating and turning over the reins is bittersweet, but the organization is the strongest it has been because of our members who show up every day and genuinely care about bettering their peers’ experiences.

What will you miss the most about BC?

I think Boston College attracts a certain type of person, and I don’t necessarily mean a person with perfect grades who captained her high school team to the state championship while also curing rare diseases and playing the bagpipes. BC people are different because they care with their whole selves, about something bigger than themselves. Through opportunities like orientation, Kairos, and Appa—along with many mornings spent laughing at Hillside and getting introduced to friends of friends, I was able to form new, lasting bonds right up until the end of my senior year. BC people are curious about where you come from and what you love. They share their study guides, plan surprise birthday parties, write love letters, mentor discerning underclass students, and show up for you when life gets tough. The people I met here, from best friends and roommates to one-time classmates and campus employees, showed me empathy and community in action.