Seven inspirational student stories

Posted November 2022

Every year, people from around the world come together and support the causes that mean the most to them on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. BU has been taking part in the Giving Tuesday tradition since 2014 and has been fortunate enough to raise donations from Terriers across the globe! Alumni support on Giving Tuesday helps fund student organizations, scholarship funds, advancements in research, state-of-the-art renovations, and more! The best part? Donors have the opportunity to choose exactly what their gifts will support. Each gift helps build a rich academic experience for our students and ensures that all of our Terriers have the opportunity to flourish during their time at BU.

Here are some of the student stories that your gifts make possible:

Finding a path through computer science

Araceli Bridget Corley (CAS’23) is from Queens, New York. The daughter of Irish and Peruvian immigrants, and an Irish citizen, Araceli loves learning about different cultures through traditional cuisines. Now studying computer science at the College of Arts and Sciences, she says that her greatest learning experience in class has been developing her own voice through writing and discussion with her peers. Outside of class, Araceli uses her voice to participate in the University’s many diversity and inclusion-focused events. A scholarship to BU made it possible for Araceli and her family to have peace of mind when going to college out of state.

Celebrating the BU Bands

“The band is the thumping heartbeat of the University,” says Aaron Goldberg, BU director of Athletic Bands, Big Band conductor, and a College of Fine Arts senior lecturer in music. “It is audible school spirit and pride. Campus would be thriving, but a lot duller without the BU Bands.” This year, the BU Bands celebrated their 100th birthday (after two years of COVID-related delays). It all started back in 1920 with the BU ROTC Band, but the roster of BU Bands has grown and changed. Now the Pep Band is the largest and busiest of the BU ensembles, with 125 gigs a year and almost as many members. For generations of Terriers, the BU Bands embody school pride in a way no other student organization can.

MFA student shares her approach to painting

For Eva Lewis (CFA’22), painting is more than just a major. “I first began falling in love with painting when I was in my undergraduate program,” she explains. “I fell in love with these modes of expression through color and creating stories within a work.” Studying at Boston University’s College of Fine Arts helped Eva find her own unique, artistic practice. For her thesis show, Eva focused on showcasing vibrant images of women in different landscapes, a subject matter that she says helps her explore themes of femininity, representation of women, and more.

Water, water, everywhere—they hope

For 2 billion people across the world, access to safe drinking water is no guarantee. This number may be shocking, but it also presents an opportunity for engineering breakthroughs that could have an overwhelmingly positive impact on the global community. For one group of BU engineering students, the global water crisis was a source of inspiration. Gayatri Sundar Rajan (ENG’22), Tess Ravick (ENG’22), Carla Sheridan (ENG’22), and Trevor Melsheimer (ENG’22) teamed up to try to come up with an innovative way to address this crisis: by creating a device that would turn atmospheric moisture into safe drinking water at minimal expense.

Finding personal growth through elementary education

Emma Packard (Wheelock’22) was born and raised in a Midwestern college town. Knowing that she wanted to attend school in a big city, Emma knew BU was the perfect fit from the moment she stepped foot on campus. As an elementary and special education major at Wheelock, Emma was able to build upon her natural passion for helping others. She regularly volunteered in BU’s Community Service Center and participated in Best Buddies, a national organization dedicated to building friendships between people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities. She was also an active member of BU’s water polo team. Since coming to BU, Emma’s learned how to be her own person. She’s proud of who she’s become while at BU, and that, she says, wouldn’t have happened without the help of a scholarship.

Meet the Editor-in-Chief of Charcoal Magazine

Chike Asuzu (COM’23), a public relations major and visual arts minor, is passionate about visual storytelling above all else. As the editor-in-chief of Charcoal, the student-run multimedia magazine dedicated to celebrating artists of color and their stories, Asuzu has found an opportunity to use that passion every day. Founded in 2017, Charcoal Magazine aimed to give students of color a space to commune and share their stories. With a focus on the arts, culture, and fashion, Charcoal has published numerous print and digital issues, started an online blog, and hosted several fantastic events—including a student-run fashion show—at the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground.

Reestablishing the BU Rock Climbing Club

This club rocks! The Boston University Climbing Club is a recreational and competitive social group that encourages student participation in all aspects of rock climbing. Founded in 2019, the club has just under a dozen members—novices and experienced competitive climbers alike! They regularly climb at BU’s on-campus gym, FitRec, but will travel to other Boston area gyms for unique experiences like bouldering. The club president, Hannah Schmidt (COM’23, Sargent’23), says relaunching the club after several virtual semesters has been a challenge, but she’s working diligently to reestablish the climbing community at BU.