{"id":29760,"date":"2026-05-04T15:20:35","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T19:20:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/alumni\/?p=29760"},"modified":"2026-05-06T13:53:35","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T17:53:35","slug":"blog-a-well-earned-gift","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/alumni\/2026\/05\/04\/blog-a-well-earned-gift\/","title":{"rendered":"A well-earned gift"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Rachel P. Farrell | Published May 2026<\/em><\/p>\n

Silvano Spagnuolo (COM\u201926)<\/strong> knew he needed to order a cap and gown to attend his graduation from Boston University. But looking at the cost\u2014$72 for undergraduate students\u2014he had a definitive thought: \u201cI can\u2019t pay for this right now.\u201d <\/p>\n

Although Spagnuolo worked several part-time jobs while attending school full time, his income only covered his essential living costs. He did a quick calculation: If he picked up a few extra shifts at work and delayed grocery shopping for a few days, he could use his next paycheck to pay for a cap and gown. <\/p>\n

\"SilvanoOn a whim, he emailed the Office of the Dean of Students to see if they could help, and that\u2019s how he learned about Tassels for Terriers, a donor-funded program that covers the cost of graduation attire for students facing financial hardship.<\/p>\n

Through the program, Spagnuolo was able to receive his cap and gown for free. \u201cI have so much gratitude,\u201d he says, addressing donors directly: \u201cI know you don\u2019t know me. But I am helped by your actions, so thank you very much.\u201d <\/p>\n

Another recipient of the program, first-generation student Janelle Boakye (CAS\u201926)<\/strong>, echoed those feelings. \u201cIt means so much to me that this cost can be covered, because this was really a stressor for me,\u201d she says, explaining that her job as a resident assistant only covers necessities such as groceries. \u201cI\u2019m super grateful this program even exists, because students, really, really need it.\u201d <\/p>\n

With the financial burden of graduation lifted, both Spagnuolo and Boakye are looking forward to attending Commencement at Nickerson Field in a few weeks. <\/p>\n

\"Janelle\u201cI know when I\u2019m walking across the stage with all my friends, I\u2019ll be sad that some of them are leaving,\u201d says Boakye, who starts graduate school at the BU School of Public Health this fall. \u201cBut I\u2019ll also just be really grateful because I\u2019m graduating.\u201d Her long-term plan is to work in maternal and child health in developing countries such as Ghana, where her family is from.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Spagnuolo, who plans to pursue a writing career in the film and television industry, wants to soak up the moment when he receives his degree. \u201cI think I\u2019ll look around at everybody that\u2019s there with me and be like, \u2018We\u2019ve gotten through this singular thing for four years, and now we\u2019re on the other side of it.\u2019 That\u2019s a beautiful, unique time capsule that we all have.\u201d <\/p>\n

And, importantly, he wants to enjoy a delicious celebratory dinner. \u201cI can\u2019t wait to go to Buttermilk & Bourbon on Commonwealth Avenue,\u201d he laughs. <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Gifts to Tassels for Terriers directly benefit graduating students at BU facing financial hardship. To help more students in need, please make a gift today<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Graduation can create financial stress for students, but Tassels for Terriers can lift that burden. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25867,"featured_media":29762,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[13,5],"tags":[97,880,1404],"featured_img":"\/alumni\/files\/2026\/05\/T4T-2026.png","agg_excerpt":"Graduation can create financial stress for students, but Tassels for Terriers can lift that burden.","agg_title":"A well-earned gift","media_icon":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29760"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25867"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29760"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29760\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29784,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29760\/revisions\/29784"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29762"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29760"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}