Charles Kolar (left) and James Kolar (right) and dad Dave took a somewhat circuitous route to get their BU diplomas: Dave (MET’24) decided to pursue a graduate degree more than two decades after earning his undergrad, while both James (CAS’24) and Charles (CAS’24) transferred to BU.

Commencement 2024

For This BU Employee, Commencement Will Be a Family Affair

Dave Kolar has earned a master’s in financial management, sons Charles and James BAs in economics

BU is a family affair for the Kolars, a tight-knit team of five from Marshfield, Mass. The eldest of the three children, Julia Kolar (Sargent’20), earned a bachelor’s from Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences. Now they’re adding three more diplomas to the mantelpiece: dad Dave Kolar and sons James Kolar and Charles Kolar graduate this Sunday. 

“It was a challenge, but definitely worth it,” says Dave (MET’24), who will receive a degree from Metropolitan College, where he earned a master’s through its Financial Management program. “I learned a lot and I’m glad I did it.”  

Dave and his sons not only share an alma mater, they also share a keen interest in money matters. Both James (the elder by two years) and Charles, will receive bachelor’s degrees in economics; as it happens, the younger Kolars both came to BU as sophomore transfers looking to change majors. Charles (CAS’24) arrived from the University of Massachusetts Boston as a finance major, and James (CAS’24), who graduated last December, but will walk in the Commencement ceremony this Sunday, transferred from UMass Dartmouth, where he was studying engineering.

“I switched to econ because our father was letting us know what he was learning during his classes, and I took a liking to it,” James says. “Knowing that my father was studying a similar field made it easier for me if I had any questions. With Chuck, having the same major also brought us closer together and allowed us to exchange ideas.”

“Finance was just strict numbers,” Charles adds, “with econ, you get the numbers, and you’re also building a story and getting the grand scope of things.”

Unlike his sons, Dave has been a daily presence on BU’s Charles River Campus for nearly a decade. As assistant director of the University’s Learning & Event Technology Services, he’s responsible for making sure all campus classrooms and event spaces have the audio and visual equipment they need. (He earned his bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University in broadcast production.) He first became interested in finance after observing his father-in-law playing the stock market.

“When I went to school for the first time, there was absolutely no math involved, and I never took Econ 101 or 102,” Dave says. “So when it comes to the macro perspective, I defer to [Charles and James]. I’ll ask them for guidance and thoughts.”

The three talk about finance all the time: in the car, at the dinner table, and during weekend downtime. “We used to drive [to campus] together, and we’d have a lot of interesting conversations on the way,” Dave says. These days, they’ll pick up the routine whenever they’re in the car together. “We were recently listening to a podcast that brought up something about the class I took this semester, so we were yapping on and on, just completely into it,” he adds. He admits all the talk about finance can prove a bit boring for his wife and daughter. 

Outside of their studies, the Kolar brothers are gym buffs and avid athletes. Both played rugby and hockey in high school, James favoring the former and Charles the latter—he participated in club hockey at BU, playing defense for three years. In their free time, they also pitch in to help mom Renée with her landscaping business. 

“James and I did pretty much everything together growing up, and we enjoyed every second of it,” Charles says. “It’s definitely a good balance and we have a good relationship. There are ups and downs, but we have a blast.”

But graduation will mark a big change for the family. James has been working as an accountant for Lynn Community Health Center since December. Charles is looking farther afield for job opportunities after graduation. “There are a lot of places I’m interested in,” he says. “I really like Dallas; I’ve applied to a lot of jobs there, and I’m also in the process of interviewing in New York.”

Could they all come back together as a family business someday? According to James, it’s in the cards. “We’ve always talked about trying to regroup and start our own little trading firm after getting a few years’ experience,” he says.

But for now, the Kolar men are looking forward to celebrating a big win; although Dave will also be overseeing audio/visual details for Commencement Sunday, he’ll be cheering on his sons with the rest of the family. 

“I’ll still be able to partake and I’m definitely looking forward to it,” he says. “It’s going to be a treat for all of us and I’m really excited to do it, particularly with the boys—it makes it that much better.”