College Prize Winner Ramona Leung’s 2025 Commencement Speech
The College Prize is awarded by the College of Arts and Sciences, on the recommendation of the faculty of the Department of Sociology, to a graduating senior who has not only demonstrated excellence in the study of sociology, but who has also shown extraordinary leadership within our department. The awardee is selected on the basis of recommendations by the sociology faculty and GPA. It is the department’s highest award. This year’s awardee served as the 2024-2025 Sociology peer writing tutor, helping dozens of students craft sociological papers: Ramona Leung.
It is our custom to ask the winner of the College Prize for Excellence in Sociology to address us on this occasion. The Sociology Faculty selected Ramona because of her curiosity, engagement, and willingness to take intellectual risks, as well as her enthusiastic support for the discipline of sociology and the undergraduate program in sociology at BU. We congratulate Ramona on this well-deserved recognition.
Good morning to our dear friends and families, our esteemed faculty, and most importantly, to my fellow graduates – the Class of 2025. It’s an honor to stand before you today as the student speaker. When I first set foot on campus, it was to celebrate my sister’s graduation – and at the time, I had no idea where my own college journey would take me. Now, in 2025, I’m here wearing her cap and gown, ready to graduate myself.
I’d like to invite you to think back to when you started your journey. Each of us has a unique story about what brought us to BU and to sociology. Graduating high school in 2020, I had planned to go straight into college. But when COVID led me to take a gap year, that unexpected pause became one of the most defining moments of my academic journey.
My gap year allowed me to slow down, reflect, and ask big questions – especially as my home, Hong Kong, faced political unrest. Over coffee, my mom and I would talk about what we were seeing: how public-school students were leading the protests, while international school students – like the ones I’d grown up with – were largely absent. Like many who turned to baking and trying viral TikTok recipes as a form of distraction during lockdown, one thing I tried was reading more nonfiction. I didn’t know much about sociology at the time, but those books opened up new ways of thinking about the questions I’d been sitting with. In that moment, I realized sociology was what I wanted to pursue – a realization all of us have come to in our own way. Whether it was social justice, inequality, or the dynamics of power and identity, it was through this discipline that we could begin to unpack the experiences, tensions, and values shaping our communities.
With that decision came the classic question: “What is sociology, exactly?” Often followed by, “Oh, so…like psychology?” – a reaction many of us have probably heard before. Even now, I struggle to put into words what sociology means to me. We could name drop Marx or talk about the sociological imagination, but beyond theories, it’s changed how I see the world – how I reflect on my own identity, how I connect with others, and how I make sense of everyday life. In many ways, my senior thesis became an expression of that. I explored how graduates from Hong Kong’s international schools understood their identity, culture, and sense of belonging. Sociology gave me the tools to turn emotions and observations into ideas I can articulate – and, as Dr. Walsh always reminds us, to do so with clarity, evidence, and the crucial line: “This is not an op-ed!” – a phrase that’s ingrained in the minds of anyone who’s ever taken one of her classes.
Even now, I struggle to put into words what sociology means to me. We could name drop Marx or talk about the sociological imagination, but beyond theories, it’s changed how I see the world – how I reflect on my own identity, how I connect with others, and how I make sense of everyday life.
For those of us who studied abroad, our sociological lens likely helped us approach unfamiliar situations – and opinions – with curiosity rather than judgment. Living with a host family in Madrid, I often felt like I was conducting a semester-long ethnography. Channeling that mindset made it easier to really listen to my host grandma – even when her unfiltered takes on Spanish politics or life under the dictatorship caught me off guard. The willingness to question, to listen, and to learn is something I’ve been able to cultivate and carry with me, thanks to the department. And to the Undergraduate Sociology Association: thank you for creating spaces where conversations and friendships could thrive – from professor perspectives to the community events that brought us together. Also: your efforts to include sociology memes in the weekly newsletter did not go unnoticed.
Part of what makes sociology so compelling is also what makes it hard to define. It’s a discipline that’s expansive, far-reaching, and deeply woven into so many aspects of our lives. Just look at the incredible work of Matt, Angelina, Jessie, Louise, Tia, and Lenny – who successfully defended their senior theses, approaching complex issues such as gentrification, queer-centered community care, and mental health with both depth and compassion. Whether we’re heading into law, education, public health, research, or something entirely different, sociology will continue to shape how we think, how we ask questions, and how we engage with the world.
Looking back on the past few years, it’s striking how moments that once felt like they would define our college experience now seem to have passed by us in the blink of an eye. From dropping off weekly COVID test kits at 808 to flashing green badges just to enter our dorms, our start at BU looked very different from today. I’ll look back fondly on 100 Cummington Mall: the bathrooms with strange noises, the confused students wandering into the study lounge asking for directions to the psychology classrooms, and the plant that somehow survived SOC275. But more than the quirks of the building, I’ll miss the everyday moments – the passing conversations, the familiar faces, and the quiet comfort of that shared space.
I’m sure many of us can think of professors who challenged us, encouraged us, and helped us grow in ways we didn’t expect. For me, that was Professor Villarreal – thank you for creating a classroom that was both intellectually rigorous and welcoming. Your ability to make students from all backgrounds feel heard left a lasting impression. To Professor Curington – thank you for your steady guidance and encouragement throughout my thesis journey, and for patiently listening to my rants about life in Madrid. And to Professor Harris – your global health seminar opened my eyes to the ways sociology connects to impactful work happening across sectors – from public health to community organizing. To all the faculty who believed in us, pushed us, and helped us grow – thank you for being part of our journey.
And last, but certainly not least, I’m endlessly grateful to my parents. Thank you for always encouraging me to pursue what I love, and for being my steady anchor through every moment. Everything I’ve accomplished is rooted in the foundation you’ve given me. And to my sister, Angelina – thank you for being a constant source of guidance, for answering every question big and small, and for showing me the kind of person I aspire to be. I know I’m not alone in this – all of us have people who helped get us here today. The steady anchors, the quiet supporters, the loud cheerleaders. To all the loved ones behind the scenes: thank you. We share this moment with you.
As we close this chapter of our undergraduate lives, the question of “What’s next” will no doubt follow many of us in the months and years to come. We started college full of questions – wondering what we’d study, who we’d become, and whether we’d find the path that felt right. Maybe some of those answers have started to take shape. Maybe some are still unfolding. But today isn’t about what’s ahead. Today is about this moment – the one we’ve earned together. It’s a moment stitched together by our growth, resilience, and hard work. And while it’s natural to think about what comes next, I hope we all take the chance today to pause, to truly celebrate – fully and completely – before we take that next step.
Congratulations to the Class of 2025. Thank you!
The 2025 Sociology department convocation ceremony was held on Sunday May 18th at 9:00 am in the Questrom auditorium.