Boston College President William P. Leahy, S.J., presented Jenna Mu of the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences with the Edward H. Finnegan, S.J., Award at the University's 146th Commencement Exercises on May 23. The award is given annually to the graduating senior who best exemplifies Boston College鈥檚 motto 鈥淓ver to Excel.鈥�
In addition to Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences student Jenna Mu, finalists for the 2022 Finnegan Award were:
Finalists for the 2022 Finnegan Award: (l-r) Virginia 鈥淕inny鈥� Alex, Bijoy Shah, winner Jenna Mu, Brianna Cheatham (Caitlin Cunningam)
Bijoy Shah | Carroll School of Management
The first in his family born in the United States, Shah grew up in the Chicago area, the son of Indian immigrants. A first-generation and Montserrat student, he sought out and pursued a range of opportunities including serving as a teaching assistant, Student Admissions Program coordinator, Venture Capital Private Equity club present, SSC Venture Fund co-founder, Campus Activity Board assistant director, and as a representative of BC and the Carroll School in Case Competitions.
A management major with concentrations in finance and entrepreneurship, Shah minored in Managing for Social Impact and the Public Good, has been active in the Shea Center for Entrepreneurship, and participated in a Tech Trek class visit to Silicon Valley. In the coming year, he will continue join Venture for America, a non-profit organization which looks at entrepreneurship, technology, and finance in making the world a better place, and aligns with his commitment to excellence, curiosity, and generosity.
Virginia Alex | Lynch School of Education and Human Development
Alex鈥檚 coursework, major (Applied Psychology and Human Development), minors (Immigration Education and Humanitarian Studies, Global Public Health and the Common Good), and co-curricular service have centered on the intersections of immigration, policy, human development, and social justice. After graduation, she will work as a paralegal at a Washington, D.C. law firm which specializes in policy advocacy, where she will use her proficiency in Spanish to work on immigration cases. She will apply for a Fulbright Scholarship to conduct research in Mexico, then plans to attend law school in preparation for a career supporting U.S. immigration policy and reform.
Alex participated in campus activities including attending the COP26 UN Conference on Climate Change in Glasgow, Scotland, as a BC delegate. She also volunteered in the community, and held an international service positions at Innocent Orphanage in Tijuana Mexico. Her senior thesis involved creating programming to prepare its male residents to live independently when they reach age 18; her research has been published in Global Studies of Childhood.
Brianna Cheatham | Connell School of Nursing
Inspired by her maternal grandmother, a nurse of 26 years, Cheatham entered BC with the goal of being a nurse-leader, and has a strong service orientation. A mentor for underclassmen in the Connell School Keys to Inclusive Leadership program, she also volunteered as a Scrubs Lead for the sophomore nursing retreat. In addition, she was a First Year Experience 鈥�48 Hours鈥� leader and a member of 鈥淏C Bigs.鈥� Being of Cape Verdean and Native American ancestry, she is motivated to gain knowledge of different cultures, and served as secretary and co-president of the Cape Verdean Student Association.
Cheatham鈥攚ho completed many Global Public Health and the Common Good courses鈥攅nhanced her professional skills as a clinical assistant on the Oncology/Hematology unit at Boston Children鈥檚 Hospital. Following graduation, she will build her skills as a pediatric oncology nurse. She also plans to travel abroad to provide healthcare to underserved and underrepresented communities in other regions of the world.
Rosanne Pellegrini | University Communications | May 2022