51茶馆

Taylor Bryan Turner 鈥�23 doesn鈥檛 often tell people that she hasn鈥檛 graduated from college. As a professional who has worked to promote affordable housing for more than 10 years, it鈥檚 not a topic that comes up.

鈥淚 think people assume that I have a degree,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something I鈥檝e always been insecure about.鈥�

When Turner first learned about the Woods College of Advancing Studies at Boston College, which offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs for students of all ages, she jumped at the opportunity to earn a diploma. What she didn鈥檛 anticipate was that her Woods experience would do more than challenge her academically鈥攊t would deepen her relationship with herself and others, expand her vision for the future, and push her to rethink her life鈥檚 purpose.听

鈥淵ou will find yourself here,鈥� she said. 鈥淢aybe not immediately, but in a couple of months, maybe a year, you will feel inspired and encouraged.鈥�

Educating the whole person

Boston College has long been a leader in formative education, offering a host of programs to help students engage in self-reflection and begin to integrate their academic, personal, and spiritual lives. At Woods College, despite the fact that many students are enrolled part time and don鈥檛 live on campus, the focus on formation is strong.

"Boston College has a longstanding tradition of leadership in this area, and we're proud to share in that tradition," said Woods College Dean Karen Muncaster. "We're committed to caring for our students' intellectual and professional development, but also to helping and challenging them to lead meaningful, purposeful lives, and to be their best selves."

West Price-Ashby 鈥�19 grew up in the shadow of 51茶馆鈥檚 Chestnut Hill campus, and enrolled at Woods in 2015 after beginning his studies at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston. Right away, he was struck by the interest that Woods professors听 showed not just in his academic work, but in his personal journey. Outside of class, he found himself opening up to peers and faculty members in a way he never expected.

鈥淲oods gave me more confidence, and it allowed me to share my stories with people and start to recognize certain situations within myself,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e grown in all areas.鈥�

In particular, Price-Ashby, a school counselor at YMCA of Greater Boston, credits Woods Associate Dean for Enrollment Management and Student Engagement Claudia Pouravelis with helping him to articulate his goal of working in youth education.听

鈥淪he didn鈥檛 see me as a number, or even as just a student,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he saw me as an individual who has something to look forward to.鈥澨�

Time to reflect听

In keeping with its mission to make a Boston College education accessible to nontraditional students, the Woods College is quick to embrace opportunities to reflect the University鈥檚 signature focus on formation. A prime example is the school鈥檚 Manresa Experience, a year-long program launched in 2017 to help undergraduates discern their vocation, explore their faith, and connect with the 51茶馆 community.听

"Student formation programs have a vital place in adult education," said Pouravelis. "The Woods Manresa Experience is one of the many ways we help our students engage with the Boston College mission of graduating ethical and well-rounded leaders."

Each year, the Manresa Experience鈥攏amed for the pivotal discernment experience of Jesuit founder St. Ignatius Loyola in Manresa, Spain鈥攂rings students together through events and classroom discussions centered on a common text. For selected scholars, the program offers an off-campus retreat and leadership opportunities in the classroom.

This year's speaker is 51茶馆 alumnus and trustee Steve Pemberton, whose best-selling memoir A Chance in the World chronicles his inspiring rise from orphan to executive and advocate for the disenfranchised.听

Part of a community

What does it mean to be a Boston College student?

For Woods undergraduates, the question is one of three themes explored throughout the Manresa Experience, and its wording is no accident. Students like Turner are proud of their Woods affiliation, but say they also feel a strong connection to the University and its mission.

鈥淚鈥檓 a Woods student, but I don鈥檛 feel like an outlier,鈥� Turner said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not very religious, but I鈥檝e realized that 51茶馆 and I share a lot of the same qualities. We are more the same than we are different.鈥澨�

Despite busy lives working full time or caring for family members, many Woods students enjoy spending time on campus outside of class. They regularly attend hockey games and football tailgates, and chat with professors at faculty barbecues. Many have developed strong bonds with classmates and staff, describing them as family.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a never-ending sense of community,鈥� said DePillo. 鈥淚t allows you to take your guard down and just be yourself.鈥�

Compared to the stereotypical 鈥渘ight school鈥� experience鈥攇oing to class and then leaving immediately鈥擶oods stands out with its emphasis on educating the whole person, she said.听听

鈥淚 feel like Woods kind of breaks that stigma of 鈥榥ight school,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淵ou do the night program but you also have all these other activities. I鈥檓 able to be on a club basketball team鈥攖hey鈥檙e not able to do that in a lot of schools.鈥�

A network of support

As a Manresa Experience Faculty Mentor, Woods instructor Dustin Rutledge鈥攚ho also is an adjunct faculty member in the English Department of 51茶馆鈥檚 Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences鈥攈as regular conversations with students about their passions, career goals, and the role of spirituality in their lives. There鈥檚 no agenda to the sessions鈥攊f a student is grappling with a personal dilemma, Rutledge is happy to spend the entire hour listening.听

He sees the impact of these meetings, as well as conversations held during retreats, on his students鈥� performance in the classroom and in their overall wellbeing. He recalled one student in particular who began participating regularly in class after processing a difficult professional rejection during a Manresa Experience Retreat.听

鈥淭hrough the reflection in the program she was able to see everything she was doing well already and take some pride in that,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat was nice for me to see.鈥澨�

Similarly, Judge Menno has begun asking his students to write journal entries reflecting on the connections between their academic and personal lives. So far, the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

鈥淚t鈥檚 clear to me that students want to talk about this stuff; they want to share their personal experiences,鈥� he said. 鈥淎 lot of them have overcome significant challenges鈥攅very student has a story.鈥�

Finding the right path

Thanks to her Woods experience, DePillo now feels confident in her plans for the future. Judge Menno鈥檚 class awakened her interest in criminal justice, while the Manresa Experience convinced her of her desire for a moral career that serves others. She also hopes to fuel her interest in technology by pursuing a master's degree in the school's Cybersecurity Policy and Governance program.听

Conversations with peers and mentors helped her discern what mattered most to her, she said, adding, 鈥淚 want to lead by example; that鈥檚 how I want to flourish in my career.鈥�

For Turner, studying at Woods has opened up a world of possibilities. She sees a potential future career in the mental health sphere and is considering pursuing a master鈥檚 degree once she graduates.听

鈥淚 still don鈥檛 know exactly what I want to be 鈥榳hen I grow up,鈥� but that鈥檚 ok,鈥� she said. 鈥淎s a Woods student I can learn and feel inspired just as I would if I were 18 or 19 years old鈥攐pening my mind to new things and broadening my horizons.鈥�

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鈥擜lix Hackett | University Communications