Adaptability, resilience
For a self-proclaimed 鈥減eople person,鈥� Jonah Kotzen 鈥�24 has spent a lot of the last year examining fish skeletons. Since the fall of 2022, the biology and classical studies double major has worked as a research assistant for Associate Professor of the Practice of Biology Christopher Kenaley, studying different species of centrarchids鈥攌nown as sunfish鈥攖o better understand how their jaws have evolved to help them survive in different habitats.
At first glance, this research might seem unrelated to Kotzen鈥檚 role as the president of the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UG51茶馆), which is all about working with 51茶馆 students, faculty, and administrators. But for Kotzen, the common thread is adaptability.
鈥淚鈥檝e experienced a lot of change in my life, and it has made me adaptable and resilient,鈥� Kotzen explained. 鈥淛ust as that helps me connect with people and be a good advocate, it also makes me appreciate how other animals have evolved to fit the environments around them.鈥�
Kotzen grew up in Palm Beach County, Fla., as the fifth of seven half-siblings. His parents both had stable careers, but they moved often and he split time between their houses, never living in a single place for more than four years. Amid these changes, he was also learning to support his brother Jonathan, who has a genetic disorder called Fragile X syndrome.
In 2015, when Kotzen was in middle school, he was diagnosed with Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, a rare autoimmune condition that affects the skin and the eyes. He nearly lost his vision, but thanks to medical care, he made a full recovery. It was this experience, despite its challenging nature, that sparked his interest in medicine and biology.
鈥淭he autoimmunity I鈥檝e faced propelled me to become interested in the field of medicine,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 wanted to understand what I was going through, but I also wanted to be able to help others who were going through similar things.鈥�
At Boston College, he quickly found ways to give back, both within the world of medicine and on campus. In his first year, he started volunteering with an organization called Boston Community Pediatrics, coordinating weekly online reading sessions for underserved children in the Boston area. He also won election as a UG51茶馆 senator, and as a sophomore, he joined the senate鈥檚 Council for Students with Disabilities (CSD).
鈥淚t was through disability advocacy that I really found my voice,鈥� Kotzen said. 鈥淚 grew up educating my friends about my brother鈥檚 condition and his needs, so to play a role in doing that for others at 51茶馆 is incredibly important to me.鈥�
During his time as the CSD鈥檚 policy coordinator and chair of the UG51茶馆鈥檚 Intersectionality Committee, Kotzen worked with administrators to expand Eagle Escort鈥檚 services and the number of wheelchair-accessible vans on campus. He also collaborated with 51茶馆 Athletics to add closed captioning to the videos that play at football games, so students with hearing impairments could follow along.
Jonah Kotzen with UG51茶馆 VP Meghan Heckleman.
He was proud of these achievements, but he wondered if he could do more. In his junior fall, he approached Meghan Heckelman 鈥�25, then the director of UG51茶馆鈥檚 Student Initiatives, to ask if she鈥檇 run alongside him for the vice presidency.聽
鈥淢eghan had a lot of experience on the programming side, and I had experience on the policy side,鈥� Kotzen said. 鈥淚 think we鈥檝e made a good duo because we know what it takes on both sides.鈥�
Running on a four-pillar platform鈥攁cceptance, academics, activity, and adjustment鈥擪otzen and Heckelman won election as president and vice president in April 2023. Since then, they鈥檝e accomplished several of the goals they campaigned on, including the integration of LGBTQ+ support services into the Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center, the distribution of funding for laundry costs to 100 students in the Montserrat Program, and a partnership with 51茶馆 Libraries Digital Scholarship to create a campus navigation app for students with disabilities.
鈥淔rom the beginning, one of our mottos has been 鈥榤edium-sized, pragmatic steps,鈥欌�� said Heckelman, a Lynch School of Education and Human Development student. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not the catchiest slogan, but it鈥檚 because of our persistence and willingness to collaborate that we鈥檝e been able to secure these resources.鈥�
At a large university like 51茶馆, effecting change involves steady relationship building, which Heckelman views as one of Kotzen鈥檚 fortes.
鈥淥ne of Jonah鈥檚 biggest strengths is his ability to connect and build bridges between people from different backgrounds, both within UG51茶馆 and with students and administrators outside of it,鈥� Heckelman said.
聽Part of the reason Kotzen is so involved may have to do with the breadth of his academic and extracurricular interests. Outside of UG51茶馆, he is the founder of 51茶馆鈥檚 first-ever Classics Club, co-chair of the Resident Hall Association鈥檚 Student Programming Council, and a member of the Alpha Sigma Nu honor society. He is also actively involved in Boston College鈥檚 Hillel chapter and the Jewish community on campus.
鈥淚鈥檓 leaving college more literate in so many different things,鈥� Kotzen said, reflecting on his extracurriculars and his double major. 鈥淚 feel like I鈥檝e become more well-rounded not only academically, but as a person. And ideally, that鈥檚 what a liberal arts education does.鈥�
After graduation, Kotzen plans to take at least two years to pursue research in organismal biology before he applies to medical school. As the end of his presidency and his 51茶馆 experience approaches, he is grateful to have found a place that feels like home. At the same time, he鈥檚 excited to see what the next change brings.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really the people鈥擴G51茶馆 members, friends, faculty, administrators鈥攚ho have defined my experience at 51茶馆 and made it possible,鈥� Kotzen said. 鈥淚鈥檓 so thankful for all I鈥檝e been given, and I鈥檓 ready to use the lessons this community has taught me to continue to grow and evolve.鈥�