A welcome from the BU Alumni Association President
Posted May 2023 | Banner photo by Doug Levy
On Sunday, May 21, 2023, more than 7,000 graduates along with approximately 20,000 family members and friends gathered at Nickerson Field to celebrate and support the Class of 2023! Anthony Harrison (COM’81), the outgoing President of the BU Alumni Association, delivered an exceptional speech filled with warmth, welcome, and encouragement. Please find his inspiring words below:
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CONGRATULATIONS! You did it! Let that soak in for a minute. It should feel good.
As president of the Boston University Alumni Association, I welcome you. You are joining a fantastic community of over 366,000 alumni around the world. We are as dynamic and diverse as you, from every state in the US and almost every country worldwide. Whether you are headed back home to chill for the summer or to a new city to start your first job, Terriers will be eager to help.
I know that firsthand. A COM alum helped me land my undergraduate internship, and another alumnus offered me a job that changed my career trajectory. And a 2022 grad I mentored was just hired by a fellow Terrier. There is power in this network. We are here to support, nurture, challenge, and engage you.
The crazy rollercoaster ride we shared as BU students will always bind us. I lived in Danielsen Hall. Ate my meals at Myles Standish (now 610 Beacon St.). Survived being an RA in Warren Towers. Drowned my sorrows at the Pub and celebrated my successes at the Dugout. Some things never change.
These shared experiences mean we are—and always will be—part of this BU community.
This is not the end of your BU story. It’s the start of a new chapter. You are now part of a global safety net of Terriers who look out for each other. And, we make stuff happen—for ourselves, for each other, and for the world. We are here to help and support each other. It is an honor and a privilege. And it feels great. I never tire of asking a fellow Terrier, ‘What school were you in, or where’d you live on campus?’ It creates an instant connection.
Being a successful member of this community is not about how much money you can give but how much you can give of yourselves to each other. The power and the future of this community rest with each of you. You will morph it into what it needs to be next. Your community now extends way beyond those you sat in class with, studied with, ate, drank, and partied with. It extends to me and the 366,000 other Terriers who went before you. I’m excited to see what you will do.
As you start this next chapter, please remember to lift others as you climb yourself, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. The closed mouth never gets fed.
Welcome to the club. I promise you it is going to be a blast. And I can’t wait to see what you do with it.
As a BU alum, you gain access to a plethora of advantages that span beyond graduation. From exclusive discounts on various services to engaging networking events around the world, the benefits of being part of the BU alumni community are plentiful. Discover the wealth of opportunities that await you as you navigate through life after BU.