BU’s points of pride—and the generosity that helps make them possible
Boston University has a lot to be proud of, and support from 1839 Society members helps make all of it possible. A few recent highlights:
- BU ranks 27th on the “Best US Colleges” list from The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education—and 10th for most employable graduates.
- It’s also tied for 41st place in the U.S. News & World Report rankings this year, and 17th on the Newsweek list of Top 50 Best Colleges in Big Cities.
- The University’s stature as a Tier 1 research institution is impressive: it’s one of just 71 members of the prestigious Association of American Universities, and faculty received more than $574 million in research awards in FY22.
- Our students come from more than 115 countries and all 50 states, and 19 percent of them are in their family’s first generation to attend college.
That’s just a small sampling of all the reasons to be #ProudtoBU. And 1839 Society member Maggie Bunzel (COM’17) can name a few more.
“I loved my experience so much”
Maggie came to BU planning to major in journalism. But after taking a public relations course in crisis communications, she says, “I really fell in love.” So she majored in PR, and because she knew she was interested in working in entertainment, she also explored a wealth of related courses both at COM and at CFA.
“Taking those overarching entertainment classes really prepared me,” she says. “That really gave me a well-rounded education and foundation.”
Today, Maggie still puts her PR experience and knowledge to work, but in a relatively new field: influencer marketing. She’s working a lot with movie studios on major launches, she says, and using an even newer tool in that work: artificial intelligence.
“It’s great. I’m really enjoying it,” she says. And because she’s grateful for her BU experience, Maggie has made sure to give back, with particular support for the Area of Greatest Need Fund.
A family tradition
Philanthropy comes naturally to her, she says, because it has always been a family tradition. Her great-grandfather set up a trust for his children, including Maggie’s grandmother; now, all adult family members come together to decide where they’d like to give.
“When I joined, everyone gave to their schools,” Maggie says, “and so I said, ‘Well, I loved my time at BU. I loved my experience so much. I want to do the same.’”
She’s now considering making a five-year pledge to create a current-use scholarship, perhaps to support a member of Terpsichore—BU’s oldest a cappella group, and a key part of Maggie’s college experience. And she encourages other members of her generation to consider how they can support the causes at BU that matter most to them.
“A lot of people are like, ‘Oh, I don’t have the money for that yet,’ but I honestly think maybe, instead of giving when we’re older and we maybe have more funds, I think we should have a shift and give when we’re younger.”
As Maggie points out, “it doesn’t have to mean giving a lot.” In fact, she says, “I started out giving money before I had a job, and before I was part of this family trust. I would give like $5 here and there. So I think whenever you can start, whatever you can give is important, because you’re giving back. I think it’s building a better future for us and for our kids.”
Finding her path
Like Maggie, Samantha Chen (CDS’24) came to BU with one plan for a major but will graduate with a different one. In her case, though, the field is essentially the same: data sciences.
“I was really interested in it,” she says, “and I was trying to figure out what majors BU had at the time that could go into it.” The closest, she decided, was math. “But then I took a CS class and really enjoyed it, so I switched to computer science as a major. Then I switched to statistics until the summer before junior year.”
That’s when BU announced that, thanks to the new Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences, students could now major in CDS. “I was like, ‘Oh, I think I should switch into this, because this is what I wanted to begin with.’”
It meant that her graduation would be delayed until January 2024, to give her time to complete all of the required courses. But she decided it was worth it—and it was only because of the Area of Greatest Need Fund and a scholarship that Samantha could make that move.
“My switch into my dream major would not be possible,” she says, without that support.
“Last semester was the first time I could take an actual data science course here, and I loved it. I really enjoyed the environment and the practicality of our assignments,” says Samantha. “I really am looking forward to completing this degree, and subsequently joining this industry. Without receiving this support, I would not have been able to find this path that leads straight to my goal.”