Two-time Student Body President Dhruv Kapadia is getting ready to bid Boston University farewell.
Originally from Hopewell Valley, New Jersey, Kapadia has long had a passion for public service. In addition to serving on the BU student government, he has served as the implementation coordinator for the City of Boston and a Hopewell Valley Regional School District board member. Kapadia and his student government executive board made history as the first BU executive board made exclusively of students of color.
Following graduation, Kapadia plans to return to his home state of New Jersey and seek work in local government. He will continue to serve in his school board position and in New Jersey through politics and policy. Kapadia also hopes to pursue a law degree.
Arts & Sciences caught up with Kapadia, who is majoring in economics and political science.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Arts & Sciences: What led you to pursuing your position as student body president and what is the most meaningful thing you’ve accomplished in that role?
Kapadia: I did not come into BU as one of those people that wanted to be president. That was never something in my vision of my time at BU. After joining student government and spending two years working as a senator, I noticed a lot of flaws. I thought, “Why am I going to be someone who just complains?” I wanted to actually back up my words with change and activism. So I ran and thankfully for two years now I’ve been in this position and I’m very grateful for that.
There’s a lot of accomplishments. When I set out on both terms as president, the one thing I’ve always said is that if I can just help one person then I’ve had a successful term. As much as it’s nice to look at some of the flashier events we’ve been able to put on, like a concert, I’d say my most proud achievement has been running a mutual aid drive for the greater city of Boston.
You spoke at the Matriculation ceremonies of the class of 2026 and 2027. What did these two speeches mean to you and how do they reflect the differences between your junior and senior years?
I’ve never really thought of it as a difference between my junior and senior year perspectives necessarily. I’ve been very grateful to have the opportunity to speak to approximately 4,000 students—twice. Especially 4,000 incoming students who, for the most part, this is their first formative experience at BU. In both of those speeches, I tried my best to be as authentic as possible and to be as politically centered as I could with my message. I’ve heard previous speeches with a very generic message of: “Have a fun four years! BU’s great!” It’s not great for everyone. I wanted to leave some kind of lasting impact with around 8,000 students and to give a message that I strongly believed in, which was to be a radical student activist, and to look at things beyond yourself.
Can you describe your work with the City of Boston?
Last summer was my first summer away from home, so I stayed in Boston and worked for Mayor Wu’s Planning Advisory Council. It’s a newly established department that provides oversight over Boston’s Planning and Development Agency, which has a long and storied history. My role there is looking at the neighborhood comprehensive plans that BPDA creates and tracking the implementation of them. For so long, the city has created plans and not necessarily followed through with them and delivered tangible results to constituents, so my role has been seeing the progress the city has made on those plans.
What does returning to serve on your hometown school board mean to you?
It means a lot. When I came to BU, I said that the board position was something I could pursue after undergrad or another time. But, there was a position that opened up and I met with some local leaders and they said I should run. It’s been an incredibly stressful, but also rewarding process of being in Boston as a student, but also holding that position back home. It is a lot of traveling. But it really means a lot, I used to be a really loud student activist and now to be sitting on the other end of the table is a completely unique experience. So many of the things I’ve been able to accomplish here at BU have directly translated to that role.
Hear more from Kapadia and his classmate Hanna Dworkin (CAS’24) about their BU experience in a new Senior Spotlight video.
Interview by Shelby Rose Long (COM’27)