Monserrat Newsletter

Director's Message

Thanksgiving is a time for each of us to stop and reflect with gratitude in the face of challenges we have encountered in the past year. More importantly, Thanksgiving is a time for us to give God thanks for our lives and the gift of receiving a Jesuit education rooted in Magis. Furthermore, Thanksgiving is also a time for retrospection on self-love. Your self-worth ought not to be measured by the opinions of others. To love yourself is to take care of yourself. You are valuable! You Matter! Take the time to learn more about yourself and use this Thanksgiving to bond with your family and friends.

This Thanksgiving, I would like to openly express my appreciation and gratitude for all our Montserrat students. Their enthusiasm to be engaged at Boston College coupled with their grit, determination and hope despite numerous challenges they often encounter is commendable. I am confident that the Montserrat staff through the amazing Division of Mission and Ministry will continue to support and accompany our students on their sojourn at BC. Why? Because they are important to us and we love them. Our students matter!!

I would like end with this prayer written by St. Ignatius of Loyola:

“Take, Lord, receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, my whole will, all that I have and all that I possess. You gave it all to me, Lord; I give it all back to you. Do with it as you will, according to your good pleasure. Give me your love and your grace; for with this I have all that I need.”

One Love,

Fr. Michael Davidson,S.J.

Student Reflections

Geovanni Jones: Being in the United States for the first time I am yet to experience my first thanksgiving holiday, but I can definitely say that I am looking forward to it. I believe thanksgiving is a time to reflect and be grateful for whatever great or small blessings we may have in our lives. It provides an opportunity to bond with family and in some instances closes as we share a meal with each other and express our love and gratitude. I encourage us all to share in the spirit of gratitude as we celebrate this joyous holiday with one another.

Nijole Richards: Thanksgiving for me means a way of releasing my faith and in doing this I constantly thank God for what He has done for me and what He will do for me in days to come.

Julie Canuto-Depina: Thanksgiving for me is a continued celebration of gratitude, giving, extending thanks and reflection. It is also a gentle reminder for me to continue recognizing the many blessings God has put before me that I am grateful for, and a reminder to always share those blessings with family, friends, community members, and even strangers. Most of all, Thanksgiving for me is gathering at the kitchen table breaking bread - some delicious Cape Verdean and Haitian Dishes if ykyk - with my beloved family spreading joy, laughter, prayerm thanks and love.

Esther Udokang: Thanksgiving to me is a time to reflect on all of the blessings that God has poured into my life. I truly love this season as it pushes me to be more present and mindful of the people around me and the positive roles that they play in my life. Thanksgiving is a time to step away from the business of life and truly cherish whatever has come and that which lies before you.

Upcoming Events/Activities & Updates

Textbook/Course Material

Request Update

Past Events/Flyers

Past Events Pictures

Montserrat Final Backyard BBQ

Cold Weather Clothing "Shopping Day"

Montserrat Dinner Club 2nd Meeting

The theme for our last Montserrat Dinner Club Meeting was "Building Your Network" and one of our Faculty Mentors, Jabril Robinson, shared on this theme as our Guest Speaker for the evening. Students actively engaged in our ice-breaker activity which gave them the chance interact with a member of another group outside of their own.

Law Panel

Bishop James Healy Dinner Hosted at

BC High School

Montserrat Staff

Fr. Michael Davidson, S.J.

Director, Montserrat Coalition

617-552-4806

davidsmf@bc.edu

Jeremiah Jefferson

Assistant Program Director

617-552-3140

jeremiah.jefferson@bc.edu

Nijole Richards

Graduate Assistant

617-552-3140

richarxl@bc.edu

Geovanni Jones

Graduate Assistant

617-552-3140

jonesaop@bc.edu

About Montserrat Coalition

Programs

Course Material Distribution

In the month of September Montserrat Coalition, with the help of BC Bookstore, was able to serve 862 students with getting some of their course materials (Textbooks, Access Codes, stethoscopes, model kits and art supplies) for this semester.

Montserrat Dinner Club

The Montserrat Dinner Club (MDC), is a mentoring program whose primary goal is to provide community building for Montserrat sophomore mentees with the support and guidance from Boston College faculty/staff and Seniors. Mentors, student facilitators and mentees will meet monthly over dinner discussions that are designed to integrate excellence and professional development so that students are both informed and formed by the Jesuit values of magis and cura personalis.

CampusRec

Montserrat in collaboration with CampusRec will be offering TRX Circuits and Group Swimming Lessons for Montserrat Students.

Event Lotteries

Through the continued support of the Robsham Box Office (Rtac Tickets) we have been able to support students by offering raffles for them to win tickets to attend and participate in various events held on and off campus. Some of our recent lotteries included:

RENT
QLC Formal
Clayroom!
University Chorale: Christmas on the Heights!
Week of Dance
The Nutcracker
CAB Presents: Puttshack!
Bruins Game

Frontier Fellowship Recipients

Our Frontier Fellowship sponsors a small group of students to allow them the opportunity to participate in independent research projects or internships.