What are seniors up to right before graduation? With roles as club mentors, teaching assistants, and even the undergraduate government president, these seven Carroll School students are plenty busy, but they're still making it a priority to soak in the experience of their time on the Heights.
Gordon Wayne '23 (left) workshops an upcoming speech with friends Liam McCue '24 and Miguel Cid-Rosas '24. Photo by Mike Roper '23
Gordon Wayne
Concentrations: Management & Leadership and Marketing
If you see Gordon Wayne walking across campus, there’s a good chance that you’ll see him in a suit. He’s dressing for the role he wants to have, and right now, that’s getting to law school. Originally from Virginia, Wayne got his associate’s degree at a community college before transferring to Boston College. He made a lasting impression on the University when he walked from Virginia to Massachusetts to raise money for the National Alliance to End Homelessness. It’s a cause he is extremely passionate about—it’s also very personal. Wayne has spent time living out of his car. That’s also why he joined the Boston College chapter of Habitat for Humanity, where he’s currently part of the executive board. On the fundraising committee, he brainstorms ways to keep their projects going in order to build houses for underprivileged families.
Volunteer work has become Wayne’s primary hobby, he says, because “I enjoy it so much and it's fundamental to who I am.” He regularly works with the Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition, making sure the community is healthy and well-fed. He got involved in the group while doing a summer internship through the Joseph E. Corcoran Center for Real Estate and Urban Action. Reflecting on his time here at Boston College, Wayne recognizes his support system as the reason for his success. His professors and advisors are currently helping him navigate law school applications and offers, and he believes that higher education will help him achieve his goal. “I want to use both my business degree and my law degree combined,” he says. “The skills and lessons I've learned help me understand the system we're in so I can leverage it best for these people [in need].”
Nadia Capolino '23 (right) and her Ascend co-lead, Olivia Vukelic ‘23, work on plans for their next weekly meeting. Photo by Sophia Miller '23
Nadia Capolino
Concentrations: Marketing and Business Analytics
Double Major: Economics
While growing up in Milan, Italy, Nadia Capolino always knew she wanted to come to the United States for college. Following in the footsteps of her older brother Giuseppe—who graduated from the Carroll School in 2017—Capolino felt that Boston College offered the ideal balance between academic challenge and a welcoming social atmosphere. After arriving on campus, it didn’t take long for her to dive into life on the Heights. As a freshman, she joined Ascend, a mentorship program for first-year women. As a senior, Capolino is participating in Ascend again, this time as a leader. She and her co-lead, Olivia Vukelic (LSOE ‘23), “try to make it a safe space for everyone” in weekly meetings, she says. “We talk about BC culture and stereotypes about women and help them navigate through some of the challenges of college.”
Nadia Capolino ‘23 spends time with roommates and friends in her dorm room in Rubenstein Hall. From left: Lauren Lee ‘23, Elizabeth Oduro ‘23, Nadia Capolino ‘23, and Sarah Stocker ‘23. Photo by Haoyi Wang ‘23
Mentorship is a passion for Capolino, who has also served as a Teaching Assistant for the last three years, and as manager of the dance group F.I.S.T.S., Females Incorporating Sisterhood Through Step. In the weeks leading up to Showdown—an energetic dance competition between 17 of BC’s club teams—Capolino was busy overseeing their finances, costume designs, and lighting. All her hard work paid off on April 1, when F.I.S.T.S. took the title of “Crowd Favorite.” As she prepares to begin her career as an associate in the Client Service Team at AlphaSights in New York City, Capolino is reflecting on the connections she’s made along the way. “I’m just enjoying my last few weeks here hanging out with my roommates and friends,” she says. “I think that’s what I’m going to remember most about college.”
Jimmy Kirwan '23 presents in front of the Heights Capital group. Photo by Sophia Miller ‘23
Jimmy Kirwan
Concentration: Finance
Double Major: English
Until Florida native Jimmy Kirwan arrived on Boston College’s campus, he had never seen snow. After getting acclimated to his new surroundings—the beach looks a bit different in Boston—he dove headfirst into college life, quickly getting involved in activities all across the Heights. “Every semester I tried to do something different because college is all about trying new things,” he says. Over the past four years, he has tried his hand at being an opinion columnist for The Heights, doing research for the McNair Exploratory Program, and serving as co-president of the First Generations club. Kirwan is also a member of DJ Club, where he often books gigs performing at events across campus.
Not one to shy away from a busy schedule, he managed to fit all of these activities in while going through the rigorous recruiting process for investment banking—after graduation he’s set to join J.P. Morgan as an analyst. These days, as he prepares for his new career, he’s especially enjoying his time as vice president of Heights Capital, an informal student-run hedge fund. “I met some of my best friends through that club,” he says, adding that this year he has six mentees in the group. “Mentorship is huge for me. Three of them already have offers from banks. It's just so rewarding seeing them succeed.”
Deena Mohamed '23, Cindy Lin '23 and Angeles Cruz '23 sit in front of the Learning to Learn office. The trio met during the BC F1RST college transition program, hosted by Learning to Learn. Photo by Sophia Miller '23
Cindy Lin
Concentrations: Finance and Accounting for Finance
Minor: History
Cindy Lin got a taste for business early in life, working at a restaurant, babysitting, and even selling handmade bracelets while growing up in Delaware. “It just came the most naturally to me,” she says of her entrepreneurial spirit. Going to business school was a no-brainer for her, but navigating the realities of college life was daunting. “I was raised knowing I wanted to go to college,” she says, “but as a first generation student, I didn't know what a degree does for you.” What really helped her feel prepared for her job search was the Carroll School’s career accelerator class and connections with alumni like Nicole Bucci '20. “Alumni are so willing to talk to you and they make it a lot less scary,” Lin says—that's a bit of wisdom she was sure to share with her brother Kevin Lin, a current sophmore in the Carroll School.
After graduation, she’s starting as an investment banking analyst for UBS. Even as she leaves Massachusetts and heads to New York City for her new job, she’s bringing a little bit of her Boston College world with her—Lin and fellow Carroll School senior Jimmy Kirwan will be roommates. The pair have been friends since they met participating in the BC F1RST college transition program and even served as First Generations club co-presidents during their junior year. BC F1RST is also where she met friends Angeles Cruz (LSOE '23) and Deena Mohamed (MCAS '23)—the trio have remained close, even as they pursued different interests. “They have supported me endlessly and I am so grateful for all of our late-night conversations,” Lin says. As graduation approaches, Lin shares that they’re making plenty of time for board game nights in Mohamed’s Mod, adding, “they have made my BC experience as amazing as it was.”
Luke Jareczek '23 presents to the class in his role as a TA for Business Statistics. Photo by Juliana Owen '25
Luke Jareczek
Concentrations: Accounting and Business Analytics
Luke Jareczek admires the concept of tangibility. “You're actually affecting things around you, and you can see the outcome of your actions right there. With accounting, I can physically see the number of inventory,” he says. Although Jareczek, who has concentrations in Accounting and Business Analytics, tends to focus on the numbers, he also likes to be well-rounded. The Illinois native has a habit of reading in airports—something he picked up after studying abroad in Milan—and he’s currently making his way through The Brothers Karamazov.
Between classes, working as a peer advisor and a teaching assistant for Business Statistics, and spending time with friends, he’s also learning American Sign Language. As someone who was born deaf, it’s a meaningful process. “I come from the disabled community in a way,” he says. “I've always lived my life with a cochlear implant, so I never really had to worry about having to learn sign language, but I feel like it's just something good to know in the future.” While Jareczek is excited to graduate and start his role as a digital assurance and transparency associate at PwC, he will forever be grateful to Boston College. He has especially appreciated the lessons from helping students as a teaching assistant. “I love that feeling of knowing kids who walked in super confused and walked out knowing that they have that content down,” he says. “That means the world to me.”
Jordan Klumb '23 gives the welcoming remarks at the annual Women in Business club gala on April 11. Photo by Isabel Potter ‘24
Jordan Klumb
Concentration: Accounting
Minor: Philosophy
Growing up in a Kansas suburb, Jordan Klumb knew she wanted to go to a big city with a small-town feeling for college. Boston College “just kind of hit everything [I wanted],” she says. Choosing an Accounting concentration was another natural choice—her father is a CPA, but Klumb encountered a wrench in her plans the summer after junior year while completing an audit internship at Deloitte in New York City. She realized accounting was more siloed work than she preferred, and her career plan took a pivot. She’ll return to Deloitte after graduation, but this time she’ll be a strategy analyst.
Klumb is excited for the opportunity to collaborate with her new team, which is no surprise as community and teamwork have played such big roles in Klumb’s time at Boston College. She has been heavily involved
Jordan Klumb '23 hosts office hours as a TA for a Financial Accounting class. Photo by Juliana Owen ‘25
in the Women in Business club since freshman year. This year, while serving as co-president, she managed an 18-person executive board as they planned club events, including the group’s annual gala, which was held earlier in April at the Boston College Club. “It was a lot of work,” she says, “but so rewarding.” Mentorship is a huge part of the group’s mission, a thread that weaves together Klumb’s other roles on campus: as a Teaching Assistant for a Financial Accounting class, and as a leader of the Kairos retreat, a faith-based, student-facilitated weekend trip that was held in Dover, Massachusetts. Leadership is “something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately,” she reflects. Inspired by the many female professors she’s encountered as a student—Diane Feldman, Amy LaCombe, and Rita Owens, to name a few—Klumb plans to bring these lessons with her after graduation. “I look up to them so much. I would love to be in their position, down the line.”
Lubens Benjamin '23 speaking on a panel in his role as UGBC president. Photo by Juliana Owen '25
Lubens Benjamin
Concentration: Marketing
Double Major: Philosophy
Lubens Benjamin wears many hats on the Boston College campus. He’s a part of the BC Bigs mentorship program, an orientation leader, an Arrupe Immersion Experience participant, an Appa Leader, a teaching assistant for Courage to Know, and most notably, this year’s UGBC president. The Massachusetts native believes that his job as president is to build and provide community by creating inclusive and safe spaces for students. This means adding a mental health resource to the Agora Portal, hosting speakers like activist Terrence Floyd, and even promoting campus culture through the AHANA Leadership Council’s campus-wide dance competition, Showdown. “So many students say that Showdown is one of the first times where they feel like they're part of something bigger than themselves or the larger BC community,” he shares.
Lubens Benjamin ’23 performing at Showdown, the campus-wide dance competition. Photo courtesy of Ryan Gonzalez ’23
Benjamin was a vital part of reinventing and organizing the event after a hiatus due to COVID-19. Through his many roles, he’s learned to be a leader for other leaders. “You go to a school like BC and so many students are accomplished—they have their resumes that are just as, if not more, impressive than mine,” he says. “So recognizing their abilities as leaders and helping bring out those strengths is what a great leader does.” As graduation approaches, Benjamin is spending his free time playing soccer and basketball with his roommates and making as many memories as he can. While he hopes to land a job in marketing or consulting, he says he's also considering getting an MBA, adding, “I can see myself going back to school because I love learning so much.”
