Partners in Possibility
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Leading the Way
- Over the past four years, the PLC has grown by more than 25 percent, surpassing 630 families.
- As of May 31, 2026, parents have contributed $403 million to Soaring Higher.
- In fiscal year 2026, more than 5,000 parents made a gift to BC.
PLC FY26 Impact
187
159
634
37+
Supporting Financial Aid
When Erica Hitchcock Desouza became a BC parent, she joined the Parents Leadership Council to understand more about the University before making a gift. Then she learned about Messina College, and its mission resonated with her.
In high school, Erica didn’t know how she would afford college. Her mother—a nurse at Dana-Farber—did not have money for tuition. Then came an unexpected gift from a former patient of her mother’s. The patient earmarked funds in his will for Erica’s education. “All these years later,” she says, “I’m still in awe.”
Today, Erica extends that same grace to others by funding scholarships at multiple institutions, including Messina College, now that her daughter Olivia “Livi” ’28 is an Eagle. “There’s just something extra special to me about a first-generation kid doing something that’s really hard to do.”
Strengthening Our Foundation
The PLC is an integral part of the Boston College community, with its members serving as institutional ambassadors in myriad ways. By sharing their insights and perspectives with University leadership, participating in virtual conversations, and providing support for the three pillars of the Soaring Higher campaign: financial aid, academics, and student life, the PLC has proved an invaluable resource for the University. As such, all PLC members are recognized as members of the 1863 Society and are welcomed into the Shaw Society upon making a planned gift. Last year, the collective generosity of BC parents funded and fortified initiatives across campus.
$23.3M
Undergraduate Financial Aid
Parents contributed $23,254,649 to ensure the best and brightest can reach the Heights—from undergraduate and graduate programs to Messina College.
$16.6M
Academic Priorities
Parents contributed $16,637,453 to fuel faculty who do more than instruct: They mentor, drive research, and foster the creativity that makes BC’s academic impact limitless.
$15.3M
Student and Athletic Life
Parents contributed $15,312,266 to the student experience—from cheering on Eagles in Alumni Stadium to building lifelong friendships—including $11,567,944 for athletic programs.
All FY26 data represented is sourced from BC Advancement Information Systems.
Supporting Academics
Deana and Tyler Freres, P’28
“The minute we stepped on campus, we could see this was the place for him,” says Deana Freres about her son Rand. “The beautiful grounds, the students who looked happy and engaged, a faith presence that seemed genuine rather than forced. Everything aligned with our family values.”
Now a student in the Carroll School of Management, Rand is studying business analytics and computer science, preparing for a semester abroad, and engaging in campus and club activities, such as the Kairos retreat.
The Frereses’ decision to support the Carroll School flowed from the same set of values. What matters to them is that BC is truly committed to forming the whole person and sending graduates out into the world who think ethically. “If our business communities were full of students educated to think holistically,” Tyler says, “the world would be a better place.”
Supporting Student Life
Virginia Rodriguez Perlado and Chad Soares ’93, P’27
Without the scholarship support and financial aid Chad Soares ’93, received in 1989, Boston College would have been out of reach. He’s never forgotten the difference that donor made in his educational journey. “‘Men and women for others’ isn’t just a phrase,” Chad says. “I’ve experienced it firsthand.” Today, he and his wife, Virginia Rodriguez Perlado, are avid supporters of BC Athletics and athletics scholarships as a way to make an impact on the areas that mean the most to them as a family—and give a new generation of Eagles a chance at that same opportunity. Their son Ethan, a student in the Carroll School of Management, is a student leader and mentor and a former player on the men’s basketball team—and he carries a 3.99 GPA. But what Chad and Virginia talk about most isn’t his résumé. They credit BC’s Jesuit foundation with helping shape Ethan’s sense of responsibility to others. “BC has helped him understand his duty to share his talents,” Chad says.
Programming Highlights
PLC Reads
PLC Serves
Virtual Conversations
Online presentations and conversations with University leadership and fellow PLC members allowed Boston College families far and wide, regardless of physical location, to participate in the PLC community. A highlight of 2026 was the conversation (pictured above) between PLC Co-Chair Allegra Kelly, P’26, ’28, and Dara Torres, BC’s head men’s and women’s swimming and diving coach.
Get Involved
Questions?
Contact Eva Rosenn, Director of Parent Development, at eva.rosenn@bc.edu or
(617) 552-9047.
Full Circle
Long before Erica Hitchcock Desouza, P’28, became a Boston College parent, she thought the Chestnut Hill Campus was one of the prettiest places in the area—and only a couple of miles from where she lived in Brookline. “I would bring out-of-town guests to see it,” she says. “It’s just a magical piece of Boston.”
Today, Erica lives across the country in California, where she raised her daughters. After graduating from UMass Amherst, Erica pursued a career in communications and marketing. Later, as her girls got older, she volunteered at their schools, often focusing on development work, particularly for financial aid. That hands-on work with fundraising gave her an insider’s view at how impactful every single donation can be. “I have since always been committed to giving what felt comfortable to me,” she says.
When Olivia “Livi” ’28 started at BC, Erica joined the Parents Leadership Council (PLC) to understand more about the University before making a gift. Then she learned about Messina College. Its mission resonated with her. In high school, Erica didn’t know how she would afford college. Her mother—a nurse at Dana Farber—did not have money for tuition. Then came an unexpected gift from a former patient of her mother’s. The patient earmarked funds in his will for Erica’s education. “All these years later,” she says, “I’m still in awe.”
Erica has spent the decades since extending that same grace to others by funding scholarships at multiple institutions and prioritizing students with the highest financial need. “There’s just something extra special to me about a first-generation kid doing something that’s really hard to do,” Erica reflects.
Meanwhile, Livi has thrived at BC. A biology major, she loves being on the Campus Activities Board and organizing signature events like the Christmas tree lighting.
For Erica, BC has offered her something else: a sense of peace and community, she says. She felt it from her daughter’s early days on campus, and it’s only increased with her involvement with the PLC. The numerous events, the other parents, and simply feeling informed provide a safety net, especially for parents like her who live a plane ride away. “At some point I just felt this sense of peace,” Erica recalls. “Like, oh, wow. This experience is going to be amazing—for her and for me.”
Coming Home
During the fall tailgating season at the Heights, the scent of saffron and rice wafts across Lower Campus. Follow your nose and look for the Spanish flag near Yawkey. Finally, listen for the Castilian accent. That’s where you’ll find Virginia Rodriguez Perlado, P’27, serving from three full paellas for anyone who wanders over, including, last fall, a group of 30 homesick students from Madrid and Barcelona who couldn’t believe their luck.
“They said, ‘please give us some; we haven’t had paella in months,’” Virginia laughs. “So we fed them all.”
For Virginia and her husband, Chad Soares ’93, P’27, the tailgate paella is more than a home game tradition. It’s an expression of everything BC has come to mean to their family: generosity, a melding of cultures and communities, and a sense of belonging that started long before their son Ethan set foot on campus.
It started, in fact, in a Walsh laundry room.
In the summer of 1992, Virginia—then a 19-year-old from Madrid—was a student in a six-week program at Boston College. Chad was a rising BC senior working freshman orientation. They chatted, he asked her out, and they spent the rest of the summer together.
After Virginia returned to Madrid, they wrote letters back and forth for years. Then Chad called to say he was moving to London for work. She joined him in 1999. They married, raised two sons, and built a life together that began in London, then stretched to New York and Houston, and is now back in New York and close enough to get to the Heights often.
Chad’s path to BC required a stranger’s generosity. Without scholarship support and financial aid, the Heights was out of reach. “My life is shaped by an opportunity that was created for me,” he reflects. He’s never forgotten the difference that donor made in his life. Today, Chad and Virginia support BC Athletics and athletics scholarships.
Their son Ethan, a student in the Carroll School of Management, is a student leader and mentor and a former player on the men’s basketball team, and he carries a 3.99 GPA. But what Chad and Virginia talk about most isn’t his résumé.
“BC has helped him understand his duty to share his talents,” Chad says. “If he were a selfish human being, I would consider that a failure on my part.”
Virginia and Chad credit BC’s Jesuit foundation with helping shape Ethan’s sense of responsibility to others. “‘Men and women for others’ isn’t just a phrase,” Chad says. “I’ve experienced it firsthand.”
Joining the Parents Leadership Council has enriched this second act at BC for Virginia and Chad. She describes it as an education in itself. He admits he’ll long for it when Ethan graduates. “That window into BC, those touchpoints, we are going to miss them.”
For now, there’s still one more year to savor. And a few more tailgate paella parties.
Core Values
Deana and Tyler Freres, P’28, didn’t know much about Boston College before their son Rand applied. From their home in Oregon, what they knew of the Heights amounted to its outstanding academic reputation and the name Doug Flutie ’85. That was about it. Until Admitted Eagles Day.
“The minute we stepped on campus, we could see this was the place for him,” Deana says. “The grounds, the students who looked happy and engaged, a faith presence that seemed genuine rather than forced … everything aligned with the Freres family values.”
Now a student in the Carroll School of Management, Rand is studying business analytics and computer science, preparing for a semester abroad, and engaging in student clubs and activities, such as the Kairos retreat. He calls home regularly just to chat about his day. “He really wants to share with us,” Deana says. “He’s being pushed to excel, but it’s not cutthroat. He’s proud of his classmates when they do great things, too. And that makes my heart really proud of him.”
The Frereses’ decision to support the Carroll School flowed from the same set of values. For Deana and Tyler, what matters is whether an institution is truly committed to forming the whole person and sending graduates out into the world who think ethically. “If our business communities were full of students educated to think holistically, not just about the numbers,” Tyler says, “the world would be a better place.”
For the couple, the Parents Leadership Council has become their link to Chestnut Hill from 3,000 miles away. Book discussions, dean roundtables, and informational calls keep them connected. Activities such as soup-packing during Family Weekend let them roll up their sleeves alongside other BC parents and build something of their own. And Tyler attended BC’s Finance Conference in the spring, eager to engage with fellow Carroll School supporters.
“While this is Rand’s experience,” Deana says, “it has been so nice to have access to information and a supportive community of our own.”