Message From the Dean
Erick Berrelleza, S.J.
Dear Prospective Student,
I鈥檇 like to introduce you to Messina College, the two-year residential college division of Boston College that welcomed its first class of students in the summer of 2024.
As a first-generation college student myself, I didn鈥檛 have people to talk to about applying to college or navigating college life. Serving as dean of Messina College enables me to provide access and vital support to students who are often facing that same uphill battle. At Messina College students are part of an associate鈥檚 degree program grounded in Boston College鈥檚 academic excellence, student support, and caring faculty.
If you鈥檇 like to learn more, please feel free to reach out.听
Erick Berrelleza, S.J.
Patti and Jonathan Kraft Family Dean
Messina College听
Q&A with Erick Berrelleza, S.J.
I have been a Jesuit for 18 years and a good number of those have been dedicated to the work of Jesuit education. I am a graduate of Loyola Marymount University and have attended a number of our Jesuit institutions since, including Boston College. However, in these past years, I have also been involved with the leadership of a number of Jesuit institutions through my service as a trustee. I have come to appreciate in that work the complex reality of a university and the many stakeholders involved in decisions. I have also taught now both at the college preparatory and higher education levels, so I come to this role with a background and experience of both secondary and university education.听
My research in immigration and urban sociology have also unfolded over the course of my direct engagement with various communities outside of the Academy and within and that research shapes the questions I bring to this role. Having pursued doctoral work just down the road at BU, my early research focused on local Boston neighborhoods. It does not take much time to see inequality and the need for new responses. When I think about what Boston College is undertaking with Messina, I am proud that this university is responding to the need for increased educational access.听
Beginning in 2024, Messina College offers a two-year associate鈥檚 degree program with the goal of enhancing educational opportunities for first-generation and low-income students. Messina enrolls 100 students annually and is located on the new Brookline Campus of Boston College.听
Messina College offers two-year associate鈥檚 degrees built on the excellence on Boston College's core curriculum. Students may choose from four majors including Applied Data Science, Applied Psychology and Human Development, General Business and Health Sciences. These four majors will prepare students for specialized careers in education, business, health, and STEM fields. Students will also be well positioned to further their studies and pursue a bachelor's degree.
The Pine Manor Institute for Student Success is the umbrella organization for the University鈥檚 efforts to ensure success of our first-generation and low-income students. Headed by Joy Moore, who serves as the inaugural executive director, the Institute includes an Academy that offers students in grades 8-12 summer courses in English, math, and science; Messina College; as well as existing programs: Options Through Education, Learning to Learn, and the Montserrat Coalition. All of these programs offer opportunities for 吃瓜网 students to get involved. Learn more about them and get involved!听
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My parents are immigrants and that certainly plays a big part in what I research and teach. I think it鈥檚 my life as a Jesuit though that has attuned my eyes to see and my heart to respond to populations of people at the margins. My work looks at exclusions in spaces. I have seen exclusion occur in churches, neighborhoods, and a host of other institutions. And so when I think about what we are doing here with Messina, I think about offering a response to exclusion in education. Now, my work will include providing access to a transformative Jesuit education and making sure that we create spaces where our students feel they belong.