A Scholarship’s Second Act

A bequest to their son’s memorial scholarship fund will help even more Eagles land at the Heights.

This is the same Uncle Andrew who loved playing golf with his dad in Scotland, teasing his three older sisters, and making his mother laugh. He was captain of his high school basketball team, a stellar student, and would never pass up a chance to grab a quick bite at Taco Bell or hang out with his wide circle of friends – all of whom loved him, too. 

Most of all, Andrew loved being an Eagle in Boston College’s premedical program. At the mid-point of his senior year, Andrew had already aced the MCATs and shared with his father that he wanted to do a year of service with Jesuit Volunteer Corps before going to medical school. 

Tragically, Andrew’s life was cut short in January 2001 in an automobile accident on an icy road after a day of skiing with his childhood friend in Oregon.

In the 20 years since, Andrew’s legacy has lived on – at home and at BC.

In 2007, Jim and Joan established a scholarship fund at the Heights in Andrew’s memory. They’ve gotten to know their scholarship recipients over the years through correspondence and annual events on campus. Last spring, their current scholar called them on Andrew’s birthday. “In some ways, we see Andrew in each of them,” Joan says. This past fall, Joan established a bequest with Boston College using her retirement account to benefit their scholarship fund. It was an idea she had a few years ago, but didn’t act on until recently. “I’m thrilled because we finally did it – and we feel really good about it,” she adds.

World travel, laughter, adventure, and passion for BC were just a few of the values the Pecks shared with their son. So they were thrilled when Mary ’24, the oldest of their nine grandchildren, chose the Heights for her undergraduate education. Mary follows in her mother Jennifer’s footsteps. “Boston College is not just a university, it’s a community,” says Jim. “Jenny graduated in 1992 and is still close with the friends she made at BC. After Andrew died, Fr. Donald MacMillan of Campus Ministry came out to Oregon from BC for the funeral, and we have received so much support over the years from people on campus and Andrew’s roommates. And, of course, his last four years of his life were at BC, and he loved every minute of it. So we just feel like, you know, our kids will inherit from us. And he’s one of our kids. So we want to honor him as much as our daughters.”