Mapping Kinship: Tracing Belonging Through Time and Place

This capstone course invites seniors to reflect on and map the evolving landscapes of kinship and how belonging, community, and care have taken shape in their lives before Boston College, throughout their college journey, and as they prepare to enter the world beyond. Drawing on the Jesuit value of care for the whole person (cura personalis), students will examine how friendships, mentorships, shared commitments, and everyday encounters have shaped their understanding of connection and moral responsibility. Through reflective essays, narrative mapping, and guided dialogue, they will trace the ties that grounded them before college, the networks that sustained them within the Boston College community, and the forms of belonging they hope to cultivate in their future personal, civic, and professional lives. By integrating reflection, imagination, and discernment, the course helps students articulate how kinship might serve as both a compass and a calling beyond their years on campus.