The thread through nearly everything Boston College senior Keri Clougherty does is relationships.
The youngest of three and an incredibly outgoing, generous and gregarious person, Clougherty always seems to be in the center of a group of people. She draws them in with her warmth and ability to meet everyone she meets where they are. She’s empathetic and a great listener and making human impact drives her.
All of that means that when it came time for the Lynn, MA native to decide where to go to college, the answer was basically in her backyard. As one of just two Jesuit colleges that also offers women’s hockey, Boston College was the right fit for Clougherty, for whom service is as integral a part of her life as athletics and academics. She embodies several of the key Jesuit principles, but maybe none so much as the value of being a woman “with and for others.”
Her coach, Katie Crowley, said Clougherty is the epitome of that tenet and a spectacular example to the younger players on the hockey team day in and day out.
Clougherty has interned at The Campus School at Boston College, a day school that “provides specialized education for students requiring extensive support needs, including complex medical needs for students aged 3 to 22.” Working there, she said, really opened her eyes to the wider world and helped her find her passion. Clougherty loves the personal interactions of her service and is really interested in the human impact of the work she does, which led her to a major in applied psychology and human development.
“I’m looking forward to working with special needs students and in special education in the future. I’m not sure exactly what it would be, but I think I’ve definitely found a passion for that. I’m really looking forward to figuring that out soon,” she said. “I’m a relationship-oriented person. I just want to do something that has an impact on people, and they have an impact on me.”
Two other Jesuit values are “cura personalis” or “care for the individual person” and the idea of developing the whole person. Clougherty may never have thought of herself or her work in those explicit terms before Boston College, but she continues to embody her Jesuit education every day.
“Keri does such a great job embodying the whole premise of our school, of our team, of our program and what we wanted it to be,” said Crowley.
There doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day to accomplish everything Clougherty has on her plate, but coach Katie Crowley said she’s never been worried about whether Clougherty has taken on too much. Crowley said Clougherty is a great communicator and that if Clougherty wasn’t busy with these projects, she’d be doing something else.
“This is who she is. You can’t, you can’t change that. From my perspective, she doesn’t put a lot of pressure on herself for all of this. She loves it. It’s not a chore for her. It makes a difference in her life, too. For her, it’s not about her, it’s doing it for others and for the smiles on those people’s faces,” said Crowley.
Importantly, said Clougherty, none of her volunteering or service ever feels like work. It fulfills her and makes her happy and often she feels like she’s gotten back so much more love and energy than she’s ever put out. The youngest of three, Clougherty is outgoing and she is energized by being around other people. It fills her social battery, she said, and helps her grow.
“It really grounds me as a person and gives me something extra to even play for. I think this is an opportunity for me to learn so much more about myself but also see the position that I’m in and how people respect us as athletes and as people, and how much we mean to others, and how much that can really impact your life and also so many other people’s lives. It’s easy to make my service a priority,” said Clougherty.
Beyond helping her find a career path, Clougherty’s different volunteer opportunities have helped her communication skills and confidence. One might she might be on a knee to get at the level of a student she’s working with and the next she might be talking with Boston College administrators and donors as the President of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
As president, Clougherty is the main contact for all student-athletes for support, advice and more. She joined SAAC as a sophomore, led the group’s marketing as a junior and was elected by her peers to lead the group her senior year. In addition to running meetings and serving as a sounding board and tough points for her fellow student-athletes, she has also organized a Pen Pal mentorship program, volunteered at the food pantry, and worked alongside Best Buddies and Newton Athletes Unlimited, a local organization that supports over 300 children and adults with disabilities.
“They’re so excited to see us on Thursdays. I think it just really makes you take a step back from thinking, ‘We lost that game, or I had a really bad shift. They give you something to think about. There’s more outside of winning or losing a game. Win or lose, they’re in your corner. You can really ground yourself, have a foundation, and just when things go really good or really bad, there are still people in your corner cheering for you. You can just learn so much about yourself and about the communities that are around you,” said Clougherty.
That group is particularly tied to the women’s hockey program. Each Thursday, Keri organizes a group of teammates to skate with Newton Athletes Unlimited. Additionally, several of that groups’ participants attend BC women’s hockey games. Clougherty said they are the best cheerleaders and also serve as a constant reminder to not get be in her own head.
Clougherty led the hockey team to over 782 hours of community service last year and is on pace to exceed that impact this season. She said they often have more BC players than they need on Thursdays in Newton because everyone enjoys going so much. It’s a break from the stress of being a student-athlete and so fulfilling, she said.
“One of my favorite things is that a lot of the service that I do is with my teammates. You really get to see your teammates in a different way. It’s just really awesome to see, and it’s such a culture builder, too. I think our team culture here is great, and I think that’s one of the reasons why it’s great is because we have those community things that we do, and we have that service aspect, because it shows that we’re playing for something bigger than ourselves. It’s just really awesome to see when our whole team gets involved,” she said.
Crowley said Clougherty’s energy has a huge influence on the team and it’s clear that Clougherty is as affected by the people she works with as they are by her. She loves that Clougherty follows through with her actions and commitments and is constantly involved. She’s not just talking about ideas; she’s facilitating them and is involved all along the way. That’s a massive lesson the younger members have learned from her, Crowley said.
Clougherty would be doing all this work whether she was a student-athlete or not and whether anyone noticed or paid any attention, said Crowley. Service is inherent to who Clougherty is and she wouldn’t be the same person or player without it.
“Service is important to me because it really built the foundation for me as a person, as a hockey player, and also as a teammate, as a friend, as a sister, and I think it’s just really grounds me and helps me take step back from the rink sometimes, and also gives me that extra push when I need it on the ice,” said Clougherty.
“The service that I’ve done is just always on my mind, because it’s just such a pillar in my life, and I think it’s just really awesome to see what a connection can do for you. I think we take something with us from each person we meet. I’ve really learned the power of a smile and the impact it can have.”
