Jack Boyd
Murray 1693 Scholar
Hometown
Santa Barbara, CA (San Marcos HS)
Major
History with minor in Anthropology
4th year: MAEd
Why W&M
Spreadsheets, flow charts, and pro/con lists chock full of meticulously researched information: this was how I prepared to apply to college. Seemingly devoid of emotion, I picked which schools to apply to based on facts and numbers; the more tangible the numbers, the more confident I felt. But at a certain point, my brain fried from too many zeros and ones, I felt that college had to be more than that. So, throwing caution to the wind, without a spreadsheet for a safety blanket, I applied to William & Mary.
My only connection to a school I’d never seen two thousand three hundred and ninety five miles away was with a family friend. An alumnus, he threw himself one hundred percent into everything he did, giving back to our community in more ways than I could ever fathom. However naive, I figured that his alma mater had to be filled with more people like him, the kind of people who take their kids and their third grade friends to volunteer and make it more enjoyable than any game of basketball. People who were excited about doing good for their communities. I was right, and after each email, handwritten note mailed cross country, and virtual meeting, I felt refreshed and invigorated, for I had met a myriad of people excited about that very idea. So when offered a place in the 1693 Scholars Program, I didn’t reference a spreadsheet, flow chart, or pro/con list, I just said “yes”.
W&M Activities
- Philanthropy Chair, Delta Chi Fraternity
- Vice President for Recruitment, W&M Interfraternity Council
- Student Researcher for the Eviction Crisis Project at the Social Justice Policy Institute
- Club Lacrosse Team
- Social Media Coordinator
- Website Coordinator for the Judaic Studies Program
- Co-editor of the Judaic Studies Review
Summer 2022
With the generous support of the Murray Family and the 1693 Scholars Program, I visited European national museums and monuments, examining how each handles retelling the stories of 20th-century authoritarians under the shadow of new authoritarian movements. I was advised on this project by Professor Michael Butler.
Summer 2021
Through conversations with educators, community members, and officials, I crafted a strategic plan and presented it to the City Council regarding the development of an African- American Heritage Trail in Williamsburg. My advisors on this project were Professor Jody Allen and Professor Daniel Cristol.
High School Activities
- Student Government
- Mock Trial Team Captain
- California State Senate Intern, Senate District 19
- Personal Assistant, 9th Circuit Judge
- Actor and Producer in High School Theater
- Entrepreneurship Academy
- American Youth Soccer Organization Referee
- Assistant Producer, On The Verge Summer Theatre Festival
- Lead Counselor, Stage Left Productions
- President of Advanced Men’s Choir
Awards / Distinctions
- Associates Degree with Honors, Santa Barbara City College
- Best HS Performance in a Musical (2019), Ventura & Santa Barbara Counties
- Best Attorney - Santa Barbara County Mock Trial Finals: Pretrial 2019, Trial 2020
- La Sociedad Nacional Honoraria Hispánica, Sigma Delta Mu - Santa Barbara City College
- California State Seal of Biliteracy, Spanish
