Boston, MA. (September 28, 2026) – Boston College High School is proud to announce Gregory E. Bulger ’68, Dr. Yousif K. Hanna ’12, and Walter “Robby” V. Robinson ’63 as the 2026 recipients of the St. Ignatius Award.

In September 1990, in honor of the Ignatian Year anniversary celebration, Boston College High School established the St. Ignatius Awards to honor its alumni for their lifelong commitment to the service of others. The St. Ignatius Award is the highest honor bestowed on a graduate of BC High, acknowledging those who have exemplified the ideals of the school through high moral character and selfless service to the community.

St. Ignatius Awards

  • Gregory E. Bulger ’68 has been a long-time champion of the arts at BC High and beyond. He envisioned and helped make possible the construction of the Gregory E. Bulger '68 Performing Arts Center, which continues to give BC High students the opportunity to develop their talents through theater, music, and performance. Completed in 2007 and renovated and rededicated in 2017, the Performing Arts Center stands as a testament to Bulger’s enduring commitment — a commitment that continues today through his consistent and generous support of the school's theater community, including the Dever Players Theatre Group. Building on that legacy, Bulger has established the Gregory E. Bulger '68 Endowment for the Arts, which will provide a sustainable source of income in perpetuity so that future generations of Eagles can experience the life-changing power of creativity and expression. He served as a Trustee for nine years and played an instrumental role in the school's 150th Anniversary celebration in 2013 by Co-Chairing the 150th celebration at Symphony Hall.

Greg and his husband, Richard Dix, share a deep commitment to the arts and community life in Boston and the Berkshires. Bulger exemplifies being a man for others through his leadership positions with several Boston and Berkshire based nonprofit organizations, all of which are supported by the Bulger Foundation, as well as Bulger and Dix's personal philanthropy. Bulger currently serves as a Trustee and Great Benefactor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, following twelve years on its advisory board, and has previously served on the boards of the Boston Conservatory, Opera Boston, Project STEP, SpeakEasy Stage Company, and Boston Early Music Festival.

Greg spent his entire career in health care administration. He served as the Executive Director of the Mattapan Community Health Center followed by serving as the Executive Director of the Teamsters Local 25 Health Services and Insurance Plan. In 1990, he co-founded Health Care Value Management and served as Chief Executive Officer. During his sixteen year tenure HCVM became the largest independent Preferred Provider Organization, PPO, in New England.

  • Dr. Yousif K. Hanna ’12 arrived in the United States as a Christian refugee from Mosul, Iraq, after his family fled sectarian violence and persecution. He entered BC High in 2009 as a sophomore knowing little English yet quickly became an active leader within the school community. During his time at BC High, Hanna served as president of the Middle Eastern Club and participated in the Diversity Cabinet, helping to create opportunities for dialogue and connection across cultures. He received recognition from the Princeton Prize in Race Relations committee for his work to improve racial understanding at BC High.

Hanna's commitment to service continued beyond his years on Morrissey Boulevard. He went on to study at Harvard University, later earning his MD from Thomas Jefferson University and his MBA from the University of Oxford. Fluent in Arabic, French, and English, he mentored new immigrants and served as an interpreter during an internship with Catholic Charities, drawing on his own background to support others navigating similar journeys. Today, he continues to build on that foundation of service and leadership. With a passion for both medicine and entrepreneurship that began during his undergraduate years, Hanna co-founded Oxkair, a healthcare technology company focused on easing the administrative burden on medical centers, improving efficiency and cutting down on denied claims. Oxkair was recognized on Poets & Quants' list of the Most Disruptive MBA Startups of 2024.

  • Walter "Robby" V. Robinson '63 pursued his passions for English literature, history, Latin, and Greek at BC High, where he was active in the Current Events Club. He went on to study journalism at Northeastern University, then enlisted in the Army and served four years as an intelligence officer, including one year in Vietnam, before returning to Northeastern to complete his degree. A co-op position at the Boston Globe turned into a full-time job after graduation, launching a career that would span decades. Robinson reported locally, nationally, and internationally on subjects ranging from presidential politics to the Gulf War in Iraq to art looted by the Nazis during World War II, but he kept returning to Morrissey Boulevard—just across the street from BC High at the Boston Globe office.

Robinson is best known for leading the Boston Globe's Spotlight Team investigation that exposed decades of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, work that earned the Globe several national journalism honors, including the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. Throughout his career, Robinson has been driven by a commitment to holding institutions and people in power accountable. He went on to teach journalism as a distinguished professor at Northeastern University and served as the Edith Kinney Gaylord Visiting Professor of Investigative Journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. Robinson's career reflects a willingness to confront difficult truths in service of the common good. His moral courage and his commitment to those harmed by injustice embody the values at the heart of the St. Ignatius Award.

“These honorees represent the very best of what it means to be a BC High alumnus,” said President Grace Cotter Regan P’12. “Through their leadership, courage, generosity, and commitment to others, Gregory Bulger, Dr. Yousif Hanna, and Robby Robinson provide powerful examples for our students and the entire BC High community.”

A ceremony honoring this year’s recipients will be held on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. in McNeice Pavilion at BC High.

Click this link to register for the event: https://www.bchigh.edu/events/st.-ignatius-awards