Migue Darcera knows what he wants to do long term—become a physician-scientist focused on infectious diseases while advocating to advance STEM education equity and global vaccine accessibility. Everything he has done in his college career is leading up to that.
Set to graduate summa cum laude with a 3.91 GPA, Migue is “a role model for undergraduate students here at Northeastern,” Associate Professor of Biology Yunrong Chai says. “He is highly motivated and devoted in STEM research. He has a passion in helping others and has contributed effortlessly to the communities, both on and outside of Northeastern campus.”
Migue says that within the Northeastern community, he can compartmentalize his involvement into three categories—research, leadership, and service. He was a research assistant for Dr. Emily Clough in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities and helped create a database for philanthropic grants from around the world. For Dr. Yunrong (Win) Chai’s lab, he investigated the development of biofilms, multi-cellular communities of bacteria ubiquitously found in nature. Dr. Chai said Migue “has the potential to make interesting discoveries.” Because he was interested in public health, he became a health equity intern for the Institute for Health Equity and Social Justice Research, exploring the effectiveness of antimicrobial stewardship programs in Ghana.
His leadership is also admirable. He has been a resident assistant for three years and has been vice president of TriBeta—the Biological Honor Society—and secretary of the Biology Club. He says, “I founded and led Paging Ahead, an initiative that enhanced educational opportunities for children in the Philippines through the distribution of books.”
Migue has served Northeastern and the Boston communities as a volunteer peer mentor for BIOL1000, College of Science ambassador, teaching assistant for American Chinese Christian Educational and Social Services, senior health educator for Peer Health Exchange and a student volunteer for Citizen Schools. He’s been a conference assistant for Northeastern’s External Events and Conference Program, a teaching assistant, and is host of “The Adobe Mix” on WRBB Radio in Boston, one of the city’s few stations regularly playing Filipino music.
The training and mentorship he received at Northeastern have enabled Migue to grow as a scientist and researcher. He’s presented his work at regional and national conferences, co-authored a research article in the Journal of Bacteriology and was honored in the Undergraduate Poster Competition at ASBMB’s DiscoverBMB. His most significant achievement, he believes, is “the profound scientific growth I experienced through my research endeavors in the Chai lab. I have grown from a timid, inexperienced researcher into a fearless, independent scientist unafraid to as and pursue questions, big and small.”
Not surprisingly, Migue has garnered many awards and honors, including the Schafer Research Scholarship and more than $15,000 in PEAK Awards to support his research. In addition, he received the RA of the Year, 2025 award and was selected for the Huntington 100.
Scholar. Leader. Researcher. Innovator. Humanitarian. That’s Donté Lewis, whose major is cell and molecular biology. He might also add bookworm, food enthusiast, nature observer, and chef to the list.
Donté is deeply involved in Northeastern’s culture. He’s vice president of the College of Science Student Leadership Council; vice president of the Beta Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.; president of the Biology Club; treasurer of Northeastern’s National PanHellenic Council; member of the College of Science Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Justice Committee; community guide for the First-Gen Low-Income Office; and trip leader for two alternative Spring Break trips through the Office of Community Service and Civic Engagement.
During a sample management co-op at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Donté piloted a capability model to highlight the hindrances and cost efficiencies for in-lab quality control chemists and microbiologists. He is a dean’s research fund scholar at the Sive Laboratory at Northeastern and was a research assistant at Hope Lab of the National Institute on Drug Abuse in the National Institutes of Health.
Denise Douglas, program coordinator of the John D. O’Bryant African American Institute, says of Donté, “His academic record alone reflects an unyielding pursuit of knowledge.” His first research project explored the neurochemical interactions between gut bacteria and addictive behaviors. His second provided novel insight into hippocampal involvement in addiction relapse.
Donté was a key organizer for the 2025 Black in Science speaker series. “His leadership in this initiative has created a space for mentorship, networking, and inspiration for students from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM,” Douglas says. Donté considers being a fall 2024 initiate into the Beta Alpha Chapter for Phi Beta Sigma, Inc., to be his greatest achievement. “Being able to be a part of something greater than myself while serving my community is everything I strive to stand for,” he says.
During his time at Northeastern, Donté has been honored with a PEAK Ascent Award twice, named to the Huntington 100, served as a Torch Scholar, and was a COS Science Connects to Innovation Award recipient.
After graduation, Donté plans to work for in biotechnology while pursuing a master’s in the life sciences. Later, he will apply to graduate schools to pursue a doctorate.
“He is the kind of student who brings his full self to every space, merging academic brilliance with a deep sense of purpose and community,” says Douglas.
Throughout Chinonso Morsindi’s five-year academic journey, she has achieved academic excellence, inspired leadership, and exhibited professional development. Chinonso is set to graduate from the D’Amore-McKim School of Business with a 3.77 GPA.
Chinonso is president of the Black Business Student Association (BBSA), and planned the group’s inaugural Black Professionals Conference, a landmark event that fostered connections between students and industry leaders. She has been a peer mentor for the Office of Student Engagement, Affinity, and Inclusion; a Summer Bridge leader; and a BUSN1102 mentor. As a legacy peer mentor at the John D. O’Bryant African American Institute, Chinonso helped increase retention and graduation rates for students of color by providing academic and professional mentorship.
“Establishing BBSA’s Inaugural Black Professionals Conference was one of the biggest highlights of my college career,” says Chinonso. “It dedicated a space for students from around Boston to connect with leaders that look like them, while also helping them explore various pathways to breaking into their desired profession.”
Last year, Chinonso presented her international affairs capstone research project, “Harnessing Africa’s Growing Influence on the 21st Century Global Stage,” at the RISE Expo. She received the 2024 Srinivasan Grant for Projects in Emerging Markets to develop and publish her findings. Chinonso’s global experiences include six months at the IÉSEG School of Management in Paris in 2023, and a field study on sustainable energy in Denmark in March 2025 that culminated in a presentation of a case study on CarbFix, an Icelandic carbon capture company.
Chinonso participated in a strategic tech partnership and project management co-op with Boston Consulting Group, and a case team assistant co-op with L.E.K. Consulting. She was an ESG reporting analyst for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in New York, a corporate venture capital analyst with HP Tech Ventures, and a corporate banking summer analyst for HSBC USA. Chinonso’s passion for technology and innovation led her to join the Break Through Tech AI Fellowship at MIT, where she and other students developed an algorithm for the startup hedge fund Cashew Capital. The project enabled her to bridge the gap between AI and business.
The consensus from the Dean’s Office at the D’Amore-McKim School of Business is that Chinonso’s experiences shaped her into dynamic leader, scholar, and changemaker. There is a level of confidence that upon graduating in May, she will leverage her knowledge, skills, and leadership to drive innovation and create equitable opportunities in academia, business, and society.
Before beginning her PhD program in August through the Biochemistry, Quantitative Biology, Biophysics and Structural Biology Track at Yale University, Diana Turrieta will continue to help and support minority students. This summer, she will be a TA in chemistry and algebra for high school students in the Mathematics and Science for Minority Students Program at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA, a program she took part in during high school.
Diana has been active in Northeastern’s PODER (Prosperity Ownership Determination Empowerment Resilience) Early Arrival Program. She directed a five-day early arrival program that assists first-generation, Latinx and/or undocumented/DACA students for a successful transition to university life. This, Diana says, is her proudest achievement.
“I have mentored a number of students, built community, and helped students become leaders,” she shares.
Diana has also held several positions in Northeastern’s Latin American Student Organization, helping to strengthen the group through positive relationships and management. As a FUNL program assistant, she organizes events and develops resources for the Latinx community.
With all her community involvement, Diana has kept on top of her studies. She will graduate with a 3.974 GPA and has won research awards, including the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) in 2025; the Genetic Information Honorable Mention Poster at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) Annual Conference; ASBMB’s Student Chapter Travel Award; the Huntington 100; the Princeton University 2024 MolBio Scholars; and the Northeastern University Garnet Award.
Diana participated in the AJC Merit Research Scholar co-op with the Dr. Tovah Day Laboratory at Northeastern, and the Prime Editing Platform co-op at Prime Medicine, Inc. Diana is “outstanding in the classroom, in the laboratory, and as a member of our community. She has an impressive trajectory,” says Day. “Diana has grown to operate at the level of a graduate student in my lab, and has made remarkable contributions. She’s singularly clear-headed, presents with confidence, clarity, and insight, and brings an entrepreneurial spirit,” Day adds.
Diana has also served as a biochemistry peer mentor and a Campus Crossroads information attendant.
Biochemistry Program Director Professor Kirsten Ferteck says, “Diana is a highly energetic, curious, and empathetic student who has been serving as an ideal role model for our students. She is an accomplished biochemistry researcher with an impressive academic record, and is also a recognized champion of the underserved communities that she is passionate about,” says Ferteck.
Most people go to college and then grow into their careers. Chisako Oga-Cunningham is not like most people. She already has a lucrative career as a principal dancer with the Boston Ballet, and will soon be a Northeastern University graduate.
Chisako is currently one of the best in the world in her profession. She is also a realist, aware that a career in dance has a short timeline. Her leadership in the classroom has given her a promising second career. Chisako is on track to receive a B.S. in finance and accounting management, and hopes to pursue graduate studies and earn her Certified Management Accountant (CMA) credential. In the meantime, she plans to fully dedicate herself to dancing while also seeking internship opportunities to gain valuable on-the-job experience.
Chisako served as an ambassador for the partnership between the Boston Ballet and Northeastern, providing testimonials for donors, guiding prospective students, and sharing insights with dancers. Outside of Northeastern, she’s taken on leadership roles that align with her values, mentoring two ballet students through a program between the Boston Ballet and the Walnut Hill School for the Arts. She was also a union delegate for the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), advocating for safer and fairer working conditions.
“Pursuing a degree through Northeastern has been a dream realized,” Chisako says, “I’ve worked hard to ensure that my academic performance reflects the same level of commitment and discipline I bring in the studio.” She is most proud of balancing a rigorous professional ballet career with academics and assures others that it’s possible to balance a career and education.
Chisako has performed major roles in countless ballets and has been lauded for her talent. She received a bronze medal at the 2018 USA International Ballet Competition, was listed among the 25 to Watch by Dance magazine in 2018, and received a silver medal at the 2016 Shanghai International Ballet Competition.
Veronica Horne, the Boston Ballet’s company manager says, “Chisako is a textbook role model for her colleagues, making Boston Ballet proud of her continued accomplishments on and off stage.”
Chisako says, “The partnership between the Boston Ballet and Northeastern has opened the opportunity for me to continue my education. Not only does it make it possible for me to earn a bachelor’s degree while working full-time as a dancer, but the scholarship helps me to do so while feeling financially stable.”
Mya Leonardo, who will graduate with a 4.0 GPA in biology, is narrowly taking a break before she starts attending Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine in July 2025. This pace is not unusual for Mya, as she has been a powerhouse on campus and in the community throughout her time on campus.
Since 2022, Mya has chaired the Student Philanthropy Council, helping educate the student body on philanthropy’s power and its role in shaping students’ experience on campus. “Mya has shown remarkable resilience and dedication,” says Director, Student Engagement + Philanthropy C. Hawkins. “She led through the natural growing pains of a new organization—navigating shifts in member engagement and leadership—while never losing sight of the council’s purpose.” She’s also proud of the way she has grown SPC. “I developed a whole new perspective on the values that encompass Northeastern and why certain things on campus are carried out the way that they are.” That helped her inform the student body of the importance of donations—and donor’s choice.
Mya has been a tutor and gala committee member for EVkids and a Husky Ambassador. For Miss America Opportunity, she has volunteered more than 600 hours at various community events. She’s committed to helping children and has tied that into her plans to become a dentist. She hosts free oral hygiene workshops for after-school programs and schools across Massachusetts. She also hosts the Smart Smiles Toothbrush Drive, collecting and donating more than 800 toothbrushes plus toothpastes for schools and shelters across the state. In addition, she also published her first children’s book, Maggie and Her Powerful Braces. “Maggie’s story has helped kids across the Commonwealth find confidence through their smile and not letting the bullies’ negative words overpower you.”
Mya has not yet begun dental school, yet she has become a licensed dental assistant, earning about 2,000 clinical hours assisting procedures in general dentistry, pediatrics, orthodontics, periodontics, and dentistry for patients with special needs. “Providing care for patients with special needs brought so much joy to me,” she says, “because it was all about having patience and being adaptable to provide for the patient in a way that was geared to their needs.”
In addition to becoming a dental assistant, Mya is certified in CPR, AED, radiology and infection control. A member of Northeastern TriBeta Biological Honor Society, Mya is a member of the ASDA Pre-Dental Advisory Committee, and debate team member, as well as the public relations chair and mentor of Northeastern University Pre-Dental Association. She is founder of EMPOWER and EMPOWER Workshops in Dartmouth, and holds weekly “Mindsets with Mya” podcasts and blog postings to help spread inclusion and a positive mindset.
Hawkins says, “Her leadership, volunteer spirit, academic integrity, and deep commitment to Northeastern are undeniable. She is exactly the kind of student who becomes a lifelong ambassador for the university.”
“An interdisciplinary marvel” is how Senior Associate Dean of Academic Programs and Student Experience, Khoury College of Computer Sciences Ben Hescott refers to Shannen Espinosa. She has worked in labs from Boston to London—focusing on neuroendocrinology at Boston Children’s Hospital; exploring the role of quantum computing in international law at the UN office in Geneva; studying the development of universal coronavirus vaccines at Corbett-Helaire’s Harvard biomedical lab; and merging biomedical research with computational biology in a study of Alzheimer’s disease at Oxford University.
Back home in Boston, Shannen began entering computing hackathons because she wanted “to explore how quantum computing could support biomedical innovation.” She won first place at the IBM Challenge at MIT for creating an app to facilitate organ donation, leading her to receive the Social Impact Award and an invitation to represent the U.S. in April 2025 at the International Hackathon for Social Good in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
On campus, Shannen served as a teaching fellow for courses like neurobiology and advanced programming with data. She introduced young students to robotics at a local Spanish-English bilingual elementary school, and during the pandemic, she worked with the state’s COVID-19 testing and vaccination units. Further, she volunteered as a medical assistant with the Philippine Medical Association of New England, teaching English to Syrian medical students through the nonprofit Paper Airplanes.
Interning with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, she helped build a five-year plan to address the racial health equity gap in the state. Then she headed to Washington, D.C., as an intern for Congresswoman Lori Trahan, working on legislation that included the End Neglected Tropical Disease Act and topics such as the Disease X Act. Shannen was also nominated by the World Health Organization to serve as a working group leader at YOUNGA, the world’s largest global youth summit for social impact.
She is most proud of representing Northeastern in global quantum competitions. “I wouldn’t have even thought to mix quantum computing and humanitarian work if it weren’t for the United Nations DOC program I did through Northeastern two years ago,” she says. “It’s what kicked off this whole journey, and it’s what now drives my work on the XPRIZE in Quantum Applications, where our goal is to build something that could actually help solve a real-world, unsolved problem.”
A semifinalist for Fulbright Scholarship, Shannen will join the U.S. Naval Nuclear Laboratory in Switzerland as a Womanium Fellow after graduation, studying quantum benchmarking of Majorana fermion systems and exploring the implications for topological qubit architecture. She also plans to continue competing in the three-year global XPRIZE; her team is designing a fault-tolerant quantum framework capable of modeling a high-fidelity representation of the human cell.
Playwright, actor, songwriter, singer, scholar—that’s Ashley DiLorenzo in a nutshell. The multitalented, soon-to-be Northeastern grad has penned eight plays, co-produced two Off-Broadway developmental workshops of new musicals, won the 2021 Musical Theatre Songwriting Challenge sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and American Theatre Wing, and performed in front of many theatrical audiences.
Ashley has participated in various theatre department productions and capstone festivals since arriving on campus. She’s performed in six NU Stage productions and worked as mainstage assistant director and revue costume designer. Seven times she’s submitted 10-minute plays to Silver Masque, acting, designing, directing, and producing some of them. She founded Hear Your Song Northeastern, the university chapter of a national nonprofit that brings collaborative songwriting to kids and teens with severe health needs. Ashley considers it to be her most significant achievement. “Starting a club that meets the needs and standards of both the university and the national organization was no easy feat. Neither was recruiting the number of talented musicians that sit on our executive board today,” she says. “It merges my passions for music and giving back with my developing organizational leadership skills.”
Outside of Northeastern, Ashley volunteered with Disney VoluntEARS for the Warrior Games and Give Kids the World. In 2024, she was a trip services professional intern for Disney Signature Experiences, supporting high-profile guests and creating new databases for physical and digital inventory. She worked on co-op at the Huntington Theatre in Boston where she managed annual local equity principal auditions (EPA) for actors, wrote and edited character breakdowns, evaluated scripts, and more. Ashley was also a casting intern for NBCUniversal, curating casting news, compiling lists of upcoming premiere dates, representing the team at BFA acting showcases, and welcoming talent.
Academic excellence is also on Ashley’s growing list of achievements. She holds a 3.9 GPA, membership to the Huntington 100, is a National Hispanic Scholar, a two-time Communications Department Junior Scholar, and is on the Dean’s List.
“Ashley is the kind of student who not only excels in every endeavor she undertakes but also leaves a lasting impact on those around her,” says associate teaching professor Samantha Richert Boehm. “I am confident that she will continue to inspire and lead beyond her time at Northeastern and into the world as a distinguished alumna.”
After graduation, Ashley will rejoin the Disney Signature Experiences team as a rotational associate in marketing strategy.
Sebastian Caicedo has demonstrated leadership and integrity in both his native Texas, in Boston, and at Northeastern. He is devoted to making the world a better place and taking on the plight of immigrants and the underserved.
In Texas, Sebastian interned with Dia de la Mujer Latina, a community health organization, and helped inform the public about COVID-19 during the height of the pandemic. He also interned with CollegeCommunityCareer, which helps first-generation and low-income students pursue higher education.
Within the Boston community, Sebastian volunteered with Community Servings, a nonprofit that tackles food insecurity, where he packaged medically tailored meals for people with chronic conditions. He also served as a teaching assistant at Immigrant Family Services Institute, helping Haitian American immigrants practice their English language skills.
While maintaining an impressive 3.985 GPA at Northeastern, Sebastian, as an EMPOWER Student of Collective Fellow at the Social Justice Resource Center, initiated programs that address the needs of underrepresented students. As a SQUAD coordinator for EMERGE, he mentors 24 first-generation low-income students. Since starting his academic career at Northeastern, Sebastian has worked with the Center for Intercultural Engagement, maintaining its day-to-day functions and hosting events concerning student wellness. He is also a sexual violence prevention education at the Office of Prevention and Education.
Sebastian instituted a university-wide career fair for 15 Black/African American and Hispanic/Latin American students to get connected with co-op, internships, and full-time opportunities. This, he says, is his most significant achievement. Unforeseen challenges arose leading up to the event, so he had to manage the budget, supply orders and personnel logistics. “I learned how my resilience and courage enable me to persevere and confront difficult, uncertain situations head on,” he says. “I also discovered my passion for empowering others, especially those from historically marginalized backgrounds via identity-centered work dismantling access barriers.”
A recipient of many scholarships, awards, and grants, Sebastian will pursue his PlusOne Master of Public Health degree from Northeastern.
Teaching Professor and Undergraduate Program Director of Bouvé College of Health Sciences Samantha Barbers, PhD, says, “In the current complex environment, the world needs more Sebastians who are committed to doing hard work to implement and improve evidence-based practices that benefit multiple constituencies.”
“Clara Barsoum is the definition of leadership, service and volunteerism, academic integrity, and commitment to Northeastern,” says Kelliann Henry, associate director of undergraduate student engagement at CSSH. “While Clara is a student I have supervised, I also consider her a colleague in the work of social justice leadership on campus and beyond.”
Since arriving on campus, Clara has been instrumental in the work of the FUNL (First-Generation, Undocumented, Low-Income) Network at Northeastern. She researched the impact of academic probation policies on FUNL students and presented recommendations to the Persistence Advising Network, a collective of Northeastern professional advising staff. As a direct result, many of the advising teams updated their academic probation notification letters, language, and approaches to better align with research-based recommendations to best support student success.
A double major in political science and communication studies and philosophy with a 3.85 GPA, Clara is also an active member of the Politics, Philosophy and Economics Club, the Empower Student of Color Collective, and the Arab Student Association. Additionally, she has been a peer mentor in the CSSH department and a program assistant co-op in the Massachusetts Governor’s Office of Access and Opportunity. She has also held roles within the Center for Intercultural Engagement and the Social Justice Resource Center. Within the larger community, she has served as assistant director of the Boston Intercollegiate Government’s DEI Committee and has volunteered for Boston Cares and the Boston Outdoor Preschool Network.
Besides her involvement in social justice, Clara is an artist who collages, draws, and makes jewelry. She organized the creation of five murals for community organizations, hosted Northeastern’s first-ever Art Social, and collaborated with the Social Justice Resource Center and EXP Makerspace to host an Art as Resistance workshop.
Clara is also the recipient of several awards: the Dean’s List, the Political Science Honors Society, the Leaves of Growth Award, the Communication Studies Department Distinguished Scholar Award, the PEAK Award, the First-Generation Social Justice Advocacy Award, and the Huntington 100.
Henry says, “Clara’s accomplishments highlight that it is possible to excel in one’s own academic and professional development while also maintaining a commitment to serving others and advocating for social justice, representing the very best of Northeastern students.”
After graduation, Clara plans to work in the nonprofit sector for a year or two before attending graduate school.
