Chicago Scholar. Renaissance Scholar. American Heart Association Scholar. College of Science Connects to Innovation Scholar. These are just a few of the titles Dalia Zizumbo has earned while preparing for her bachelor of science in Data Science & Behavioral Neuroscience degree this spring.

Already a first author of a poster abstract “Social Determinants of Health and Cognitive Performance: A Cross-national Study of the U.S. and Mexico” for “Alzheimer’s & Dementia” journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, Dalia has also presented at the 2025 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Toronto, the 2025 Research, Innovation, Scholarship, Entrepreneurship conference in Boston, the University of Chicago CRTEC Student Research Symposium, and theUniversity of Illinois Chicago 2023 Cancer Research Symposium in Chicago.

At Northeastern, Dalia is president of U-F1RST, a student organization dedicated to supporting first-generation

and low-income students. She conceptualized and launched the First-Generation Student

Academic Symposium and expanded the co-op clothing drive, collecting professional garments to help first-gen students confidently enter the workplace. Rebuilding U-F1RST is her proudest achievement. “I spent the summer revamping the organization from the ground up, reimagining its programming, rebuilding its community, and ensuring it could be a real resource for first-generation and low-income students at Northeastern,” she says.

Dalia was also selected to speak at Convocation, where she was able to stand before thousands of students and say, “Your story belongs here.” It also defined leadership for her. “That moment, and the organization I’ve poured myself into, represent what I believe leadership truly is—not just achieving for yourself, but creating space so others don’t have to struggle the way you did.”

In alignment with her academic studies, Dalia has continued her co-op work at the Center for Genomic Medicine at Massachusetts General Brigham as a clinical research coordinator. She is also the only undergraduate working as a trainee with the U.S Consortium of Aging, Dementia & Latino Studies (CADLAS) to advance Alzheimer’s disease research in the U.S. Latino and Hispanic populations. As an intern at the Health & Medicine Policy Research Group, she advocates for evidence-based policies that improve healthcare access and reduce health disparities for underserved communities. Having this access to so many research opportunities is something she never imagined for a first-generation student. “It is precisely because Northeastern invested in me that I feel a deep commitment to investing back into this community, ensuring that students who come after me have the support, resources, and representation I once searched for.”

Director of the Center for Intercultural Engagement (CIE) Cindy Nguyen has helped Dalia rebuild U-F1RST. “She intentionally balances the importance of community-building with the drive to create tangible change,” she says, “critically addressing the barriers that affect first-gen students’ academics and sense of self as they navigate complex systems.”

After graduation, Dalia plans plan to pursue an MD or MD-PhD, combining clinical medicine with research to address health disparities in underserved communities.

“Amelia Brooks is the kind of student who makes every room she enters better,” says Associate Director, SVP Projects Rachel Schrottman. That is exactly the type of person you want on your human resources team. After she receives her Bachelor of Science in business with a concentration in management, Amelia will move to New York City and work in human resources.

Until then, Northeastern can reap the benefits of Amelia’s active role in the community. She has been a leader for all her years here, moderating and hosting university events, supporting large-scale initiatives, including international treks and leadership summits, and creating spaces for younger students to build confidence, ask questions and grow into leadership roles.

Amelia has been a lead peer mentor in the Summer Bridge program, social media manager and assistant in the DMSB Graduate Career Center, director of operations for the Black Business Student Association, and even a podcast producer for the DMSB “Careers in Action” podcast. However, Amelia’s involvement with the Women’s Interdisciplinary Society of Entrepreneurship (WISE) has been most significant to both Northeastern and to her personally.

As the longest-standing WISE Executive Board member—and current co-president—Amelia has provided continuity and sustained leadership, expanding WISE to Northeastern’s London and Oakland campuses. “I had the opportunity to build these communities from the ground up at a time when this level of expansion was still new at Northeastern.” She visited both locations and immersed herself in the community, developing tailored programing and building leadership structures that felt authentic to those students. Amelia says, “The goal was not just to grow WISE geographically, but to create spaces where more students could feel a sense of belonging, confidence, and opportunity.”

Amelia has proven her commitment to inclusion time and again. In 2024, she received the Impact Award, DMSB, presented to students who make a positive impact to the Office of Student Engagement, Affinity and Inclusion’s mission to cultivate an inclusive culture in the school.

Amelia has demonstrated the same commitment to academic excellence. She participated in a global purpose and inclusion co-op at Wayfair. She transformed the end-to-end new-hire orientation process and designed and implemented a new onboarding structure for a co-op with Immuta. Most recently, she was a talent management and organizational development intern at Dow Jones in New York. During her 10 weeks there, she developed a talent strategy workshop for People Business Partners, built an end-to-end, scalable global skills taxonomy and career mapping framework across all Dow Jones job families, and designed a proprietary AI-enabled workflow using Gemini to generate skills taxonomies and career maps in as few as 15 minutes per job family.

“We can always count on her to share her positivity and help make an impact,” Rachel Schrottman says. Undoubtedly, Amelia will do the same in her future career.

“Our Bioengineering Department, the College of Engineering, and the whole of Northeastern are lucky to have Kiley York for her leadership and service,” says Teaching Professor and Associate Chair for Undergraduate Affairs in Bioengineering Timothy Lannin. “She is a force for good, and her merits are well-aligned with those of the Compass Award.”

Professor Lannin is one of many lauding the achievements of Kiley York, a bachelor of science in bioengineering candidate with concentration in medical devices with honors distinction. Her praise is well deserved. During Kiley’s years at Northeastern, she has held several leadership roles, including President of the NU Biomedical Engineering Society, Vice President of NU Engineers Without Borders, and Honors Ambassador and Honors Living Learning Assistant Presidential Ambassador for the John Martinson Honors Program. Lydia Bird, Kiley’s mentor in the Honors Mentorship Program, says, “Kiley puts her all into everything she does and leads with dedication and kindness.”

Maintaining a 3.87 GPA is no easy feat, but Kiley has done that while masterfully, balancing club participation, ambassador programs, and volunteer opportunities—and exceling in all.  She considers her most significant achievement to be organizing fall and spring co-op career fairs for undergraduate engineering students for the past three years. “The change in planning structure that I have implemented has caused for growth of the

event,” she says. “The number of companies and undergraduate students has increased, as well as we have expanded the event to be held in two spaces—the McLeod Suited and Curry Ballroom—as opposed to just one (Curry Ballroom).”

In addition to her extensive accomplishments on campus, Kiley has participated in notable global experiences. During the Honors Dialogue of Civilizations program in Chile, she completed interdisciplinary coursework combining microbiology research and landscape photography, gaining scientific and cultural perspectives through community-based volunteering. Her second global experience was part of the John Martinson Honors Program (JMHP) Self-Directed Global Experience (SDGE)—one of JMHP’s more demanding academic opportunities. In this, Kiley explored South Africa’s history, culture, and landscapes through photography. 

In terms of professional development, Kiley participated in a bioengineering co-op at Sage Product Development—engineering consulting for medical devices—where she supported multisite clinical trials and prototyped fixtures and part stand-ins for testing. While doing an R&D engineering co-op at Fresenius Medical Care North America, she designed and debugged reliability improvements for existing products and those under development.

“Across all contexts, Kiley stands out for her steadiness, compassion, and quiet but impactful leadership,” says Nancy Watkins, former assistant director for community service and civic engagement and honors living learning coordinator. “Her presence consistently elevates the experiences of her peers and the communities she serves.”

Kiley plans to pursue a Masters of Mechanical Engineering in the Northeastern PlusOne program.

Haley Schwanz, soloist dancer with Boston Ballet, knows the limitations of a dancing career. That is why she has prepared for career part deux by earning a bachelor of science in Psychology from Northeastern University—along with a 3.79 GPA. After her performing days end, she plans to pursue a career in movement therapy, as well as both teach and advocate for psychologically sustainable coaching practices within the dance world. 

Before she takes on those new challenges, she can revel in the memories of being an outstanding dancer. After graduating from the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in 2010, Haley performed with Staatsballet Berlin for five years, touring in Thailand, Taiwan, China, and throughout Germany.  

Since joining Boston Ballet in 2017, Haley served as a member of the Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Council and was one of two nominated representatives on Boston Ballet’s Dancer/Board Caucus, providing dancer insights to the board. As a member of AGMA Union Negotiating Committee, she successfully negotiated major wins, including industry-leading parental leave benefits, pay equity, reinstatement of benefits following the COVID 19 pandemic, and safe and sustainable working conditions. 

As a performing member of the ballet, Haley originated roles in new choreography and productions, including world premieres by William Forsythe and Jorma Elo. She performed in Paris, Los Angeles, Ottawa, and at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in Becket, MA. Additionally, she showcased her skills to choreograph ballets performed by the troupe during the 2018/2019 and 2020 virtual seasons.  

Haley has taught dance, as well, at the Academy of Russian Classical Ballet in Novi, MI, the Brookline Ballet, Jose Mateo Ballet Theater in Cambridge, the online streaming service Dancio, and more. She has also amassed considerable volunteer experience. She was a teaching assistant for children and young adults with Down Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder at United Dance. As a teaching assistant in Boston Ballet’s Adaptive Dance program, she taught dance to students with disabilities.  

“Haley has been perfecting her craft for nearly her entire life and is currently one of the best in the world at what she does for a living,” says College of Professional Studies Dean Jared Auclair. She has embraced every opportunity she has been given. “Having delayed a formal education to pursue a career in dance, I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to earn a degree in my own time,” Haley says. “My studies gave form and structure to my thoughts, inspiring new ways to engage with my art form and share it with others.” 

Assistant Director for Boston Ballet Russell Kaise says, “Haley exemplifies what it means to be a leader in our art form and beyond. A true force both on stage and in the studio, her constant sense of curiosity, passion, and humanity make her an inspiration to all that share the privilege of working with her.” 

Soon to graduate with a bachelor of science in Data Science and Mathematics—and a 3.95 GPA—Emeline Donovan is an innovator and proven leader. Khoury Senior Associate Dean of Academic Programs and Student Experience Benjamin Hescott says, “Emeline’s leadership abilities shine through in every endeavor she undertakes.” She transformed NU’s fencing club from a modest group of 20 members into a three-time national champion. She also spearheaded collaborative events such as Hora de Café with the LatinX Center and Queer Prom with the LGBTQ+ Resource Center.

Emeline received The Inclusive Husky award for her role as a resident assistant. When assigned to 60 Belvidere, a residence hall located a 10 to 15-minute walk from campus during her fourth year, she soon discovered the physical distance from campus had turned into an emotional distance for many students. “Wanting to bridge that gap, I proposed a collaboration between ResLife and the LatinX Student Cultural Center (LSCC) to host a Hora de Cafe event at 60 Belvidere.” A huge success, the event even drew residents and staff from neighboring dorms to celebrate Latin culture, comingle, and share food.

As an RA, she has shown “exceptional interpersonal skills, crisis management abilities, and the capacity to support students through their most challenging moments.” This is no surprise, as Emeline says, “A driving force within me is to help others through things I have struggled with myself.” Getting the visa, finding an apartment, and setting things up for her study abroad program in Spain at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid were challenging. However, after that semester, Emeline signed up to be a student alumni contact so that she could help others through the same process.

Emeline faced another challenge—trying to find a co-op. After several rejections, she decided to secure a summer internship. “I leveraged my network and landed an informational interview with a data scientist at HITE Hedge Asset Management, an energy hedge fund in Quincy.” Emeline discovered they were interested in technology she had recently used in her coursework and after demonstrating her capabilities, HITE offered her a paid summer internship. Because of Emeline, HITE joined Northeastern’s co-op program. HITE was so pleased with her that they offered her co-op and even a full-time job as a data scientist after graduation.

Most recently, Emeline was one of 10 students nationwide selected from 6,000 applicants for Deutsche Bank’s summer internship program in New York City. “I capitalized on Northeastern’s resources—securing housing through Educational Housing Services—and gained further experience at the intersection of technology and finance.”

Her proudest achievement? It’s a tie. Emeline says, “[LSCC] taught me that when you intentionally create spaces where everyone feels welcome, people show up.” Molding the co-op set her up for success. “It made me feel as though I had leveraged all the resources NEU provides to their fullest capacity and truly embodied a Northeastern student.”

To call Helena D’Alessandro a multi-tasker is an understatement. She balances her role as a DMSB co-op peer mentor with on-campus leadership responsibilities, her own active job search, taking a full course load—all while working 20 hours per week. In addition, she has been on the Dean’s list every semester and maintains a 3.84 GPA.

Wait. There’s more. Helena has already begun her first post-college job even before graduation—a sustainability analyst for Sustainable Fitch, part of Fitch Group, in New York City. “I hope to deepen my expertise in sustainable finance, ESG analysis, entity ratings, second-party opinions (SPOs), and green bond market assessments,” she says. In two years, her plan is to pursue a master’s degree focused on climate finance or sustainable business.

Helena has been a powerhouse at Northeastern, both on campus and in the broader community. As a co-op peer mentor, she supported more than 40 students per semester with resume development, interview preparation, networking strategies, and navigating the co-op search process. She began as a junior investment analyst and is now co-director of venture advisory for NUImpact, Northeastern University’s impact investment fund. She and her co-director designed a Venture Advisory program to support Northeastern students building impact-driven startup companies connect to venture capital funding opportunities. Through this work, she says, “I combined my interests in sustainability, entrepreneurship, and finance while contributing to a growing ecosystem of student-led impact investing on campus.” She considers it her most significant achievement and says, “It was not simply about holding a leadership title but also about helping build something new that could have a lasting impact beyond my own time at the university.”

Even with her multiple responsibilities, Helena says, “I was involved in organizations that supported my personal and creative interests, including CHAARG and No Limits Dance Crew, which gave me community through fitness and dance.” In the community, Helena participated in service initiatives such as the Prison Project, working with a team of students to design and deliver a workshop on AI and entrepreneurship for incarcerated individuals at the South Bay House of Correction. She also regularly volunteered at Council for University Programs (CUP) events.

Helena participated in two co-ops, including one at the European Public Law Organization (EPLO), Institute for Sustainable Development, in Legrena, Sounion, Greece. While there, she produced content to promote involvement in EU Missions, the Earthshot Prize, South3E Project, and UN SDGs. “I developed an enormous sense of independence, adaptability and cultural agility, while gaining firsthand exposure to sustainability initiatives, impact-oriented work, and international collaboration.” More recently, Helena took part in a sustainable investing co-op at Wellington Management in Boston.

DMSB Co-op Coordinators Erin Salomon and Jen Guillemin say, “Students like Helena who lead with integrity, give back to their community, and do so with consistency and grace are exactly the kind of people this award was created to recognize.”

Don’t be surprised if you see the name “Grayson Bunting” on the national political stage before long. A member of the John Martinson Honors Program with a 3.76 GPA, Grayson is carving his path in politics and international affairs.

Grayson is a semifinalist for the U.S. ETA Fullbright Scholarship to Bosnia and Herzegovina and hopes to return to
the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York as a paralegal before attending law school. In 2024, he completed a co-op there and served on the national security prosecution team aiding assistant U.S. attorneys in preparing for—and trying—high-profile criminal cases. These required close collaboration with several U.S. government agencies, including the FBI, the DEA, and the Department of State. His later co-op was with Ropes & Gray LLP, where he produced the firm’s daily “In the News” communication that is distributed to more than 800 recipients.

During his time at Northeastern, Grayson has contributed to many events and organizations. He has been a Northeastern presidential ambassador, a 2025 Dialogue of Civilization program assistant, CSSH ambassador, lead peer mentor and peer mentor, CSSH co-op teaching assistant, and more. Additionally, Grayson was on the founding e-board of NU’s Alexander Hamilton Society chapter, the nation’s preeminent nonpartisan organization that promotes constructive debate on basic American principles and contemporary issues in economic, statecraft, foreign policy, and national security. 

Grayson is a Huntington 100 honoree, named Beta Theta Pi fraternity Brother of the Year 2025, and won first place—raising nearly $20,000—in the Take it to the Floor Charity Team Dance Competition. He also volunteered for the United Nations Association of Greater Boston

As a bachelor of science in International Affairs and International Business candidate, Grayson has had the opportunity to study in his field internationally. He participated in “Balkan War and Peace” in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Greece, as well as “The Old and New Middle East” in Egypt, Jordan, and UAE, and NU in London.

Grayson says his greatest achievement has been serving as the lead peer mentor for the International Affairs department, supporting new students as they navigate their way. “It has been incredibly meaningful to contribute to the same department that shaped my own academic journey,” he says, “and to play a small part in fostering the next generation of globally minded students.”

Associate Director, Undergraduate Recruitment Programs Krissy Maloney says, “He is the perfect student to have talk about our college and what we can offer to prospective and admitted students because he has taken advantage of just about every opportunity we have.”

Undoubtedly, countless doors of opportunity will open for Grayson during his career.

Warda Ahmed is leading a life dedicated to service, a quality that should serve her well in her intended career as a physician. She has been part of Project 351, a youth-centered nonprofit that selects one eighth grader from every town in Massachusetts to lead community service initiatives, since she was in middle school. She also organized large-scale food and clothing drives in her community.

Now nearing college graduation, Warda’s commitment to service has only increased. She is still working with Project 351, but now in a leadership role, supporting two major statewide events each year as the welcoming lead, who provides transportation support, handles hotline outreach, and serves on the medical team as an EMT. Additionally, as a part of the Alternative Breaks program for two years, she co-led a team of 10 volunteers to Seattle to serve with Urban ArtWorks, painting a mural honoring a Northeastern grad student who lost her life to police violence. Most recently, she co-led a trip to London to serve with Granville Community Kitchen, an organization that addresses food insecurity and community displacement due to gentrification.

Much of Warda’s service has been in the medical field. As a volunteer at Boston Community Pediatrics, she helped the Care Navigation and Administration team support patients’ needs outside the clinic, such as

enrolling them in summer camps. She was also a pediatrics surgery volunteer and front desk greeter at Massachusetts Eye & Ear.

Warda is also an outstanding academic with a 3.99 GPA in biochemistry. She has been named to the Huntington 100 and Dean’s List, recognized as an Advancing Women in Science Scholar, and is a recipient of the Condit Award. Professor Jude Matthews says, “Her intellectual ability, generosity, and professionalism set her apart, and she represents the very best of our students.”

“In each of her two co-ops, Warda demonstrated a thoughtful approach to gaining real world experience,” says College of Science Associate Director of Co-op Jacquelyn MacDonald. “She was both careful and creative as she considered opportunities alongside her goal to pursue a career in medicine.” Warda’s first co-op was as a biology researcher at Larkspur Biosciences. As a patient care technician in general and vascular surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Wanda improved comfort and recovery for patients through wound care, mobility, and post-operative monitoring.

That’s not the extent of Warda’s accomplishments. She’s also been a knack tutor, peer mentor, and teaching assistant.

“Northeastern shaped not only how Warda has studied, but who she has become,” says MacDonald. “Warda is someone who brings professionalism, warmth, humor and genuine purpose to every environment she enters.”

After a gap year for research, Warda hopes to attend medical school.

Kaitlin Bondi’s involvement at Northeastern has contributed to trends and ideas that are expected to influence the future. A senior in the Bouvé College of Health Sciences with a 4.0 GPA, she is a founding member of—and the only Bouvé student on—the Northeastern Artificial Intelligence (AI) Student Advisory Board that works with university leaders to define Northeastern’s position as a leader and innovator in the age of AI.

As an executive board member of Northeastern’s Healthcare Innovation Core, ViTAL, Kaitlin has created and led programming for networking events and professional development workshops designed to help students succeed in their future careers. Additionally, Kaitlin has served on multiple Bouvé advisory councils and has been a STEM peer tutor for the College of Science. As a Bouvé Fellow, she has been a peer mentor and student leader for first-year health students.

Kaitlin’s academic research is outstanding. As a contributor to Northeastern’s CaNCURE program—cancer nanomedicine research—at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, she explored clinical and epidemiological correlates of monoclonal gammopathies and published a peer-reviewed abstract for the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting, one of the most prestigious conferences in hematology and oncology research.

She’s proudest of her capstone project, however, and says, “I am developing educational materials for patients at the Center for Early Detection and Interception of Blood Cancers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute who are diagnosed with monoclonal gammopathies, including monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and smoldering multiple myeloma.” This area of disease is relatively unknown to the general population, and Kaitlin hopes to strengthen patient understanding and lessen provider burden.

Besides being an important member of the Northeastern community, Kaitlin also contributes to the Boston community as a Playspace Activity Leader (PAL) at Horizons for Homeless Children. Previously, she was a student volunteer for Victory Programs where she assembled harm reduction kits to individuals experiencing hardships and helped in the planning and execution of the annual Mission Hill Road Race.

In recognition of her outstanding academic record, Kaitlin has been inducted into the Northeastern Chapter of Alpha Epsilon Delta, the national health pre-professional honor society. “Over the past four years, Kaitlin has grown into an impressive leader, scholar, researcher and clinician,” Bouvé Dean Carmen Sceppa says. “It is rare to see the combination of competence and humility, leadership, and intelligence that Kaitlin demonstrates.”

Before attending medical school in 2027, Kaitlin plans to travel, spend quality time with family and friends, and work in the medical field.

“[Mikhail “Misha” Ankudovych] creates memorable moments, mentors his peers, and helps shape the Northeastern community in every corner of student life,” says Adriana Garza, senior year experience officer at Northeastern. Misha makes an impact on all he does, whether it’s serving in Student Government (SGA), leading at the NU Doghouse, assisting in the classroom, or manning the suicide hotline.

Now about to graduate with a B.S. in Data Science and Economics and a 3.96 GPA, Misha is a leader among his peers. He has been on the SGA executive board for three years. His love for hockey led him to the NU Doghouse, where he helped coordinate travel and group tickets to get fans to games across Hockey East. Additionally, he is chair of the Senior Year Experience Board and prepares seniors for the transition from being students to alumni by coordinating social and professional events.

Misha’s academic life is equally impactful. He has been a research assistant on two projects. He validated a machine learning algorithm used to study gender dynamics in economic seminars for the Community 2 Community Impact Engine and completed qualitative coding for a privacy-related paper within the Khoury College Computer Science. Currently, he is exploring options to publish his undergraduate thesis, in which he created an 11.4 million-large dataset on a simulated economy studying trade interdependence and conflict onset.

His experiential learning has gone beyond research. Misha completed a Dialogue of Civilizations in Israel studying

international consulting. He participated in a co-op at Northeastern Library’s Digital Scholarship Group supporting data pipelining and visualizations with the Massachusetts Historical Society. Misha’s passion for hockey resulted in a project management internship with the National Hockey League. He also was a station management intern with Amtrak and a market risk quantitative model development intern for J.P. Morgan Chase.

Of his many achievements, Misha says working with the NU Doghouse during Matthews Arena’s final year is his most significant. “As the historic arena prepared to close, we worked to ensure it received the send-off it

deserved while maintaining the strong student atmosphere that had long defined Northeastern hockey,” he says. During the final game at the arena, Misha and other Doghouse leaders organized student crowds to hoist “Thank You Matthews” signs at puck drop. The event received considerable media attention.

Misha is a member of the University Honors Program and was a nominee for the CRA Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award. After graduation, he will relocate to Washington, D.C., to work as a forward deployed software engineer helping government organizations and their partners use data more effectively and securely to support critical public missions.

“Misha is a connector and will help find the resource needed or lend a helping hand,” says Garza. “He will always be the first to lead by example and step up to the task at hand and engage the group to follow.”