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.”
