Dream big and work hard. That's the River Hawk way. UMass Lowell students pursue  their passion for learning in the classroom and beyond. They are each unique but are united in their drive to make a difference. Here are some of their stories.

  • Emily Makrez
    Psychology

    Emily Makrez ’07, ’09 turned her passion for farming, fermenting and foraging into her own business.

  • Varsha Perkins
    Education

    Varsha Perkins loves both her teaching and honors classes.

  • Anna Kouadio
    Marketing and Management

    After living through civil war in her native Ivory Coast, Senior Class President Anna Kouadio is grateful for her opportunities at UML.

  • Michael Aloisi
    Education

    Michael Aloisi always knew that he wanted to teach. The College of Education is helping him discover all the ways that he can do it – even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Carson Tully
    Business Administration

    Finance student Carson Tully built on his passion for real estate at UML, serving as president of the Real Estate Network Association.

  • Zayna Basma
    Political Science, Arabic & Spanish

    Zayna Basma volunteered at a center that helps Burmese refugees - and became fascinated by refugee policy and research.

  • Ariana Brown
    Computer Science

    SoarCS, a summer program for incoming computer science majors, helped shape Ariana Brown’s college experience.

  • Sean Simonini
    Political Science, Biology

    Sean Simonini is making an impact at the Statehouse and beyond.