Rafal Thaher brings a unique international perspective to her coursework in the Manning School of Business. After fleeing war-torn Iraq with her family in 2005, she has spent the last two decades pursuing her passion for entrepreneurship.

Riley Wetmore balances classes and ice time as captain of the River Hawks hockey team.

Justin Lawler's job as assistant director of campus recreation has him working while others play.

Nicole Hayek came to the Manning School of Business to prepare for a career in marketing. Along the way, she's been able to fulfill her passion for music.

Already on track for a successful marketing career in Pakistan, Moiz Khan has shifted gears to pursue a master’s in business analytics from the Manning School of Business.

Neeti Kothari left a job at Big Four accounting firm Deloitte in her native India to pursue a Master of Science in business analytics at UMass Lowell. Despite the pandemic, she landed a summer internship at software company PTC in Boston.

Through two co-ops and two internships, Samantha Hamel discovered her true professional calling — and landed the job of her choice before graduating.

Yefry Matos came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic at age 18, worked as a janitor to pay his way through community college and now has a banking job waiting for him at JPMorgan Chase & Co. after graduation.

Through hard work and determination, Angelica Lord became the first in her family to earn a college degree.

Casey O’Neill didn’t originally want to follow in her parents’ footsteps and study accounting at UMass Lowell. Now that she has, she couldn’t be happier with her decision.

Officer Johnny Sann, who is closing in on his business degree, says volunteering at the Special Olympics gives him a better perspective on life.

Studying abroad in London convinced business student Emoni Baffour ’18 to return to the UK for graduate school and pursue her passion for a career in the fashion industry.

As vice chancellor of finance and operations, Joanne overseas administrative departments such as accounting, facilities, human resources, budgeting, information technology, parking and more – all areas that keep the University humming.

A summer co-op inspired Benjamin Gacek to pick up a second major and pursue a career in forensic accounting.

A deep-rooted desire for financial independence drives everything that Linda Barg does as a student in the Manning School of Business.

Kadeem Davis stepped out of his comfort zone to start the Black Student Union. He’s learned a lot about leadership and building an organization—and about the diverse interests of black students on campus.

For Saldana, who is pursuing a dual concentration in finance and management and minoring in Spanish, the experience of studying overseas has helped expand his view of global business and cultures.

Boscaja's choice to attend college close to home gave her the opportunity to travel across the globe, making connections that will serve her well after graduation.

Catherine de Groot enjoys using her marketing skills to help nonprofits in Lowell.

Nicole transferred from Middlesex Community College and has availed herself of opportunities for hands-on experience in her field and leadership at UMass Lowell.

Inspired by his mother’s careers in health care and business, Emmanuel Idehen-Ovabor is working toward a master’s in health care administration while also pursuing his dream of becoming a pediatrician.

After a life-changing health scare, Sean Flaherty recommitted himself to academics. He graduated from the Manning School of Business with a perfect 4.0 GPA and landed his “dream job” at a water sustainability company in New York.

Daniel Schmith knows how to pace himself on the cross country and track teams. But when it comes to entrepreneurship, it’s full speed ahead.

Studying in the Manning School of Business, Vanessa Kent has juggled a packed academic and extracurricular schedule with her commitment to the field hockey team.

Asad Elmi has long been fascinated by the financial world. Now that he’s been immersed in that world in a sales and marketing co-op position at Putnam Investments, he’s ready to make it a career.

Transferring from UMass Amherst, now an accounting major in the Manning School of Business, Belasque wants to become a certified public accountant, a profession she feels has limitless opportunities for success.

Accounting major Jeanine Buonopane, who has cerebral palsy, plans to one day help people with disabilities learn to become more financially successful.

Mya Neary won an honors fellowship to learn more about running an urban farming nonprofit. Now she’s volunteering with Mill City Grows while developing her own business plan.

For Salmaan Kapadia, giving back to the community has been a life-long endeavor that's rooted in family.

Through her coursework, business student Kanya Derisme gained the skills and knowledge needed for a career in digital marketing. Through her leadership roles in student organizations, she learned something about herself.

Thanks to her co-op and internship experiences at Kronos, business administration major Maylis Brito has broadened her career options beyond her concentration in finance.

Working as a client services and relationship management co-op at MFS Investment Management debunked a lot of assumptions business major Kristen Reardon had about the financial industry.

By participating in the virtual UML Launch! Summer Program, Khadija Mir felt better prepared to begin college remotely during the pandemic.

When it comes to education, David Laurello values lessons that translate to life on the job.

By constantly building his network, Dennis Patel ’19 ’20 made the most of his undergraduate and graduate education — and landed a global supply chain analyst co-op job at Lockheed Martin.

Tommy Curtis, who recently competed in his second Golden Gloves tournament, balances his studies in the Manning School of Business with training in the boxing ring.

During her six-month sales operations co-op at Kronos, business administration major Chanelle Cruz developed her Salesforce CRM problem-solving skills.

Participating in the 2017 Miss Massachusetts USA pageant helped bolster business student Keana-Grace Danier’s confidence and drive, which she sees helping her future sales career.

Matt Murphy quit vaping after a two-year addiction. Now he speaks out against teen vaping every chance he gets.

Business student Kelly Michael Skelton plans to earn his undergraduate and MBA degrees in just four years – and with zero debt – while juggling multiple jobs and extracurricular activities.

Army veteran and business major Brendon Aylaian is working on a solar energy project in Haiti for his Honors College capstone.

As a technical program manager with the U.S. Navy, Mike Taskoski had his pick of MBA programs. He chose UMass Lowell based on the reputation of its online program.

Business administration major Keviana-Joy George transformed from a shy transfer student to an outgoing student leader who is on track for a career in human resources.

Taking advantages of opportunities outside the classroom has helped Christopher Nunez succeed at UMass Lowell.

Bridget McSherry seized every opportunity she could while earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting at UMass Lowell, and now she’s ready to begin her career at Moody, Famiglietti & Andronico.

The Honors Program at Middlesex Community College helped Andrea Patino Galindo master English – and transfer to the Honors College at UMass Lowell.

Manning School of Business grad Emily Lara ’20 has been California dreamin’ for some time. Now her dream is coming true.

After a long-shot college basketball career as a walk-on player for the River Hawks, Tyler Livingston ’17 has taken his game overseas, where he’s gained a valuable global perspective.

From Fox Hall to your flat screen TV! Taniya Nayak can trace her interest in interior design to her days at UMass Lowell.

Coming from a family of small business owners, entrepreneurship is Gianni Falzone's blood. To develop on his Bachelor's degree, he is pursuing a Master of Science in Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship.

Roma Aurora has become a strong and valued presence on campus, from her roles as president of both the Manning Leaders Council and Marketing Society, to her ambassador work for both international students and student alumni, to her participation in the DifferenceMaker Program.

A born entrepreneur who was tuning up old lawn mowers and selling them online at the age of 6, Louis Cirignano made the most of his opportunities at UMass Lowell. He’s using his degree in business administration to launch a financial management app that he developed through the DifferenceMaker program.

Kellsie Howard has managed to achieve a lot in her first two years in the Manning School of Business, including organizing a DECA competition, starting two clubs and working as a co-op at Putnam Investments.

Toronto native Thalia Petsis juggles Division I soccer with business studies — and a bevy of extracurricular leadership roles.

Katie Sanchez ’20 is a step closer to her goal of becoming a chartered financial analyst after being accepted into Boston Scientific’s financial leadership development program.

As President of the UMass Lowell Chinese Students and Scholars Association, finance major Anna Jiang stays connected to her culture — while sharing it with others.

Laid off from his job, Matt Zablocki used the setback as an opportunity to return to UMass Lowell and complete his undergraduate degree in business administration.

Manning School of Business MBA coursework provided service learning opportunities to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, native Covington Bien-Aimé. He improved his team management skills, while working with students from many countries to give help to communities in need.

Manning School of Business student Rachel Silk landed a professional co-op as a marketing events coordinator that has helped shape her future career plans.

After making his mark at UML as Student Government Association president, Manning School of Business senior Andre DiFilippo is excited to get started on a sales career.

Business administration major Melanie Sunnerberg has a passion for finance that she’s honed through a co-op experience at MFS Investment Management and her leadership roles in student organizations.

Ever since moving to Lowell from the Philippines with his mom as a child, Andre Ragel has embraced a sink-or-swim attitude – one that carried the business administration major through a busy first year on campus.

Toronto native Frank Stegnar excelled in the classroom and on the ice as an undergrad at UMass Lowell, so he chose to get his MBA online from the Manning School of Business.

Finance major Lynn Le had to make some major adjustments when she started her co-op job, but she says it's one of the best experiences she's ever had.

Pranav Joshi encourages incoming students to take advantage of the co-op program and the career-building seminars offered throughout the University.

Abigail Hans becomes the first student to represent Manning School of Business’ Beta Gamma Sigma chapter at the international business honor society’s Global Leadership Summit.

Management student Matthew Johnson entered the university in the aftermath of the global financial crisis and wanted to graduate with strong educational credentials and relevant job skills.

As an accounting co-op at iRobot, business administration major Kelly Dankese of Wilmington discovered a symbiotic relationship between what she learned in the classroom and the work she was doing for the Bedford-based tech company.

Steffan Jackson combines his business studies with his passion for community service to create Make-A-Change, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids in hardship situations.

Business administration major Josiah Gennell loves music and gaming. He hopes that by becoming an information technology consultant, he’ll have the flexibility to pursue those interests and turn them into a career.

Business student Nadine Chamoun, whose concentrations are in finance and management, stepped out of her comfort zone for an information technology system development internship at Needham Bank. And she’s glad she did.

Whether it’s working to improve campus life as Student Government Association president or responding to an emergency call as a student EMT, David Morton has dedicated himself to making UML a better place.

Through the Manning School’s Business and Entrepreneur Scholars in Training (BEST) program, accounting major Abby McNulty developed a case study analysis of the Columbia Gas explosions for the Donahue Center for Business Ethics and Social Responsibility.

So far, Honors College student Nancy Chac has signed up for three honors classes every semester. It could be a record.

Twisha Mohapatra says her experiences in the River Hawk Scholars Academy and the Honors College have boosted her confidence, taught her leadership skills and set her up for academic success.

Elise Paugh found a study abroad program in Australia that allowed her to complete her required business courses, as well as work remotely for her co-op employer.

Biar Kon grew up in refugee camps in Kenya. Now he gives back to the city’s refugee community through his work with the International Institute of New England.

After a globetrotting career in IT, Amos Kungu of Kenya is setting his sights on starting his own company. He's working on a master’s degree in entrepreneurship — while working full time and raising a family.

Christine Vaudo returned to school after a long gap to earn a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Manning School of Business and then decided to pursue her master’s degree in business analytics.

Accounting student Victor Souza knew all about hard work when he arrived at UMass Lowell. His focus was on getting involved during his undergraduate career — while also gaining valuable professional experience through internships.

Briannah Larsen came here to play Division I field hockey – and stayed for the business school and the Honors College.

With a dissertation on social media’s role in the entrepreneurial process, Thailand’s Atthaphon Mumi became the first graduate of the Manning School of Business’ Ph.D. in entrepreneurship program.

Just as she does in the high jump, junior business major Danielle Poublon reached new heights during her operations management co-op at Raytheon.

In addition to his day job as a finance manager, Manning School of Business alumnus Robert Leonard ’16, ’18 hosts the “Millennial Investing” podcast, runs his own real estate investment firm and is about to launch an interactive online platform for real estate investors.

Benjamin McEvoy has been racking up wins as a DifferenceMaker competitor with partner Edward Morante and their idea for an inclusive combination of baseball and cricket, Benji Ball.

UMass Lowell was love at first sight for business major Tan Nhat Nuynh, a native of Vietnam, who is making the most of his opportunities in and out of the classroom.

Amanda Robinson considers Jacquie Moloney a true role model. As a UMass Student Trustee, Robinson got to help her mentor become elected Chancellor of UMass Lowell.

Kimberly Chao transferred to UMass Lowell where she was able to follow her two passions: business and health care

Davood Dashti’s love of photography helped him transition from home in Iran to college life in the United States. Now, the Manning School of Business student is focused on a professional photography career.

For Thayse Mota transferring to UMass Lowell from Northern Essex Community College was a seamless process.

Rising sophomore Chris Burns, one of five UMass students to win a $10,000 William Bulger Presidential Scholarship, came into the Manning School of Business with a strong sense of purpose.

Business student Shaymus Dunn got hands-on accounting experience – and an unexpected visit to the NASDAQ stock exchange – during his summer internship at EverQuote.

Manning School of Business MBA student Daniel Parravano began working as a real estate agent as an undergraduate to help pay his way through school. Now he is ready to make his mark in the world of commercial real estate.

As a merchandising co-op for TJX in Framingham, senior business administration major Hayley Buonodono of Amesbury took a giant step toward her career goal of working as a buyer in the retail industry.

Carla Gonzalez Hidalgo is a full-time student and her family’s sole support. Yet she finds time to volunteer for causes she believes in.

Nisarg Jhaveri is learning all about global supply chain operations — and how to work remotely with colleagues in far-flung locations — in his summer internship with Dell Technologies.

The accounting education Kevin Davis received at UMass Lowell gave him his foundation to become the controller of the hockey equipment supplier, Bauer Performance Sports

The Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association of Greater Lowell helped Manning School of Business student Sopheak Mean discover a path to college. Through his part-time work at the nonprofit organization, Mean is helping kids like himself from Lowell who may need guidance and mentorship.