Jason Norman comes from a French-Canadian family in Lowell, but his ability to speak French really took off after a summer study abroad program in Paris.

Emily Crespo came to UML for its affordability – and for the River Hawk Scholars Academy, now a supportive community for first-year, first-generation college students.

Honors student Adeja Crearer is equally comfortable in front of a television camera or behind one. She’s combining a journalism concentration in English with minors in digital media and political science to prepare for a career in news.

Roberto Rivera combined a B.A. in English literature and Spanish and Italian with a master’s degree in education to become an ESL teacher in the Lawrence schools.