Meet Honors College Alumni

An elective course helped John Kelly ’23 figure out his career interests.

An interest in genomics took Caryn McCowan ’11 from researching spiders to working at a canine genetics company.

Lukas Lazarek’s summer research fellowship in computer science at Carnegie Mellon University helped prepare him for graduate school – and won him an award.

Qiana Curcuru loves UMass Lowell for its opportunities. The honors student is president of the campus chapter of the Society of Women Engineers, has done a professional co-op at iRobot, has taught and interned at MIT Lincoln Laboratory and done research with two professors on campus.

Jacob Solomon is as well-rounded as they come. The honors English and math major is assisting with research in a biology lab.

Ayah Awadallah is starting an online magazine for young American Muslim women caught between American culture and the tenets of their faith.

James Joutras came to UMass Lowell to discover himself. His experiences instilled confidence – and took him to Japan, where he plans to work after graduation.

As a 1982 graduate with a degree in English, Beth Donaghey took a temporary job as a secretary at the university, just for a year. She never left.

Mateo Rull Garza immersed himself in research – and published in a leading scientific journal.

Thomas Sherriff was the lead author on a paper about functional movements of firefighters.

Evan Dingle’s passion for helping people and love of international study led him to a job with a nonprofit in Uganda that serves children with special needs.

Syeda Nizami is using scholarships, research fellowships and work-study jobs to graduate with low debt, so she can afford a career helping others instead of working to pay off student loans.

Anthony Gaeta says his six-month co-op at John Hancock Financial gave him real-world experience in his dream job as an actuary.

Mary Everett combined her interest in environmental science with a love of writing. An honors fellowship gave her the support to write a group of short stories – which won her admission to a top-ranked M.F.A. program in creative writing.

A service-learning capstone in Lowell and Haiti transformed Maureen Kelly’s civil engineering education — and her life. She now works for a firm that supports her ongoing volunteer work in Haiti and her mentoring of current students.

Army Rangers veteran Brendon Aylaian is working as a financial specialist for the Air Force.

A research opportunity helped Caroline DeSouza see that marine biology was an attainable career.

One faculty member opened a door for Adeja Crearer, and it changed her life.

Criminal justice major Matt Levenson loves an adventure and a challenge—and he’s bent on seizing every opportunity he can while at UMass Lowell.

Honors student Kripa Joseph is earning her B.A. and M.A. in Peace and Conflict Studies in four years, while minoring in music and pursuing internships that promote diversity and respect among cultures.

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.

Peace and Conflict Studies major Jenna Kapp has taken advantage of nearly every opportunity that’s come her way on campus. Now she’s finding more abroad.

Her experiences in the Honors College and in a college readiness program, Let’s Get Ready, helped Marilyn Saha get a job at Raytheon Technologies.

Honors nursing student Corrina Quaglietta studied abroad in San Sebastian, Spain, the summer after her freshman year. The experience turned her into a huge booster of study abroad.

An honors seminar and fellowship sent Maggie Davenport to Haiti, where she’s working on sustainability projects.

Honors student Jessica Kergo has landed great jobs and internships – including one with Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker. She also writes for The Connector student newspaper and advocates for mental health awareness.

Honors student Denia Taylor has overcome many challenges in order to pursue a degree in political science. She plans to take up a career that allows her to combine legal training and philosophy.

Honors physics alum Dashon Jones ’23 took advantage of research opportunities on and off campus.

Dean Kennedy always dreamed of a career at Disney. The experience he gained and connections he made while earning his bachelor’s and master’s in mechanical engineering helped make that dream come true.

Thomas Heywosz’s experiences in the UTeach program and in Haiti have made him a successful high school math teacher.

Moniphal Bing was able to study abroad in Cambodia, which his parents fled before he was born, through a new partnership with the American University of Phnom Penh.

While double-majoring in psychology and exercise physiology, Patrice Faith Olivar has gained both research and practical experience. UMass Lowell has opened more doors than she thought possible.

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

Kelsey Gonzalez cares for asylum seekers as program manager for Global Disaster Response and Humanitarian Action at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Center for Global Health.

With her people-first approach, Yonnie Collins found success in her coursework and her extracurricular activities.