Meet Our Students

Karam Alafandi is studying history on his way to becoming a doctor.

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

Honors College student Daphne Shakira Naut was already fluent in two languages and had started on two more by the time she finished high school. Here at UML, she’s picked up a fifth language and studied abroad three times – all while supporting herself.

Madison Fusco is helping to make a difference in people’s lives through her biotechnology co-op at Wave Life Sciences.

Lawreta Kankam is passionate about public health. She plans to go on to medical school so she can provide both care and preventive health programs for underserved groups.

Marine Corps veteran Daryle LaMonica is on the fast track to becoming a doctor through the UMass Medical School Baccalaureate to M.D. Pathway Program.

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.

Alyssa Puglisi was awarded a three-year, $75,000 scholarship by Entegris, the second UML student to receive this support from the company.

Sonakshi Chaudhary came to UML planning to transfer. She stayed after falling in love with everything the campus has to offer.

Mina Lam added “Japanese Student Association founder” to her already busy schedule.

Sofia Savoca chose UMass Lowell for the opportunity to be in the Honors College and to study civil engineering. She’s found a dozen new opportunities since arriving on campus.

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

Elinor Mayo has lofty dreams, and Air Force ROTC is helping her find her way to the cockpit.

Madison Reed works as a research assistant with Plastics Engineering Prof. Ramaswamy Nagarajan in the UML Fabric Discovery Center.

Wonder Ahiatsi chose UMass Lowell for its B.S. in quantitative economics.

Benedicta Agyemang-Brantuo won the 2021 MLK Service Award for starting a club to address health disparities – amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

An introduction to research helped Noah Mason find his passion.

David Levenson’s Mock Trial team experience led to a real legal internship.

Honors student Hannah Allgood came to UML for undergraduate research opportunities.

With an unbridled passion for learning, Sammy Santana is pursuing his numerous interests through the BLA program.

Albert Farah found multiple paid research experiences at UMass Lowell.

Jamie-Lyn Cavallon won an NSF-funded meteorology internship.

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

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

An Honors College student fellowship gave Marbella Leal a chance to work with at-risk students and do research with a professor.

When Payal Patel started college as an engineering major, she missed tutoring and teaching – so she decided to make education her career.

Maddy Roop transferred to UMass Lowell as a business student looking to launch a music career. But along the way she’s become president of the Student Society for Sustainability.

Jared Socolow turned his own struggles into a research project that he will present at the annual conference of the Association for Psychological Science.

With faculty support, Hope Zouzas won a prestigious $15,000 scholarship and has lined up a post-graduation accounting internship at PwC.

Between UML’s rigorous coursework and vast extracurricular activities, Sara Aldahabi feels ready to take on dental school.

Tim Murphy says his experiences at UMass Lowell have increased his confidence along with his expertise.

After earning two degrees at UMass Lowell, Rebecca Mendum is continuing her education at Harvard University.

Nicole Wilson ’24 discovered a passion for volunteering while earning a business degree.

Jack Callahan is pursuing a public health degree to improve the lives of as many people as possible.

Honors student Edina Hirt faced hurdles from learning English to battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma while working toward her degree. Still, she won an award for her dedication to community service.

Kylie Letendre, who struggled in school due to ADHD, wants to help children with learning disabilities.

Abby Mastromonaco’s passion for sustainability led to a Rist Institute for Sustainability and Energy fellowship and research experience in a plastics engineering lab.

Honors student Malcolm Schrafft studied his twin passions: music and theater.

Honors mechanical engineering major Scott Penfield has traveled extensively on two continents besides North America – and hopes to add a fourth before long.

Melisa Hussain’s experience as a visibly Muslim teenager inspired her honors thesis.

Dana Ibrahim chose UMass Lowell for its peace and conflict studies program, which lets her combine classes across the social sciences and humanities to suit her goal: to become a diplomat and aid refugees.

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

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

Eric Roy started doing meteorological research on campus the summer after his freshman year – and then won two research internships with government agencies.

Nicholas Trunfio immersed himself in history while studying 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.

By her sophomore year, Feriel Boudif had secured two paid research assistant positions on campus.

Vanessa Chen likes computer science because it’s both logical and creative.

David Rosario says his professors help him to stay focused and motivated.

Affordability drew Sarah Curley to UML, but her experience led to a wealth of opportunities and set her up for an accounting career.

Inspired by a summer program, Carolina Reyes is determined to become an English teacher at Lawrence High School.

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.

Douglas Correa Ospina plans to combine his studies in psychology and economics to help immigrants and others from marginalized groups become more financially secure.

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.

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

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.

Grace Hansen is researching sports nutrition and brain injuries.

Duc Vu discovered his ability to teach in high school, so he signed up for the UTeach program in STEM education.

Hannah Casey signed up for the Model U.N. and Mock Trial teams and student government. She interned with a congressional candidate and a defense attorney. Now she’s student body president.

Christina Han’s work with Multicultural Affairs, her club leadership and her studies in criminal justice converged in her honors capstone: running a “Support Space” for Asian American and Pacific Islander students during a surge in hate crimes.

Maddie Gear’s favorable first impression of UML steered her to a marketing co-op position at CarGurus.

Eleanora Peters fell in love with teaching at the Boston Museum of Science.

Honors business student and MLK award-winner Beatriz Martins has learned the value of resilience.

Nazeli Acosta won a State Department Scholarship to study rural health care in the Dominican Republic.

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.

As a sophomore, Matthew Clancy designed a small satellite with a vital mission: getting children and teens excited about their STEM studies and aerospace careers. Now he’s developing his LEARNsat for NASA launch.

The River Hawk Racing club steered Garrett Perry to UML. Now, he’s on course for a career in motor sports.

As a pharmaceutical sciences major interested in research and business, Marita Merheb pursues all opportunities to advance her goals.

Debby Fernand says the River Hawk Scholars Academy has introduced her to friends and faculty mentors – and turned her into a leader herself.

From attending COP28 in Dubai to joining the Rist Institute for Sustainability and Energy, William Lefebvre is learning that environmental science is also an art.

Pratibha Gautam’s job at a medical device incubator inspired her to pursue a career in health economics.

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

Varsha Perkins loves both her teaching and honors classes.

Pablo Ruiz returned to school for a second bachelor’s degree, and he’s going on for his master’s degree, too.

Sophie Combs knows her research is going somewhere: into the online Library of New England Immigration.

Isabella De Souza has won two scholarships that will allow her to study Spanish abroad, so she can bring multiple languages to her future nursing career.

Honors transfer student Cameron McKenzie squeezed four study abroad trips into her short time at UML.

Aspiring math teacher Tanya Kieu ’24 gained real-world teaching experience through the UTeach program.

Graduate student Ryan Cormier is enjoying one extra year on campus before joining the workforce.

Honors student Rachel Record won a full scholarship to law school, thanks to the Legal Studies Program and research and practical experiences.

Honors student Franchesca Arias is passionate about studying abroad after completing a summer program in Valencia, Spain.

Jeurys Santiago credits his entrepreneurship classes and experiences with helping him launch his networking and marketing company, Minds With Purpose.

Annie Cary found herself wading through lakes in search of stickleback fish as part of her immunology research.

Maxwell Aaronson is pursuing international experiences and languages, with the goal of working in the Foreign Service.

Coral Gonzalez set her sights on becoming a nurse after she was hospitalized in middle school. The Honors College student won one of the first Oprah Winfrey Scholarships to help her succeed.

The Bachelor of Liberal Arts program provided Gabrielle Salvatore ’24 with a great foundation for a teaching career.

Sid Iyer has taken advantage of internships, research opportunities, the DifferenceMaker program and more to pursue his goal: a career in biomedical research and development.

Honors transfer student Fidel Castro wants to make a name for himself in the field of nanotechnology manufacturing.

Emmy Misail won an Honors College creativity fellowship to draw comic strips under the guidance of an art professor.

Student-athlete Megan Salsinha credits her honors research project and academic coursework for preparing her for medical school.

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

Sarah Elizabeth McDermott is grateful for scholarships that are helping her to graduate debt-free, because in the future she won’t have to say “No” to any opportunities.

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

Juana Guerrero came to UML with strong academic credentials. A support program helped boost her confidence and leadership skills, too.

Great classes and research experience, a professional co-op and a cybersecurity competition are preparing Grace Chin for professional success.

Yrvanie Joseph is grateful for alumni scholarships because they confirm the value of her hard work and academic achievements.

Shanice Kelly is a leader in multiple campus clubs because she wants to get more students of color involved in STEM, especially space science programs.

Veyli Ortiz Solis earned a B.S. in criminal justice in just three years – with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

Whether studying abroad or conducting research, Stephanie Ceballos is making the most out of her UMass Lowell experience.

Kyle Mehan began researching nutrition when trying to heal his own injuries. Now he promotes a plant-based diet.

Rachel Jordan says that discovering the chair of the Economics Department was a woman helped convince her to come to UMass Lowell.

Honors student Stephanie Guglielmo is all about studying abroad.

Olivia Hebert discovered a passion for corporate real estate at UMass Lowell.

A staff accountant internship at Novogradac confirmed business major Heer Patel’s interest in auditing.

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

Honors College student Anthony Amatucci leads the UML Marching Band and the Model U.N. team – and still finds time for a double major, a minor and research.

Teerth Patel had to pinch himself after landing a manufacturing engineering internship at Tesla — just after his internship at Procter & Gamble.

Flore Stécie Norcéide won an Oprah Winfrey Scholarship to study computer engineering here.

Brigid Archibald always wanted to be a superhero. Now the editor of the student newspaper, The Connector, she sees journalists as today’s heroes.

An honors seminar led Joshua Walsh to design a drinking water system and solar grid for a center in Haiti.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Aya Oulal was able to study abroad in Spain, attend COP28 in Dubai and become a resident advisor.

Justin Baez Peguero is studying business, working three jobs and serving in student government.

Janelle Christopher started studying at UMass Lowell at the same time as her mom, Lorraine.

Honors College student Jennifer Dossantos is majoring in business because she’s inspired by her mom.

A class in cognitive psychology inspired Melissa DiPano to do research with two professors and aim for a Ph.D.

Honors College Student Fellow Sunilda Frias is studying biology to help subsistence farmers improve their soil.

Brianna Atwood came to UMass Lowell to study plastics engineering – but she’s done so much more. The honors student started a volunteer program that connects UML students with a local school. She has also participated in the professional co-op program, working on fire-resistant seals for airplanes.

Greg Reimonn found a faculty mentor to help him research microplastics in waterways, thanks to an honors fellowship.

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.

Cora Casteel says mathematics will help her with a career in policing and criminal justice policy.