Born and raised in Kuwait by parents of Indian descent, Angel Molekunnel moved to the United States at age 16 when her mom took a nursing job in Chicopee, Massachusetts.
“It was definitely a culture shock,” says Molekunnel, who had only known life in the “very conservative Muslim country.”
Molekunnel says her parents wanted her to become a doctor, so they were less than thrilled when she chose to major in
business at UMass Lowell.
“My mother was like, ‘No, that’s not for you,’” Molekunnel recalls. “That made me angry, but at the same time, I realized the reason she said that is because she grew up in a place where women going into business is quite stigmatized.”
Midway through her undergraduate degree, Molekunnel is proving that “yes, women can be equal to men in business.”
As a sophomore, she landed a three-month
internship with state Rep. Simon Cataldo, working on community outreach and social media at the State House in Boston. Molekunnel won’t soon forget her mom’s reaction to the certificate she received upon completing the internship.
“She’s like, ‘Oh my God! My daughter is going to be the next president of America!’” Molekunnel says. “I can’t, since I was not born in the country, but it was good to see that change.”
“I found I really like being a leader, just knowing that I can help people and inspire them,” says Molekunnel, who usually considers herself “the most extroverted person in the room.”
“I just like how friendly people are here. There’s a very good mix of diversity, and there’s a constant push toward including more people,” she says.
In the summer before her junior year, Molekunnel joined nine other business students on a
service learning trip to Panama, where they worked as consultants for small businesses.
“I love putting myself in new situations because, YOLO — you only live once, right?” she says.
Molekunnel can see herself becoming a college professor someday. First, she wants to get some industry experience, perhaps as a cybersecurity analyst. A summer job as a program manager for the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, an international nonprofit organization, has her considering a career in management as well.
“There’s a lot more fields that are open to me,” she says. “UMass Lowell is a great place to be, especially if you put yourself out there and seek opportunity.”
