Congratulations to all of the seniors who will be graduating this May! SEI is grateful for the contributions you have made over the years to the social enterprise community. We look forward to seeing what’s next in your lives and careers, and we love looking back on your journeys with you. We hope you’ll join us on May 2nd for our Cording Ceremony.
“The experiences I gained through SEI opened my eyes to a new way of thinking and viewing the world. SEI also helped me form bonds that will last a lifetime.” – Olamide Kolawole
“SEI helped me to hone my interests into one impactful field and I am so lucky to have been involved!” – Chloe Lesieur
“Although my time with SEI was limited, it was certainly life changing. After participating in 2206 and the Dialogue to South Africa, my point of view on the world and how I exist has been altered. I can truly say that my actions take on a new meaning now – I’m constantly thinking of how things can be better, how people can be supported to live a more sustainable and prosperous life, and how the products we use everyday have an impact from the source to the consumer. My life is more conscious and I see more opportunity for change, and more importantly for the good – that every person deserves to live a decent life they’re proud of, and that they can control. This new point of view will undoubtedly stick with me throughout my future endeavors, wherever they might take me in my post-grad life. Thank you Professor Shaughnessy and the SEI community for making my undergraduate career more impactful, and more than just following the motions.” – Alice Anastasia
“I didn’t discover my passion for social entrepreneurship until my final year at Northeastern but better late than never! I spent my fourth year abroad in Spain and I did extensive travelling before, during and after the program. I was opened up to many social issues that I realized I was very sheltered away from growing up. This exposure to all sorts of different cultures, socio-economic backgrounds, mental and physical capacities, and education levels gave me the opportunity to not only recognize my privileges but also challenge myself to see the world through different lenses.
My year abroad was really the pivotal moment in which I jumped off the Wall Street train and onto the Social Entrepreneurship express train. Returning from my year abroad for my final semester of classes, I took Global Social Enterprise and Impact Investing and Social Finance and was instantly hooked. Thank you Professor Shaughnessy, Professor Minard and the SEI team for helping me get to where I am today and giving me the opportunities to explore my passion for social entrepreneurship!” – Elodie Kwan
“My experiences with SEI have defined my time at Northeastern. I am honored to have spent time learning alongside the incredible students and faculty involved and I look forward to continuing to bridge business with social good after graduation! There is a lot of work to be done and I know that Northeastern alumni are going to do impactful work going forward.” – Danielle Antico
“I found SEI during my middler year when I was not satisfied with a solely general business curriculum. My experience with SEI, from co-oping in Kenya and studying in India, will follow me in all my future endeavors thanks to all the great professors. SEI helped create a global perspective and explore careers beyond the typical business route.” – Eric Ishahak
“When I joined SEISA and met the amazing students behind this organization, I was hooked. I immediately signed up for Shaughnessy’s 2206 class and the dialogue to the Dominican Republic and Cuba. My experiences with SEI were some of my most formative experiences at Northeastern, and they deeply shaped my worldview. Traveling to the DR was my first experience in the developing world, and this experience gave me the basis to start understanding what it means to create impact on a global scale, empower others, and problem-solve creatively. I’m endlessly thankful that I found SEI as a freshman. I honestly can’t imagine having studied business without my social enterprise studies to balance out the morally hazardous emphasis on shareholder value (as we know it) above all. It should be required for business majors!” – Miranda Beggin
“I feel really grateful for the many academic and extracurricular opportunities I participated in through SEI, from learning about food systems from local farmers in Appalachia, to interviewing microfinance borrowers in the Dominican Republic, to presenting a project proposal at the CGIU conference. Each of these transformative experiences further developed my passion for social change/social impact, and continue to challenge me in thinking critically about measuring impact, equitable design processes, and supporting communities in overcoming systemic barriers.” – Nadav David
