Meet the Alumni | 2019

Alexandria, was an active member of the College Crusade of Rhode Island, a college awareness and readiness program for low income youth and their families, and participated in their "Cru Club" activities. Alex has faced many challenges during her life, during which her academic performance suffered due to the added stress, but she has since found comfort with friends and family. Her motivation, strength of character, generosity and resilience are her greatest gifts. Her Torch recommender said the following about Alex:

“She is a compassionate individual who is admired for her optimistic perspective and tenacity. Her interpersonal skills are of a very mature and humble nature. Her strong values and work ethic have guided her though the most difficult times in her life. She will most definitely motivate and lead her peers to support each other.”

Joely grew up in the United States after immigrating from Venezuela at a very young age. Her persistent striving for a better life and her dream to succeed never ceased, and she found ways to cope and overcome the challenges in her life. One of the ways in which she demonstrated her leadership was by creating her own club, MAD (Making A Difference), where people could express themselves freely in an open forum, discussing the issues that plagued their communities and creating ways to combat those issues. Joely has participated in a conference call with Michelle Obama's team for her new initiative on behalf of first-generation college students. This summer, Joely and her Providence Slam Team competed in an international slam poetry contest, Brave New Voices, in Philadelphia. Her nominator wrote:

“Her desire to learn has always been dedicated to creative methods of survival and perseverance…She embodies the grit her neighborhood has forced her to develop and navigates the world with a sense of purpose unparalleled to others her age.”

As a means of escaping and keeping his mind occupied from the different events that occurred in his life, Djibril joined the drama team in his school. In addition to theater, Djibril also has experience interning at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, through the Corporate Work Study Program at Cristo Rey. Djibril also has a lot of experience acting as a "big brother" to underclassman. As a member of this program he works with his peers to plan events, activities and other programs for the school to ensure that the transition for freshman goes smoothly. Djibril was given the honor of representing the freshman class at the President’s opening convocation this year and did an excellent job in front of his 2500 classmates. Hi nominator wrote:

“Djibril is one of the few students who genuinely possesses the attributes we splash on our walls and fundraising materials – forthright, humble, intellectually curious, considerate of others – attributes made all the more impressive by the sense that he’s come by them through diligence and application.”

Davae is a self-taught artist inspired by Noda (North Davidson art district in Charlotte), a place where she feels accepted, and where she has been able to flourish as a person. Her love of art, and skill in math and science convinced Davae, after much thought, to enter the Architecture program. Davae and her twin sister, Kasia (a Northeastern Ujima Global Scholar), grew up with their legal guardians, who they consider their mother and their grandfather. Davae has dedicated a lot of her time to volunteer work while performing well academically. She is talented, creative and artistic. One of her recommenders said:

“Davae has an excellent personality, social skills, and work ethic, all of which combine to create someone with leadership potential… She is such an original thinker, and when I talk with her I am refreshed with ideas and inspiration. She is extremely genuine and is without pretense.”

Jailene was involved with softball, volleyball, Latin dance, and Student Government while in high school. Jailene was also involved with Liberty Partnership Program, a New York state program to address the high number of high school dropouts. She was very active in the organization, attending meetings, assisting in the office, and mentoring fellow LLP members. Having been a victim of bullying, Jailene decided to become a mentor for students when one of her friends founded the Pace High School Mentors Program in the fall of her junior year. Jailene is committed to continuing her involvement in Latin dance and playing intramural softball. Her Torch nominator has this to say:

“Jailene is charismatic and has honed her leadership abilities in her involvement in a myriad of extra-curricular activities. She is a highly visible and universally respected member of our school community and is a role model to younger students.”

Antoine proudly speaks of his racial background and his love for cultural diversity. He considers himself Cherokee, Blackfoot Native American, African American, and Portuguese. From his 9 years of being matched with a volunteer Big Brother, he calls his mentors part of his family, saying this has been a positive influence in his life. Antoine is close to his mother and celebrates her cancer survivorship. Antoine was a summer intern for his Boston city councilor and received a fellowship with the police commissioner. He was also very active in ModelUN, participating in both the Boston and Harvard experiences. This is from his Torch nomination:

“Antoine is a dedicated worker, a sociable person, and a confident young man. He is never afraid to ask questions and has an appreciation for learning and exploring new ideas. He has a bright personality and brings inspiration to all that he undertakes.

Ralph is originally from the Gio tribe from Liberia. His natural curiosity has brought him to a love of engineering, and his hard work and diligence has elevated his work to a standard of excellence. He and his family left Liberia after years of war, time in refugee camps, and personal tragedy. These experiences instilled in him a seriousness of purpose and desire to improve in everything he does. His sense of the obligation to guide young men away from the type of callous corruption he witnessed as a child has caused him to show leadership by his example with a serious focus on schoolwork, respect for girls and women, and admirable sportsmanship in soccer. Ralph participated in Bottom Line his senior year, and Teens in Print and Debate Club for several years in high school.

His nominators say, “I believe him to have a high potential to be a leader for principled behavior in our changing world. He is an extraordinarily ethical person who has the ability to maintain focus in the mist of chaos. He is always on task, yet is patient and observant of other’s needs. Ralph is also inspired by his belief in the ability of man to improve his nature. In his spare time he loves to enhance his understanding of all aspects of his education that might improve his ability to learn.”

Xhorxhia (pronounced “Georgia”) moved to the US from Albania in 2008, determined and willing to work hard. Her ability to take on tasks for her family such as translating during doctor appointments, paying bills, and helping her father write a resume and conduct a job search in Boston, are indicative of her determination, maturity, and strength of character. Throughout high school, she took an active role in supporting her parents’ assimilation to life in the United States. In addition to her family responsibilities and her eight-hour weekly commitment to SquashBusters (where she learned to play squash and took part in community service projects) during high school, Xhorxhia held a part-time job and challenged herself by taking rigorous AP classes at school. Her recommender wrote:

“She is a student who is constantly seeking out new opportunities and challenges and always takes full advantage of the opportunities that are offered to her. This is evidenced by the many commitments she’s embraced and effectively balanced in high school and I’m certain that in college she will continue to be an active, engaged member of the community.”

Throughout high school, Martha constantly gave back to her community through various community service events/projects including book drives and peer tutoring. When Martha received a scholarship to attend Thayer, she jumped at the opportunity, not only for herself, but to be a role model for her younger sister. Martha is independent and has held a job during high school to earn money to help both help family and pursue her own interests, particularly in photography. She is self-motivated, articulate, and mature, with a strong sense of self. She was also a Bottom Line participant, president of her school’s diversity club, director of Project Rise (peer tutoring), and a dancer and choreographer in high school. She is currently working on a photography project called Souls of NEU with the goal of “displaying through social media how different we all are on this campus and to cherish the beauty of our stories.” One of her recommenders says:

“Martha is a true leader. Her own life experiences have taught her the importance of independence and fending for herself. She is mature, articulate, responsible, and exudes warmth. Also, she takes charge of her life and destiny by utilizing every possible resource available to her and putting herself in a position where she can achieve her goals.”

Paula is a hard worker and who has said she will do the impossible to achieve her goals. Throughout high school, she acted as head of the household, taking care of the cooking and cleaning due to her mom’s disability. In addition to her at home responsibilities, Paula was the Vice President of the science and math club, its webmaster, and a youth group leader. Her favorite activity was as a youth ambassador for One Laptop Per Child. In her role there, she helped develop the XO Laptop and Tablet using her programming skills. And her talent is not only in math and science, she also played a lead role in the musical Grease. A nominator noted:

“Paula is a leader both in and out of the classroom. She is always assisting other students and can often be found tutoring others and volunteering in one of our school organizations. She is a hardworking, persistent, and positive student who will thrive in a university setting. She is not one to give up, she is diligent in her studies, and she has innate intellectual ability.”