Muad is a Somali- American born in Seattle, Washington. Muad has grown up in the city his entire life and has seen the disparities within his community. For this reason, Muad was committed to bridging the health and educational gap in low-income communities. With the support of the Department of Health, Muad and his team were able to publish a resource site making healthcare greatly accessible for teens earning the prestigious Excellence in Adolescence Award. He was recently named to the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) National Committee where he will work with disparities on a national scale.

Muad has always been involved in advocacy which motivated him to pursue a career in law. While on the pre-law track at Northeastern, Muad intends to study Philosophy, Politics, and Economics with a potential minor in Business Administration. Muad hopes to one day be able to equip himself with the financial resources to support his single mother and carve a path for other Somali men like himself.

Alex was born and raised in El Progreso, Honduras, where he spent the formative years of his life. After suffering gang threats for several years, his family was forced to immigrate to the United States to seek a safer environment. Alex began his junior year in an all-boys Catholic school in New York with the motivation to improve himself and take advantage of the new opportunity that life had given to him. Throughout the years, Alex kept challenging himself academically while remaining committed to the communities (Hearts & Homes for Refugees and Catholic Charities of New York) that helped him in the past. He was an active member of his community by participating in various food pantries, assisting in the resettlement of new refugee families, peer mentoring, and participating in toy drives. Alex has always had a passion for solving and analyzing crime while helping others.

His ambition is to pursue a career as a crime analyst or detective, as his goal is to combat corruption and have positive change in society. He is grateful for the opportunity to join the Northeastern community and be able to pursue his dream.

Brian was born in Newark, New Jersey, and resides in Irvington, New Jersey. He grew up in a Ghanaian household surrounded by two parents and one sibling. Brian attended Essex County Donald M. Payne, Sr. School of Technology. Brian connected the student body and the school administration through clubs and activities. He was President of the Black Student Union and Vice President of the Student Council. Brian introduced the AP African American Studies course into the Essex County Schools of Technology district, writing the email that caught the College Board’s attention. He managed his high school’s social media pages, creating content using Adobe Photoshop and Canva. At Northeastern, Brian wants to study Public Relations and join clubs such as the Northeastern African Student Organization (NASO). In his spare time, Brian enjoys socializing and listening to music.

Laykin, born and raised in Mississippi, is the eldest of five siblings. Raised by her grandmother due to her parents’ absence, she faced early skepticism about her future. Despite these challenges, Laykin overcame expectations through her dedication to academics and soccer. As the captain of her soccer team and an active member of the Student Government Association, she demonstrated leadership and commitment. She attended Neshoba Central High School until her sophomore year, after which she was selected to attend the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science. It was here that Laykin discovered her passion for research, leading her to compete in the International Science and Engineering Fair during her senior year.

At Northeastern University, Laykin is determined to major in pharmaceutical science with a focus on research. She aspires to contribute to the development of medical solutions, driven by a desire to discover a cure for significant health issues.

Brandon Harris comes from Boston, MA, and lived with his aunt and uncle for 7 years in Roslindale before coming to Northeastern University. He is a foster kid and was placed into his aunt and uncle’s care in 2017 due to parental neglect. His mom is a white American and his biological father is an Afro-Latino from Puerto Rico. In 2018, Brandon was accepted into Boston Latin School, the very first public school in the country, and ranks #1 in the state today. At BLS, Brandon was given a rich and successful academic education. In April of 2022, Brandon met his girlfriend Gia, and today, they have a happy and healthy relationship that has spanned for more than two years. Brandon reached his senior year in 2023 and graduated from BLS in June of 2024.

Brandon is currently a Game Design major and hopes that by going to Northeastern, he will be given the opportunity to create meaningful change to the world, one step at a time.

Alyssa is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Their mother immigrated from Albania and was naturalized the year Alyssa was born. During childhood, they discovered their interests in learning languages, reading, writing, debate, and most significantly advocating for others. Alyssa later attended the University School of Milwaukee where she was exposed to a polar opposite environment to her home life, which illuminated the need for change and sparked her passion for bridging the gap of inequality. The academic rigor Alyssa was exposed to with taking AP classes and a large course load aided in preparing them for the coursework at Northeastern. She also participated in the fall play, track and field, debate team, and more!

Alyssa’s intended major is History, Culture, and Law to follow her passion for social justice, and plans to pursue law school. Ultimately using their law degree to serve underprivileged communities and set legal precedent that tangibly helps marginalized people.

Mariam Kaba was born and raised in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, to two parents who immigrated to the United States from Cote d’Ivoire to raise her younger sister and her. She attended Woonsocket Senior High School, where she was an active member of her school community, contributing many hours to making her school a better place. Mariam served as president of Future Business Leaders of America-PBL, peer mentor, and youth representative for the education department’s social-emotional learning team and the diversity, equity, and inclusion team. She is also equally involved in her community of Woonsocket. Mariam is leading a one-million-dollar project through the Transform Rhode Island Scholarship in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, from creating a community food pantry and funding financial literacy field trips for her high school to creating a social-emotional learning classroom in a local elementary school. Her community is at the forefront of everything she does.

Mariam will major in combined health science and business administration on the Pre-Physician Assistant track. She hopes to pursue a healthcare career and fund and build free local clinics in low-income communities, supporting underprivileged communities as much as she can.

Isamar Martinez, or Isa, was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, to a Puerto Rican mother and immigrant Dominican father. At 14, she began her academic career at The Hotchkiss School, a residential college preparatory high school in Lakeville, CT. There, she was elected to the student council all four years, headed several identity-based affinity spaces on campus, performed and composed songs for various musical endeavors, and spent her senior year serving the student body as Communications Director. Through these experiences, Isamar learned the importance of leadership, organization, and communication, inspiring her to pursue a combined major in Business Administration and Communications with a minor in Spanish at Northeastern.

As a first-generation high school graduate and college student, Isamar is grateful for the opportunity to pursue higher education and is driven to succeed both academically and socially. In her spare time, Isa enjoys listening to jazz music, attending plays, thrifting, and eating french fries!

Maddie was born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware into a large family. She is the youngest of six girls and has many nieces and nephews. Having older siblings she quickly grew up and was very independent. She attended Wilmington Friends School where she was highly involved in the community, she created an affinity group for the women of color at her school, was the treasure, and headed the yearbook, spirit committee, and the Black student union. Upon graduating, Maddie earned a high school and Full IB diploma. Outside of school, she was highly passionate about photography so she began to prioritize her photography presence in the sports community. After months of hard work, “Shotbymaddi3” was no longer foreign to people in the sports world in Delaware. In her spare time, Maddie loves to spend time with her adorable dog, Brody.

Maddie hopes to study Business Administration and Communication Studies with a concentration in Marketing and become a known name in the digital marketing field, especially in sports. She is inspired to work for an NBA or NFL team and hopes to show other African American girls that they can take over a male-dominated field.

Abisai was born in Denver, Colorado. His parents immigrated from Chihuahua, Mexico at a young age in hopes of a better life. He was raised with Spanish as her first language then learned English as a second language when he started school. Abisai is the youngest of three, with one older brother and sister who both had significant impacts on his upbringing and aspirations. During his time at Colorado Academy, he was director of HOPE, a student-led non-profit organization aimed to help underprivileged communities, and was on the soccer and basketball teams. He also spent time after school tutoring kids at his local elementary school, becoming not only a tutor but a positive figure in their lives. Abisai also grew a passion for photography and videography where in his senior year he was able to make and present his art show about gentrification in his community. Additionally, he was also inspired by his internship at CannonDesign where he had the opportunity to work with seasoned engineers and architects, he was able to learn about design and putting people over profit, confirming his passion for engineering.

Abisai plans to major in either Civil or Mechanical Engineering with the hopes of using his degree to improve the lives of those around him.

Emily was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA by a mother and father who immigrated from Oaxaca, Mexico in search of greater opportunities for their children. As the eldest daughter, Emily seeks to lead by example for her younger siblings, inspiring them to pursue higher education in search of their passions. As a student at Malibu High School, Emily immersed herself in AP and dual enrollment courses all throughout, cultivating her love for learning and literature. Motivated by the principles of compassion, courage, and equity, Emily was heavily involved with and created educational clubs on campus, the Boys and Girls Club organization, and community service opportunities. Through these avenues, Emily was able to see areas of injustice in her community, combating them through community service projects and advocating for them at the Boys and Girls Club National Youth of The Year competition, where she won the 2024 Los Angeles County Youth of the Year title.

Emily is exploring a combined major in Public Relations and Criminal Justice, intertwining her passions for social justice, writing, and interpersonal communication.

Melanie is Dominican, born and raised in the Bronx, NY by her parents and older sister. Together, they instilled in her the morals of succeeding in school and pursuing higher education. She attended the Bronx School for Law, Government, and Justice, where she took many law and AP classes. Having an active role in her school was very important to Melanie. She was president of the Principal’s Advisory Council, president of their GSA book club, vice president of the National Honor Society, public relations and media for the Spanish Honor Society, and a member of the school’s Youth Court. Outside of school, they were secretary of the Jeter’s Leaders program, a program made to promote healthy lifestyles and serve as role models for youth. This program, being the most impactful to Melanie, has given her the knowledge and skills to succeed in a world made to limit her. In addition to this, Melanie has gained experience through internships: a judicial intern in the Bronx’s family courts, a creative and digital intern at Marino PR, and many more!

All of these experiences have led her to Northeastern, where she hopes to study bioengineering and design medical devices that will impact the industry while building community and making long-lasting connections.

Otisha Robbins was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina. She is a Black American woman and the first in her family to go to college! She founded the Women’s Empowerment Society at West Ashley High School prior to her graduation as an effort to inform her community about women’s rights issues and empower women in her community. Inspired by the prejudice that Black women face in healthcare.

Otisha plans to pursue a career in medicine in order to help her community while also fighting for equality and equity for everyone! She is also minoring in Spanish to become fluent, allowing her to assist even more people.

Layla was born and raised in Harlem, New York as the eldest daughter of her Caribbean-American household. Growing up, she attended Columbia Secondary School where she discovered her passion for community service and civic engagement. During this time, Layla sought out leadership positions in student government, adolescent mentoring, and senior committee in efforts to improve the community around her. Boosting school spirit and building relationships with underclassmen. As captain of the varsity volleyball team and a volunteer assistant coach, Layla demonstrated leadership by fostering collaboration amongst her teammates, creating a greater bond while leading them into playoffs for the first time. Outside of school, Layla worked a number of jobs and annually volunteered at the veterans hospital, where she continued her passion for community service.

After working with employee mentors at the BBBS program at the Bank of New York, she established an interest in business tech and real estate, and at Northeastern she hopes to take steps in reaching her career goals as she breaks generational curses.

Ephraim was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, by his parents from Ghana, in a family with his twin brother. Growing up, he developed a strong sense of community and resilience, which later fueled his passion for giving back and overcoming challenges. At his high school, Ephraim challenged himself academically, taking on the most rigorous courses offered, including 7 AP classes and 4 dual enrollment classes. He also involved himself in a lot of extracurricular activities such as being the President of the Student Government and My Brother’s Keeper (MBK). He led initiatives that made a lasting impact on his school and community, such as food drives, clothing pantries, etc.

Recognizing the academic struggles of younger students due to the lack of in-person instruction during COVID-19, Ephraim helped start a tutoring program to help them catch up, particularly in math. His ultimate goal is to leverage his skills and experiences to create meaningful change in the tech industry and beyond.