Torch Scholars Program

Shaun's Red Sox Insider Experience

 
Shaun Hamilton, Torch 4, Business Administration Major with a concentration in Finance

Last week, I attended a professional development program called “Road to the Show,” hosted by the Red Sox at Fenway Park. The program afforded local college students the opportunity to engage in a moderated dialogue with Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein, and COO Sam Kennedy. Legendary Red Sox radio broadcaster and Northeastern faculty member Joe Castiglione introduced the execs and asked them a selection of previously submitted online questions. The two executives then, graciously, opened up the floor for students to ask their own questions.

From a personal standpoint, as a lifelong Red Sox fan and current Fenway Park employee, this program was almost too good to be true. Despite my obvious excitement, I did my best to maintain my composure and to keep a professional mindset during the session.  After the Q&A, we attended a meet and greet on the Budweiser Roof Deck with some current Red Sox employees while the teams finished up batting practice and prepared for the game. The Red Sox provided all of us with free tickets!

My intention when I applied to attend “Road to the Show” was to increase my social capital and perhaps learn a thing or two about the baseball industry, which is an industry that I would like to work in. The program in its entirety vastly exceeded my expectations. Both Mr. Epstein and Mr. Kennedy told funny stories, relayed relevant and useful experiences, and gave advice that is undoubtedly applicable to not only the baseball industry, but to all business fields.  Baseball is certainly a business and Mr. Epstein and Mr. Kennedy helped show me exactly how delicate and difficult it can be. It requires long hours and dedication – but if you’re having fun and doing what you love, that makes it all worth it.

One particular piece of advice that I took home with me is relevant to all aspects of life, not just baseball or sports. Mr. Epstein talked about a quote that influences him a great deal – one by former Patriots Coach and future Hall of Famer Bill Parcells: “If you listen to the people in the seats, pretty soon you’ll be sitting with them.”

To me, this quote symbolizes staying the course and trusting your judgment. Mr. Epstein made sure to couple it with a mantra of hard work breeds success – which also resonated with me. This is true in life, sports, work, and education – work hard, trust your judgment, and (to quote Patriots coach Bill Belichick) “ignore the noise.”

I had an amazing time and can't thank the Red Sox enough for this unique opportunity!

 

Gwenice's Study Abroad Experience in London

 
Gwenice W. Wen, Torch 4, Accounting and Finance Major

Over the summer, I studied abroad in the London School of Economics (LSE) for two months. It was an eye-opening experience because it was the first time that I have ever traveled to another country without my family. While it was Northeastern, there was no faculty or staff with us; the students traveled to London, went to classes and explored London and Europe on their own. I learned to be independent on this trip, trying to get around in the new environment. I met people from all over the world, including Russia, Netherlands, China, Singapore and made friends from different areas of the United States. I liked learning about the level of diversity through our differences in cultures, backgrounds and career interests. Many of us have become close friends after exploring the city together and taking classes together. We still remain friends after we’ve returned to our countries.

From this experience, I learned that traveling to another country can make such a big impact on my life. The time that I spent exploring and adapting to it definitely made me a more independent person. One thing that I found to be very important is how to budget my spending. I realized that U.S. dollar has low value in London, and the market rate during the summer was horrible. To budget my spending, I cooked in my dorm instead of going out to eat most of the time. A lot of things in London cost more, especially with the conversion rate, so I had to search for places that have good food and fashionable clothes at a good value. Happily, money did not have a major effect on the trip; I still explored to many tourist spots in London. Some of my favorite places were the House of Parliament, Southbank, Soho and Camden Market. I was able to go to places outside of the London as well, such as Stonehenge and Bath. These places are very beautiful and filled with unique history.

After the classes were over in London, a few of my friends decided to travel to Spain and France because it is so much cheaper to travel within the European countries. We went to Barcelona, Ibiza and Paris. I had a great time traveling back and forth and did not want to stop! I realized how much I love to travel to different places and experience their cultures. I am so glad that I chose to go to London for the summer and I want to thank the Torch Program for making this trip possible for me!!

 

Emani's Internships in Washington, D.C. and New York City

 

Emani McKnight, Torch 5
Political Science and International Relations Major

This summer was full of surprises for me as it was my first summer interning on DC’s Capitol Hill. As a Political Science and International Relations major, I was ecstatic that I had been given the opportunity to work for The Political Development Group, a small private firm primarily focused on campaigning for democratic members of congress. Working in the campaigning field was definitely a new experience! I was so unfamiliar with the processes, computer softwares and of course the city, but as a fast past New Yorker, I adapted to rapid change relatively quickly. Within a short period of time, I was using software such as NGP to help keep track of financial information, sitting in on constituent and corporate call time, making “Hill Runs” and staffing congressional events. As much as I enjoy my major and the new thrill of working in D.C., I learned several things about my ambitions and myself. It was awesome being able to experience a different city while making new and unforgettable friends and connections. Working on Capitol Hill has helped me narrow my career interest, and while I would like to venture into a more private branch of law, my experience on Capitol Hill has definitely helped me become a stronger worker, student and person.

Once August (quickly) came around, it was time to say goodbye to Washington D.C. and return to New York City. However, this was no vacation time. I began another internship working for Adrienne Vittadini, Judith Leiber and Taryn Rose. Working for these companies was amazing! While I mostly did typical intern work such as making copies and scanning, I got a glimpse of the world of high-end fashion. I was able to meet influential designers and clients and learn and experience the glamour and hard work behind these established designers. Although my experience in the fashion world doesn’t exactly correlate with my major, there are skills that I learned while interning that relates to any career field. Besides, I had a blast! It was hard saying goodbye after three fabulous weeks at my internship but the connections that I made are lasting.

Doing internships are a great way to learn what you want to do with your career plans earlier in your academic career. It’s great to have a summer to relax, but in my opinion, internships are key. You meet great people, make valuable connections and have great experience that helps in the long run. My summer was filled with new experiences that have definitely helped me grow. I had an amazing summer, but I look forward to returning back to campus and continuing and expanding my impact there!

 

Unice's Co-Op in Cape Town, South Africa

For my co-op, I am closely working with Dr. Katrina Kranzer, a doctor from the London School of Infectious Disease, for the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation. Throughout the week, we travel all over Cape Town, South Africa testing people for HIV/AIDS. We are also screening people for TB as well as other hypertension diseases. When we find a patient that is diagnosed with HIV or TB, we put them on medication such as ARV. I have been doing some testing as well, and I am learning so much. 



Nadia's Co-Op at the Boys & Girls Club

I am currently working as a co-op at the Yawkey Boys and Girls Club in Roxbury. I am a group leader in the School Aged Child Care Program where I work with children 6-12 years old. School Aged Child Care, otherwise known as SACC, is a program based in the Boys and Girls Club that deals specifically with children referred by the Department of Children and Families (DCF). Many of the children that take part in the program receive vouchers funded by the government. SACC kids are known to be the rowdiest bunch of the Yawkey Club, but to me they were just like any other kids.

In the summer I worked primarily as the SACC 6-8 year old camp counselor. The summer days were long and tough, an average day ranged from 7:30am to about 5:30pm, sometimes 6:30pm.By the end of the summer I was completely exhausted, September could not have arrived at a more pivotal moment. The beginning of school marked the beginning of a new schedule, no more early mornings. It was amazing to see the difference in the children’s behavior, attitude and energy levels. The once rowdy, overly energetic kids from the summer had become these cool, calm and focused students. Don’t get me wrong, there are still some unfocused, hectic and completely uncontrollable moments, but it was nothing compared to those summer days. Moving from a fast paced work day to a slow, more structured day was a little difficult at first. I had been so used to jumping from one thing to another, taking care of melt downs, fights, accidents, teaching academic lessons and being everybody’s’ playmate, that doing administrative work and waiting for kids to arrive from school was kind of a drag. Now that school has been in session for a couple of months, things are starting to move at a faster pace. My day begins at 11:30am, upon my arrival at the Club my job is to prepare the room for the arrival of the kids. I take down chairs, put away any objects that were left the day prior, make sure pencils, scratch paper, markers and crayons are available. Once the room is set up, I assist the director with any administrative work that he made need help with including billing and updating member’s files. Kids start arriving as early as 1:30pm and stagger in up until 5:30pm, our busiest time being between 3:00pm and 4:30pm. Upon the arrival of the children, my job is to serve as a tutor and facilitator. Now, this sounds easy, yeah make sure that kids get their homework done, but it is not! I’m sure when you think back, you can remember how much you loved doing homework…not! There are some children that come in and get right to it, ask for help when needed and go on their merry way. But there is another group of kids, kids who hate homework, deny they have it and are willing to hide it, trash it, or “forget it.” At first it was really hard for me to determine who was “telling a story,” as we say at work, and who is being honest but at this point I have it down pat. The funny thing is that these kids who say that they have no homework, have to read for twenty minutes before being allowed to go on rotation (gym, art, music, etc.), so they actually end up having to do work anyway. The point is that having to help some kids with their homework, checking other kids work and battling with others to get their homework done can be a pretty tough job. A job like this requires a lot of focus and attention. Between 1:00pm and 3:00pm, things run pretty smoothly with about 10 kids in the room at the time. The room is quite, for the most part kids are working and focusing. It is at this time at we can make believe that we have everything under control but come 3 o’clock the stampede begins. There are four of us that work together and by about 3:45pm we are all being tugged into 10 different directions. By 4:30pm our room is packed with kids who need help with homework, it gets loud, many kids are frustrated with homework and staff is working efficiently to help as many kids as possible. At about 4:45pm our kids are served dinner after which we return back to our room, sending the kids who are done work to their appropriate rotation and making sure that the kids who are not get done and have some time to enjoy themselves before going home. By about 5:15pm we have a few stragglers, but at this point the room is torn apart, our ears are ringing and there are kids being picked up. By 6:00pm most are done, all should be picked up and the clean up begins. By the time the last kid is picked up, I cannot believe how fast the time has passed. To be honest, I would not change this hectic time for anything. As crazy as it can get sometimes, I enjoy every minute of it. There are times that I am challenged and can get frustrated or overwhelmed but the hugs, high fives and progress that shows in the kids makes it all worth it. I can’t tell you how many meltdowns I have witnessed, how many times I have been yelled at by one of the kids but for every meltdown, for every outburst there has been a thank you and an apology. There is no doubt that this job has tested my patience but it has also equipped me with the tools necessary for a successful future in my field. I have developed great relationships with many of my co-workers and the knowledge and experience that I have gained from this co-op cannot be matched.

Notes from Brazil by Arielys, Torch Class 4

Arielys (Torch Class 4) spends her first summer of college traveling with Northeastern's Dialogues of Civilizations Program to Brazil with NU Professors and students. Living with a host family for six weeks, Arielys is fully immersed in Brazilian culture. Between two classes, travel, cultural immersion, and homework, Arieyls finds time to blog from Brazil.

Post #1: So far my trip to Salvador, Bahia has been AMAZAZING! Not only am I having a great time but I’m learning so much and its only been a week. Unfortunetly, I am new to this blogging thing. I just need motivation to start. So here I go…

I touched down in Brazil on June 27^th on a beautiful sunny morning- just how I pictured it! The first thing I did once I got off the plane was exchange my money for Reaiz. When we got the hotel, I was in awe from the view by the pool, truly amazing.

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Post #2: Today we finally got our books in Portuguese class! I have never been happier to get homework. I feel like the homework is really going to help me communicate with my parents more. It’s only been a week and some change, and  I can already see my progress. My host parents even say I’m doing a good job and I can actually have a full conversation with them now. When I first arrived here, I was so scared to say anything, so I was really quiet with them and pretty much waited for her to initiate the conversation. As time went on I am really catching on to the language, it's so similar to Spanish. The only difference is the pronunciation.

Post #3: Although I am not a religious person at all, I think I'm going to focus my blog on the history and religion of Bahia. It is so interesting and caught my attention from the beginning of the trip. The lecture, tour of Pelourinho, and the Bale Folclorico da Bahia really caught my attention the most throughout this trip. Its amazing how they carried this religion of Candomble throughout slavery and it still lives today. The traditional clothing, ceremony and music is still alive! Thats amazing, after all these years. I really respect that. In Pelourinho its is not uncommon to pass by women wearing  the outfits like the one the woman below. It represents what they came from, Its unbelievable that they still carry this.

Post #4- Beach today was the best!  Got to watch the sun set as it reflected off the ocean water =D. That doesn’t happen at Revere Beach. 

Post #5: Morro de Sao Paulo

Last weekend was the absolute highlight of my trip. Morro de Sao Paulo was gorgeous and just what I expected with its calm environment and laid back islanders. The rain tried to stop us from having a good time, but of course like any other day in Brazil we made the best of it. The hotel was amazing and really unexplainable so I'm just going to have to put up pics to show. I went horseback riding, ziplining and ate some of the best Carne du Sol w/ Batata Frita and white rice with farofa-- all for just 50 reais!! That's like 20 something bucks in American money!! NOT BAD AT ALL :). I had a really good time and I'm so thankful I was able to experience something like that. Of course taking a mud bath did not happen, but I walked around barefoot all weekend with no care in the world, and that is the beauty of it all.

Ryan Arias

"I am currently working as a paralegal/litigation assistant at the Law Offices of Jeffrey Golkin. This New York based firm, located a block from Ground Zero, focuses on all areas of real estate litigation. As a legal assistant, I have many duties. One of which is writing correspondence such as letters, memos, and e-mails. I am also responsible for contacting clients and obtaining specific information relative to their properties. This information is given to the attorney for use at hearings and trials. Other than these clerical and law-based jobs, I have also prepared financial income and expense statements, which are required to file real estate tax appeals.
This position has been both demanding and rewarding. I am expected to display the utmost dedication, accountability, and leadership. During the busy tax season, I worked twenty straight days, which included both weekends and some twelve hour days. I was challenged both physically and mentally to keep productivity high as each deadline came and went. In turn, I learned about the work ethic of a successful attorney and my limits as an employee.
By working in a small office, I have also had the privilege of attending a trial with the attorney. Sitting at the table in front of a judge, I was given a snapshot of my future occupation. Watching the interactions in the courtroom, listening to the arguments, and taking in the points of interest revealed to me by the attorney opened my eyes to the reality I will become apart of.
New York has been a great learning experience not only in the field of law, but also in receiving first hand knowledge of everything the city has to offer. From dealing with the fast pace commute of millions of people every morning to learning about the different cultures and boroughs has been the most enjoyable aspect thus far."

"I have never been more focused and determined to do better with my life"

Hi, my name is QinRui Pang, and I am one of the first class Torch Scholar.

With only two and half semesters left of my college career, I still can’t believe how time passes by so quickly. I can still remember the day I got my acceptance letter, how excited I was to finally be able to continue my education, and to study at a major university of the US.

Now, majoring in Civil and Environmental Engineering and minoring in Environmental Studies, I have never been more focused and determined to do better with my life, and use what I learned from school to make our city a better place to live.

I am currently on my third and last co-op, working in the Water Service Division at Camp, Dresser, & McKee Inc., a consulting, engineering, construction, and operations firm in Cambridge, Massachusetts. So far, the experience has been great. I was involved with so many projects, and I have learned a lot. 

Recently, I was out in the field doing dye testing for the City of Somerville. Somerville, in an effort to clean up the Mystic River, is conducting an Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Program (IDDE). Contamination from improperly connected sewers made its way into the drain system and out in the river. The City is actively seeking out improper connections to reduce contamination and improve water quality in the river. Dye testing of residential sewer service is an easy and effective means of locating sources of contamination. With different color dyes, we were able to locate which resident’s sewer is improperly connected to the drain. Then, the next step would be to reconnect the sewer to its proper connection.

Working in the real life is totally different than learning at school; I am able to relate what I learn in class to solve real life problems, and that is an amazing feeling. The Torch Scholarship Program has given me this great opportunity to study at this great institution. With more to come, I am excited about the future, about senior year, and life beyond.

Hello from Australia

It is beyond hard to believe that I am already halfway done with my study abroad semester at Bond University in Australia. My experience thus far has been amazingly indescribable and more than I ever expected. Although school has been definitely challenging, I absolutely love my classes, students and the professors. It has been truly a wonderful journey thus far.

 

Over the time here I have met some interesting people, and made some amazing friends. I enjoy learning about a different culture, and stepping out of my comfort zone to try new things. One of the many great things about studying at Bond University is the fact that they put on so many events that it becomes impossible to get bored; it rather seems as if there are not enough hours in the day. After a long week of classes, there is nothing greater than the beautiful weather and spending a day in town, at the beach, taking random trips, or going somewhere with Bond University Exploration Club and my friends. One of my trips recently included exploring the city of Byron Bay, ocean kayaking and snorkeling near the most easterly point. The scenery was definitely breath- taking, and the whole experience was absolutely amazing.

 

Soon, I will be exploring Sydney, Great Barrier Reef, and Melbourne to name few places, where I plan on scuba diving, snorkeling, mountain biking, hiking and of course surfing.  However, before I can have any fun, I shall go back to library and to do more research, write some papers and study for the midterms. I will update everyone again real soon about the wonderful life on the Gold Coast!!!

"Quite a Journey:" 79 Days Until Graduation

Hey all!

    My name is Ana Hidalgo and I am a part of the dazzling first class of Torch Scholars! So this is my LAST semester here at Northeastern University! YAY!! It has been quite a journey from being here the summer of 2006. It has been an unbelievable experience and I feel old because it is now time for me to move on…(bittersweet)! I’m currently extremely busy with classes (trying to make Dean’s list one last time!), work, mentoring along with other community service projects, and of course trying to find a job for the fall of this year. I’m majoring in Psychology with a minor in Latino(a), Latin American and Caribbean Studies. I intend on going to grad school in a year or two, but for now I would like to teach. I have an interview soon at a school in Newton to be a pre-school teacher in a Bilingual setting. So I am in the process of getting my EEC certification (Early Education & Care Certification). To obtain certification, you need to have a certain amount experience, plus you must fulfill different course requirements. Luckily for me, I was able to get all this through the co-op I did here at NU (which is also how I decided how I wanted to teach for a while).  Well, this is all for now! I have to complete an assignment for my Latin American Society & Development class and then head to work!

P.S. Only 79 DAYS UNTIL GRADUATION!! J