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For the past year, Luke Brothers, a third-year health science and business administration major at Northeastern, has had a goal written on a white board — make the Huntington 100.
It was an admirable aspiration, he thought. Established in 2007, the Huntington 100 is one of the university’s most prestigious recognitions. Those who make the list are considered to be among the most exceptional students, campus leaders, entrepreneurs, athletes and more.
On Tuesday, Brothers realized his goal as he was among the undergraduate students honored during a ceremony at East Village on the Boston campus.
While the university typically recognizes 100 high-achieving students, 125 students were acknowledged this year in honor of the university’s 125th anniversary.
Recipients were given red stoles to be worn at the Boston undergraduate commencement at Fenway Park on Sunday, May 5. Honorees on the university’s London and Oakland campuses will also be given stoles.
“Being inducted to the Huntington 100 really is the pinnacle [honor] for a Northeastern student,” said Kenneth W. Henderson, Northeastern’s chancellor and senior vice president of learning. “Congratulations to all of you for what you’ve achieved, but more importantly what you’ve brought to the Northeastern community. You embody the essence of Northeastern innovation, entrepreneurship.”
Brothers credits his involvement with Evolve, Northeastern’s health care entrepreneurship accelerator program, and the university’s Presidential Ambassadors and International Ambassadors programs for his recognition.
“It’s satisfying to check off that goal,” he said.
He certainly was in good company Tuesday night.
“Among us is a student who founded an organ donation organization,” said Ritika Iyer, a fourth-year architecture major and one of the student emcees. “Another student here recorded the first-ever sperm whale heartbeat with technology that he developed. Another taught quantum computing to hundreds of high school students. And another helped build a school in Rwanda.”
“In this room sits truly incredible students,” she added.
The 125 honorees were selected from more than 1,000 nominations and represent the best of what the university has to offer, Iyer explained.
“There were many reasons why you were selected to receive this honor,” she said. “ You are academically strong and intellectually impressive students. You are globally engaged through study abroad, dialogues, co-ops and other experiential learning opportunities.”
Take Kathan Ramnath, a fourth-year finance economics major, for example. He’s a professional paramedic who serves as the director of emergency medical services operations at Northeastern.
“I spearheaded an effort throughout the end of last year and this year to get an ambulance on campus,” he said. “Starting next year, they’ll be a student-run EMS service on campus for medical emergencies.”
Ramnath also served on the search committee for the new dean of the D’Amore-McKim School of Business.
Northeastern graduate Cassie Harris, director of creative strategy and content at the Coca-Cola Co., served as the event’s keynote speaker. She was inducted into the Huntington 100 in 2015.
She called on the students to never let their light dim.
“I’m a Black girl from Boston whose dad went here when Northeastern did not carry the same weight it does today,” Harris said. “But I’ve learned to lean into my light — to seek truth on my own terms. I take my Northeastern journey now and wear it with pride, even more than I did when I was here.”
During the ceremony, students heard a live musical performance from Coco Colette Lheritier, a fellow Huntington 100 inductee.
New this year was the inclusion of a Society of Distinction — the Lux. Veritas. Virtus program — a separate honor recognizing exceptional graduate students throughout the university’s global campuses who are in their final year of study.
The university honored 83 students from more than 350 nominations. Most of those students received their gold-and-white stoles during an afternoon ceremony Tuesday at East Village, while the other honorees will receive their stoles at ceremonies in Toronto, Seattle, Vancouver, Charlotte, Silicon Valley, California, and Portland, Maine.
Hardik Shah, a graduate student studying data analytics on the Boston campus, was grateful to be among the inductees. He said he’s also thankful to the university for recognizing the efforts of his fellow graduate students.
As a student at Northeastern, Shah serves as a board member of the Graduate Student Government Association as the vice president of marketing and outreach.
Spencer Belsky, who is pursuing a master’s degree in computer science, says the honor was “amazingly rewarding.” During his time at Northeastern, Belsky has been involved in a number of extracurriculars, including a fellowship at TAMID Group, a nonprofit organization that provides consulting services for Israeli businesses.
“Being selected was a great honor, and I can’t think of a better way to cap off my journey at Northeastern,” he said. “I got to meet many of my brilliant peers in other colleges this past week, and I am excited to see how we will spread Northeastern’s values in the years to come.”