Oakland students urged to embrace ‘discovery and exploration’
Northeastern’s Oakland campus kicked off the year with its largest class ever, drawing students from across the country to the Bay Area.
OAKLAND – Nearly 1,000 undergraduate students gathered on the sunny Holmgren Meadow on Tuesday to receive a formal welcome to Northeastern University’s Oakland campus from professors, university leaders and Northeastern graduates.
“This will be a time for discovery and exploration for all of us,” Dan Sachs, dean of Northeastern’s Oakland campus, told the crowd of students, many of whom attended convocation dressed in Northeastern red, black and white. “The faculty and staff in Oakland will be there to prepare you to be the leaders and problem-solvers the world needs.”
The yearly ceremony marks the beginning of the school year, the day before the first day of classes, giving students the chance to hear directly from campus leadership about the wealth of resources and opportunities available to them in Oakland and the wider Bay Area.
Kate Karniouchina and Carol Theokary from D’AMore-McKim School of Business urged students to build resilience, cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset and make the most of what the Bay Area has to offer. Catrina Jaime from the Bouvé College of Health Sciences encouraged them to redefine what’s possible with the help of emerging technology and AI.
“We lead through community engagement,” Jaime said. “Our impact reaches far beyond the classroom.”
Ayman Shamma from Khoury College of Computer Sciences told students they’ll have a chance to work with top companies and amazing classmates while “building technology that’s changing the world.” Encouraging the new Huskies to take an active role in shaping the future, he urged them to bring their ideas to life.
The roster of speakers also offered words of motivation and valuable pieces of advice to steer members of the Class of 2030 in the right direction as they begin their higher education journeys.
Kushal Shankar invited students to embrace uncertainty as an opportunity and savor the everyday moments that will come to define their college career.
“We all arrive with different stories, different pressures, and different ideas of who we are supposed to become,” said Shankar, who graduated from Northeastern’s Khoury College of Computer Sciences in 2025. “But you do not need to arrive here as the finished version of yourself. You are here to discover who you are.”
Editor’s Picks
After earning his M.S., Shankar has been working as a software engineer at NVIDIA in Santa Clara, California, having first explored the company during a co-op experience. He was selected to address his fellow graduates at the university’s 2025 commencement.
This 2026 incoming class represents the largest-ever cohort on Northeastern’s Oakland campus. Of the more than 940 undergraduates and 150 graduate students in attendance at the convocation ceremony, 270 will study at the D’Amore-McKim School of Business, according to university data. More than 200 will pursue degrees in the College of Science, and more than 150 in the College of Engineering.
Also at the ceremony were 15 sophomore students who have returned to Oakland for their second academic year.
In addition to sharing with students the uniquely forward-thinking and community-focused offerings available on and off the Oakland campus, Dean Sachs reminded students of the myriad options waiting for them across Northeastern’s global campus network.
“From Boston to London, Vancouver to Silicon Valley, and here in Oakland, Northeastern’s network … is a dynamic ecosystem of knowledge, curiosity, culture and opportunity,” Sachs told students, referring to the 13 other Northeastern campuses available for students to explore after their first year in Oakland. “That said, our Oakland identity is unique and special. Here you can tap into the thriving intersection of technology, innovation and cultural diversity. Like the city itself, our community embodies the Bay area spirit.”
Yuna Kim, who arrived in Oakland from Michigan, said it was her interest in medicine that drew her to the Bay Area to begin her studies.
“I want to do medical co-ops (while) I’m in college so … that was a huge factor,” said Kim, regarding her decision to come to Northeastern. She was walking around the Taste of Oakland event that kicked off convocation and gave students a chance to learn more about the campus while trying out some local food.
“I am new to California so I am open to anything!” said Lillian Urban, who arrived from Dallas, Texas. Eager to explore co-op and internship possibilities, she’s also keen to make new connections and see where her Northeastern experience will take her.
After the convocation speakers wrapped up their remarks, students watched as two of their peers conducted the traditional torch-lighting ceremony that visually marks the start of undergraduates’ journey.
The words that Shankar had bestowed on the students resonated.
“You do not need to prove that you deserve to be here,” he told them. “Who you are today is enough to begin. Welcome to Northeastern my fellow huskies!!