Your Northeastern odyssey is about ‘who you become along the way,’ students told at London convocation
Taking inspiration from Homer’s Odyssey, Northeastern graduates Elena and Stella Megalou told incoming students to embrace the unexpected
LONDON — For sisters Elena and Stella Megalou, Homer’s Odyssey holds a lesson for every Northeastern student beginning their own journey: the people and experiences that shape you matter as much as where you end up.
The sisters siblings — both graduates from Northeastern’s College of Arts, Media and Design — were featured speakers Thursday at Northeastern’s London convocation, the headline ceremony to mark the start of students’ university journey. Their inspiring words encouraged incoming freshmen to build relationships, embrace surprises, and let their ambitions evolve.
“As two Greeks, we are inspired by one of the oldest stories of discovery: Homer’s Odyssey,” Stella Megalou told the more than 1,000 students gathered at the indigo music venue at London’s O2 arena. “It reminds us that the journey isn’t only about reaching a destination; it is about who you become along the way.”
Stella, a 2018 graduate, described how co-ops at National Geographic and Unilever helped her discover a passion for building global brands and led to a career working on Dove and Vaseline. Elena, a 2015 graduate, worked on the Shell account at Wunderman and joined the marketing and sales team at The Boston Globe through co-op. Taking part in the Dialogue of Civilizations, a short-term study abroad opportunity, also expanded her outlook during a stay in Spain before a career that took her to TikTok and Amazon.
“Those experiences taught me that a career does not need to follow a straight line,” Elena said.
Standing at the podium, Scott Wildman, dean of Northeastern’s London campus, welcomed students from across the world to their new life in the British capital, including around 200 undergraduates who will study for three years in the city and about 800 London Scholars, students enrolled at Northeastern’s Boston campus, who will spend their first year in London before moving back to the U.S.
Wildman encouraged students to take an active role in shaping their own path through the coming years and to make the most of the opportunities presented by the city and Northeastern’s global university system. While in London, those experiences could include working at a local startup, a co-op at one of the many global firms based in the city or undertaking research with a member of the university faculty, he said.
“Whatever you’re passionate about, we can help you build a career around it,” Wildman said. “And here in London, which is one of the most connected global cities in the world, your opportunities to do that are extraordinary.”
For students finding those possibilities daunting, the dean offered the reassurance that faculty would support them as they discover their interests and pursue new opportunities.
“We will challenge you, guide you, and celebrate your achievements along the way,” Wildman said.
Faculty and students, past and present, celebrated at the hour-long ceremony, which was filled with music, performances and words of encouragement. The high-energy event featured dancing and a performance by the student a cappella group who sang a medley of songs, including a version of Sabrina Carpenter’s hit “House Tour,” with lyrics adapted to celebrate Northeastern University London. The occasion culminated with the lighting of a ceremonial torch – an annual tradition that formally welcomes students into Northeastern’s global community.
While reveling in the festivities, students said they’d learned that Northeastern offers opportunities for anyone who wishes to take them.
“I feel like I got a real sense of what Northeastern’s all about,” Emi Nagura, 18, who is beginning her degree in marketing told Northeastern Global News. “Honestly, it made me more comfortable about meeting new people, and trying to join new societies and clubs and everything. I’m really excited for the new year.”
A different experience
Kaylee Burkett, a political science and international relations undergraduate, said that arriving in London three years ago from Washington D.C., she’d had “no idea how much the city would shape me or how much I’d get to shape it in return.”
As co-founder of Northeastern London’s African Black and Caribbean Union, she established a community where fellow students could find connection and belonging, including, last year, hosting a Black History Month campaign celebrating Black achievement across sport, academia, journalism, and music.
“As you start Welcome Week and the many years ahead, please remember to seek out someone different from you and learn from them,” she added.
Addressing incoming students, she said she is proud to be “part of a truly global university community” that provides “resources and institutional support” to help student leaders to create opportunities for others.
In April, Burkett was named as part of the Huntington 100, one of Northeastern’s highest undergraduate honors, recognizing students whose achievements reflect the university’s mission and values.
Entrepreneurship
Since joining the Northeastern global network in 2019, the London campus has established itself as an enterprising institution –and is now at the heart of plans to build an innovative startup ecosystem that will connect campuses worldwide, explained Richard Corps, vice president for global entrepreneurship.
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Northeastern’s first startup hub launched in London in February 2024 and has brought “external startups directly into our university community,” he said, allowing students to work with founders through experiential projects and to develop ventures of their own.
“And now we’re taking this model global,” Corps said. “We’re building something unique – the world’s first truly global entrepreneurship network, connecting our students, founders, alumni, corporate partners, with some of the world’s leading startup communities.”
The initiative includes Boston’s “300”, a 65,000 square foot building dedicated to entrepreneurship and innovation, he added.
Similarly, this year’s inaugural Global Innovation Challenge brought together more than 150 students across 12 campuses, with London contributing one of the largest participating groups.
“Now we’re going further: more challenges, more startups, more founders, more technology, and many more opportunities for you,” Corps said.
That invitation to explore resonated with new students, who left the ceremony eager to discover what awaits them.
“Seeing how involved everyone is and what’s available, I’m definitely going to check out what there is,” said Pichnapak Suwattanapong, 18, an incoming student in finance.
Sumiko Robinson, 18, who begins her biology degree at Devon House on Monday concurred. “It makes me really excited for some of the communities available and things to do. There’s more than I expected.”
