Alumni Stories Archives

Kathleen Breen Combes retired from the Boston Ballet on June 9, 2019, capping off a 16-year career with the company. In August, she’ll step into a new role as the executive director of Festival Ballet Providence in Rhode Island, where she’ll use the skills she learned at Northeastern to bridge the gap between the community and professional dancers. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

‘I want to make the arts more a part of our culture’

Northeastern graduate Kathleen Breen Combes danced in the Boston Ballet for 16 years. Now she’s stepping into a new role as the executive director of a professional dance company in Rhode Island, where she plans to bridge the gap between community members and professional ballet dancers.

by Molly Callahan June 10, 2019

Nestled between a restaurant and a Korean supermarket, Modica Way in Cambridge, Massachusetts, bursts with gradations of color and light. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Why this hidden alleyway is Instagram-famous

Flanked by a restaurant and a Korean supermarket, Modica Way in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a popular spot for street artists to flaunt their artistic skills. Now, Northeastern graduate Weiying Olivia Huang is making a feature-length documentary to showcase the artists who have used the alley as a canvas.

by Khalida Sarwari June 7, 2019

Make a bar your home office

Northeastern graduates Van Sharma and Zach Mammadov have launched a startup in London that transforms underused restaurants and bars across the city into workspaces for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small business owners.

by Khalida Sarwari June 7, 2019

Northeastern graduate Rachel Holt has covered two Super Bowls, the 2017 NBA Draft, and the 2018 NHL Awards. Now, she’s reporting on the Stanley Cup Final between the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues for the New England Sports Network. Photo courtesy of Rachel Holt.

Here’s what it’s like to cover the Stanley Cup Final

“There’s an electric energy around the Bruins right now,” says Rachel Holt, a Northeastern graduate who is reporting on the Stanley Cup Final between Boston and St. Louis for the New England Sports Network.

by David Harbeck June 6, 2019

Northeastern graduate Haley Meng created an online platform to connect people from different cultures in Hong Kong. Photo by iStock.

Connecting cultures in Hong Kong

Northeastern graduate Haley Meng has created an online platform to connect people from different cultures in Hong Kong. The organization, known as the WE Club, curates weekly events, including panel discussions, food tastings, and street art tours.

by Khalida Sarwari June 5, 2019

Gearflow is the first online marketplace for buying, selling, researching, and repairing construction equipment and parts, says Ben Preston, the Northeastern graduate who co-founded the company. Illustration by Hannah Moore/Northeastern University

Ordering household items is easy with websites like Amazon. But what if you need a bulldozer?

Northeastern graduate Ben Preston has co-founded Gearflow, the first online marketplace for buying, selling, researching, and repairing construction equipment and parts.

by David Harbeck June 5, 2019

The Boston Globe via Northeastern archives

She told the forgotten story of the suffragist who outmaneuvered President Wilson

In the fight for the 19th Amendment, Alice Paul, a 34-year-old Quaker from New Jersey, was able to turn public opinion against President Woodrow Wilson, as told in a new book by Northeastern graduate Tina Cassidy.

by Ian Thomsen June 3, 2019

Northeastern graduate Jarrod Kahn, group president of accessories for Centric Brands.
Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

He read a fashion article. It changed his life forever.

About 25 years ago, Northeastern graduate Jarrod Kahn read an article about a Calvin Klein brand and saw an opportunity that led his family’s fashion accessories company to land a major licensing agreement.

by Greg St. Martin May 29, 2019

Kendall Coyne Schofield, who played for the Huskies from 2011 to 2016, won a gold medal for Team USA at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Photo by Jeff Cable

Northeastern graduate named women’s hockey player of the year

Kendall Coyne Schofield ranks first in Northeastern hockey history with 249 points, won a gold medal for Team USA at the 2018 Winter Olympics, and now skates for the Minnesota Whitecaps of the National Women's Hockey League.

by David Harbeck May 24, 2019

Michelle Mouw, the chief operating officer of Mass Hike, says that she joined the organization because she believes in the restorative and healing effects of nature. “This company is important to me because I believe access to nature is not a privilege, but a right,” she says. Photo by Adam Glanzman/Northeastern University

She’s giving Boston residents a taste of the great outdoors

Mass Hike, a nonprofit founded by a group of Northeastern students and alumni, provides guided hikes, activities, and round-trip transportation to parks, state reservations, and recreation areas at an affordable price.

by David Harbeck May 20, 2019