“We’ve learned that success isn’t just about achieving goals, it’s about bringing others along with us,” student speaker Shivangi Sharma said.
SEATTLE — Speaking on behalf of the Class of 2025 on Northeastern University’s Seattle campus, Shivangi Sharma urged her peers to remember the powerful connections they’ve made as they pursued their graduate studies.
“We’ve learned how to build something meaningful — not just in the work we do, but in the way we connect with others,” she said. “We’ve learned that success isn’t just about achieving goals, it’s about bringing others along with us, about creating spaces where more people feel valued and supported.”
Addressing a jubilant gathering of graduates, family and friends in Benaroya Hall on Tuesday, Sharma said she was in awe of Seattle’s tech industry when she first arrived in the city — and felt small walking past offices for Google, Meta and Amazon.
It was her classmates who put her at ease.
“What changed everything for me wasn’t just mastering technical skills or landing an internship,” said Sharma, who earned her master’s degree in analytics. “It was the people and the opportunities around me.”
Professors took the time to listen and guide students, she said, and career counselors helped them prepare for interviews — even when students doubted themselves.
“There were moments on campus that made us feel truly seen and valued,” said Sharma, who was also inducted into the university’s Laurel and Scroll 100 Society of Distinction for her leadership on campus.
Like lunch with Dave Thurman, dean and CEO of the Seattle campus.
“A small group of students sat down with the dean,” she said. “Not just to talk about academics, but to share our goals, aspirations and what we hoped to build beyond Northeastern.”
Tuesday’s ceremony began with a procession of master’s and professional doctorate degree candidates. Faculty representing four Northeastern colleges took their seats on stage after graduates had taken their seats and a welcome from Rebecca Steffenson, associate dean of the Seattle campus. Altogether, 265 students received master’s degrees and 10 earned a professional doctorate.
Commencement speaker Tanuja Korlepra told the graduates to look to collaborate with their peers to help build their careers.
“Don’t just build a network,” said Korlepra, chief technology officer for the social good software company Bonterra. “Build trust. Your relationships will be the rocket fuel for everything you do.”
Korlepra went on to describe her professional journey. After receiving her undergraduate degree in computer science and technology from Shri Vaishnav Institute of Technology and Science in India, Korlepra earned her master’s degree from Harvard. Her work experience includes Minnesota-based Veritas Technologies, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft and USAFacts.
“There were moments earlier in my career when I felt invisible in meetings,” she said. “I questioned whether I truly belonged in those big spaces.”
As a product manager at a large company, she said, she had a different perspective about what the company’s enterprise customers needed, but she hesitated to speak up.
“Then I reminded myself: my perspective was different because my experience was different. And that is exactly what made it valuable,” she recalled. “In that moment, I realized the discomfort I was feeling was not a sign I did not belong, it was a sign I was growing.”
And the best support for growth, she said, is to lean into personal connections. Ask questions and offer help when needed.
“Some of the people sitting next to you today will be your co-founders, mentors, or lifelines in five years,” she said. “We live in a time of incredible change — AI, automation, remote everything. But what will always be relevant is the human in you – your empathy, curiosity, connection, trust, and the power of community.”
After her speech, Korlepra received a citation from Mary Ludden, Northeastern’s senior vice president for global network and strategic initiatives, for her leadership in AI, cloud innovation and responsible technology.
Three graduates — Sharma, Anqi Guan from the College of Engineering, and Aakash Mahalingam from Khoury College of Computer Sciences — received Laurel & Scroll 100 honors from Waleed Meleis, vice provost for graduate education, and red stoles from Thurman.
Degrees were conferred by Stefano Basagni, professor of electrical and computer engineering; Alan Mislove, professor of computer sciences; Florin Bidian, professor of economics and data science; and Uwe Hohgrawe, professor of analytics in the College of Professional Studies.
Thurman congratulated the class, urging members to “leave us today with pride in your accomplishments and a strong commitment to make the world a better place for generations to come. And then come back and tell us what you are doing, how you are changing the world!”