Katherine Facenda '23: The Smile Architect
Katherine’s foray into biology might seem an unlikely one for a future dentist.
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On campus and off, Jaxell Negron is all about building community. As a Resident Assistant, he creates a strong, safe sense of rapport within his residence hall. Through the on-campus boxing club he co-founded, Ringside Fitness, he gave students a new way to work out and relieve stress.
But the sociology and economics double major was thinking bigger.
Using the insights he gained as an office assistant in Emmanuel's Career Center, Jaxell secured a position as a community affairs intern in the office of Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker during his junior year.
There, he worked closely with the Youth Council as well as the newly-established Black and Latino Advisory Commissions, conducting research on economic prosperity, workforce development, health and wellness in low-income neighborhoods and assisting with correspondence and community outreach.
Over the next several months, Jaxell was able to more fully immerse himself in state government, also interning for the finance and legislative departments within the Governor’s Office, where he gained experience in fiscal policy and review, city and state bills, legislative communications and media briefings.
On his last day in the Governor’s Office, Jaxell sat down for a one-on-one with Governor Baker and had the opportunity to meet the governor of his native Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rosselló.
As service has always been a big part of his life, Jaxell stayed in Boston last summer as one of Emmanuel’s Community Service Fellows. At Sociedad Latina, Jaxell supported the teachers and Boston Public School students involved in the organization’s STEAM program. “The students spoke little to no English, and I was there to provide them as much support as possible,” he says. “I found ways to break down those communication barriers without having to use language, but using math and architecture and other ways of expressing ourselves.”
During his senior year, Jaxell brought his academic and cocurricular journey full circle, working as a finance intern with global asset management consulting firm Cerulli Associates. “In my career, I want to start down the economic path and earn my CFA [Chartered Financial Analyst] designation, and the combine it with my sociological background in the public or non-profit sectors to help develop minority communities,” he says. Since graduation in May 2019, Jaxell has been working as an AP specialist at bluebird bio, a biotechnology company pioneering the world of gene therapy by developing therapies for severe genetic disease and cancer, while working to improve healthcare systems so gene therapy becomes accessible for all.
Katherine’s foray into biology might seem an unlikely one for a future dentist.
As a future educator, Jonathan understands there is a lesson to be learned in everything.
For career inspiration, Erin looked no further than her family of first responders and their calling to “help people on their worst days.”
During the Fall 2022 semester, MacDonald and her research team of psychology majors Madeline Bradley ’23 and Matthew Lemansky ’23 (pictured) investigated the lived experiences of participants in an 8-week mindfulness training program.
One transformative high school law class changed Alyssa’s college plans from STEM to political science.
Nick grew up in a family of medical professionals—his mother and grandmother are both nurses and his father is a paramedic. “I’ve always been surrounded with medical jargon and stories of health incidents, crises, and the rewarding benefits of providing care,” he said.
Emmanuel College is one of 140 local nonprofits to receive grants of $100,000 to $500,000 each through the Cummings Foundation’s $25 Million Grant Program.
Counseling & health psychology major Christine came to Emmanuel knowing she wanted to pursue a career in health care, and the College’s opportunities and connections for students interested in the field—as well as a neuroscience course she attended at EC Incoming—made the decision an easy one.
When asking secondary education and biology double major Angela Girodier '22 if she’s more passionate about research or teaching, she quickly and emphatically says “both.”
From an early age, Campbell Shealy '22 was interested in two things—living in a big city and numbers.
One way that people’s body dissatisfaction is socially expressed is through engaging in negative conversations with friends regarding how unhappy they are with their bodies.
The role of the youth violence prevention streetworker is a critical and an often-overlooked component of juvenile violence intervention strategies in major cities across the U.S.
Emmanuel is a place where students broaden their sense of what’s possible and prepare for inspiring careers in an ever-changing world. Be here.
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