The first lesson Michél Legendre ’14 learned about power didn’t come from a classroom. It came in a negotiation.
As a student at Emmanuel College, Legendre helped organize a trip to Haiti to raise funds and bring water filters to communities facing limited access to clean water. The group raised nearly $10,000. Securing institutional support took persistence—but eventually, Emmanuel backed the initiative, allowing students to travel to Haiti and engage directly with the communities they hoped to serve. Read more>>
At several moments in her career, Magdala “Maggie” Marseille ’05 found herself walking into situations most people would avoid: a global nonprofit reeling from the sudden death of its founder, a university operation overwhelmed by disconnected systems, a nonprofit board confronting financial instability, students in crisis during a pandemic.
It is that rare combination of operational precision, empathy, and community leadership that has earned Marseille recognition as a recipient of Emmanuel College’s 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award — an honor celebrating alumni whose lives and careers reflect Emmanuel’s mission through leadership, service, and impact. Read more>>
In the world of middle-market lending, Isis Ortiz-Belton ’09 helps businesses grow—structuring deals, managing risk, and guiding companies through moments of expansion and change.
But for Ortiz-Belton, the work has always extended beyond the numbers, shaped by a personal commitment to broadening access and strengthening the communities those businesses serve. Read more>>
On Tuesday afternoons at 4 p.m., a group of women from the Emmanuel College Class of 1967 logs onto Zoom. Some are in Massachusetts; others join from South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and New York.
They have been meeting weekly since the early days of the pandemic, continuing a connection that has endured for nearly six decades.
It was this group—11 classmates who have remained in close contact since their time at Emmanuel—who nominated one of their own, Kateri Bennett Walsh ’67, for the College’s Distinguished Alumni Award. Read more>>