Northeastern University’s Arlington Campus Celebrates Inaugural Commencement
By: Rebecca Moon Ruark
New graduates and leadership look forward to a future of global impact and community
On the afternoon of June 11, 2025, the first graduating class from Northeastern University’s Arlington campus made their way across the commencement stage and into Northeastern University history. With them, the new master’s graduates carried flags representing their native places and adopted homes—from as close as the U.S., Mexico, and Haiti, to India, China, and Saudi Arabia.
A milestone ceremony to mark with family and friends near and far, the livestreamed commencement was held at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, a neoclassical building dedicated to the first president of the U.S.
“We’re trailblazers,” said Master of Science in Computer Science degree recipient Ethan Virgil about being a member of Arlington’s inaugural graduating class.
Still more firsts reverberated through the memorial’s columned theater, where family, friends, and classmates applauded the class of 2025. Mark Arbon, father of Carli Arbon, who graduated with a Master of Science in Information Systems degree, said the ceremony was his first opportunity to watch his daughter graduate. “She wasn’t able to walk [in a commencement ceremony] when she graduated from college, because of COVID,” he explained.
Student speaker Soumya Hukkeri graduated with a Master of Science in Information Systems degree and will join Amazon Web Services full-time as a software development engineer in Seattle later this month. But her path to success at Arlington wasn’t without its challenges, she described in her moving speech.
Coming to the Arlington campus was the first time she had lived so far away from her parents and family, Hukkeri’s “constant pillars,” in India, she told her peers, family, and friends in the audience. “Like many of you,” she addressed her fellow graduates, “I stepped into a new campus, a new country, and a future I hadn’t figured out.”
But at Arlington, Hukkeri slowly found her “people.” She experienced setbacks along her way, she explained, but they were followed by hard-won growth and maturity. The trick, she told her classmates, was to stay positive. As for advice for the next journey beyond Northeastern: “Keep pushing forward,” she said.
They did it once; they can do it again, she reminded them. “We came from different corners of the world, but we built something together here.”
Building the Future
Much has been built in two short years at Northeastern University’s Arlington campus. From operating out of one classroom to many spaces on the 15th floor of a building in the heart of the National Capital Region, the campus’ first graduates have set the stage for the more than 100 current students following in their path.
“Few people get to say they were part of the launch of a new campus and were able to build culture and community in a rigorous academic setting,” said Arlington Dean and CEO Jamie Jones Miller before the ceremony. Since hosting the first student cohort in January 2023, the dean has worked closely with students through campus and program launches. “Watching the campus come to life has been very rewarding, and our learners have been at the center of this from day one. I’m thrilled to see our graduates take this next step—and am excited to call them Northeastern alumni!”
Ludmille Glaude, who received a Master of Public Policy degree, credits the campus community for providing an environment where she could succeed. “Our professors and advisers were so helpful and motivating,” she said before the commencement ceremony.
The first graduating class from Northeastern University’s 12th campus of 13 represents three colleges: the College of Engineering, the College of Social Sciences and Humanities, and Khoury College of Computer Sciences. Designed to be a hub of technical innovation, security defense, and policy, the Arlington campus partners with government, industry, and nonprofits to prepare learners for leadership in jobs of the future.
Ashwini Jayant Puranik, who received a Master of Science in Information Systems degree, said she had wanted to return to school since receiving her undergraduate degree in 2018. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, and it’s finally happening,” she said.
A Worldwide Impact
Mary Ludden, Senior Vice President for Global Network and Strategic Initiatives, noted before the ceremony that today’s workforce is evolving at an “unprecedented pace”—a pace that the new graduates are prepared to meet. Coming equipped with a challenging course of study reinforced by experiential learning, Arlington campus graduates will apply their skills to a global workforce that will “challenge them, inspire them, and create new opportunities for them throughout their careers,” she said. “I feel immense pride in our students who will now create their own indelible impact on the world.”
The influence of the 34 graduates will be felt in the capital region and far beyond. For Daisy Gomez Palacios, who received a Master of Public Policy degree, the Arlington campus was the perfect fit. “What better place to study public policy than right outside D.C.?” she said. After graduation, the new alum will leverage her knowledge and skills as she continues her work on the economic security team for Washington, D.C., nonprofit Bread for the City. “I’m excited to continue implementing a guaranteed income pilot program to evaluate how that affects social determinants, like mental health and financial stability,” she said.
Shanghai native Han Cheng Huang plans to use what he learned during his master’s program in computer science in his new position as a software engineer back home in China.
Dhairya Milindkumar Gundechia, who received a Master of Science in Software Engineering Systems degree, said his years at the Arlington campus flew by: “It’s been an amazing journey, and the campus has taken care of us really well,” he said. As for next steps, he plans to seek employment in the U.S., or perhaps return to India to start a business combining organically-grown food and technology, “a booming sector,” he added.
A Global Family
Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Deb Franko has served at Northeastern University since 2001 and witnessed its tremendous transformation. “Most exciting has been to see the growth of the global university system, the network of campuses, and the students who come to us from all over the world—and go out into the world through our many global connections and campuses,” she said before the ceremony. “The Arlington campus is a true highlight in our network, and to experience the first commencement has tremendous meaning for me, and certainly for our faculty and staff—and particularly for the students and their families. It is truly a wonderful day!”
For her part in the ceremony, Franko presented an official citation signed by Northeastern University President Joseph E. Aoun to commencement speaker Alex Orfinger. A capital-area business and civic leader, Orfinger serves as market president and publisher of the Washington Business Journal. Franko also recognized Manushi Sharma, who received their Master of Public Policy degree, as the first Arlington campus student to be named to the 2025 Laurel and Scroll 100, a society of distinction honoring outstanding students across Northeastern University.
While commencement marks the culmination of an educational journey, it also marks for graduates a new beginning as Northeastern alumni. At the ceremony, Northeastern Alumni Representative, Class of 1993 graduate Joe Lillis, who serves as vice president of policy at the International Association of Drilling Contractors, had the honor of being the first to welcome the graduates to their global alumni family—350,000 graduates strong. “A powerful network in nearly 185 countries, this means that almost anywhere you go in the world, you will find other Huskies who share the unique experience that only Northeastern alumni can fully appreciate,” the proud alumnus said.
To close the milestone commencement, Marshal and Associate Teaching Professor Youna Jung capped off the ceremony in fine Northeastern University fashion, to a resounding round of applause and cheers, saying:
“You did it, Huskies!”
