Grads to Celebrate 2025

RAND MEYER

While studying communication studies and political science, Rand Meyer took part in the U.S. Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program and Northwestern’s Mock Trial team (NUMT). “That was the first real college family unit I had,” Meyer says of NUMT, which he participated in throughout his four undergraduate years. He also enjoyed making memories with his roommates — going on weekend excursions, taste-testing different root beer floats, hosting dinner parties and even creating a large carpet portrait of themselves for their living room. Meyer will be attending law school at the University of Texas at Austin in the fall and hopes to become a trial lawyer. “I want to go into law because ... I want to help people, and I enjoy being performative and storytelling,” says Meyer. “And [law] feels like the nexus between those two ideas.”

DIVYA GUPTA

Divya Gupta double-majored in journalism and economics and earned a minor in data science — but she was certainly never confined to the classroom. Originally from Leawood, Kan., Gupta joined the tennis club her first year and eventually became club president while also joining a sorority and serving as a peer adviser. Gupta studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain, spent a week exploring international journalism with a class in Japan and worked on the Northwestern University Two-Generation Research Initiative at the Institute for Policy Research. “I sound like an advertisement for Northwestern saying this, but I love the quarter system because I’ve gotten to take so many classes,” Gupta says. After graduation, she is traveling to Spain as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant, working with elementary and middle school students.   

ELIJAH NACAR

A QuestBridge scholar and a first-generation low-income college student from Plano, Texas, Elijah Nacar majored in data science and participated in the Posner Research Program. “Northwestern gave me a really great opportunity,” Nacar says, “and when I get that chance, I would love to be able to provide similar opportunity to other people.” To that end, Nacar served in various leadership roles at LEND Evanston, a nonprofit that offers local entrepreneurs financial support and education. “It’s a client interaction–focused organization,” he says. “There are so many people we’ve provided these grants or business support opportunities to who have said how much it helped them.” Nacar hopes to pursue data science and social impact opportunities this summer before starting a full-time consulting role in the fall.

HELEN ZHU

As co–editor in chief of the Northwestern Undergraduate Research Journal, Helen Zhu brought together her interests in journalism and STEM. For two years, she also served as editor in chief of Syllabus, Northwestern’s yearbook. “I found a love for design and photography and saw it as a way to document memories for years to come,” she says. Zhu, who majored in computer science and minored in chemistry, also earned a certificate in financial economics. She joined the Chinese Students Association during her first year on campus and eventually became president of the group, as well as co-chair of Celebrasia, the annual cultural event organized by Asian and Asian American student groups. “I really can’t think of another place that would allow me to have all the academic interests that I did and still be involved in publications ... and stay so actively engaged in the community here,” she says.  Zhu will conduct research at Harvard Medical School over the summer and will attend the University of Cambridge in the fall as Northwestern’s 2025 Findlay Fellow. 

JACKSON GORDWIN

While earning a degree in learning and organizational change, Jackson Gordwin served as president of Strive, Northwestern’s club for Black men. Gordwin helped club members connect with alumni while supporting Strive’s trivia nights, clothing drives, volunteer events and annual basketball tournament. He also volunteered with Black Men LEAD, a partnership between Evanston Township High School (ETHS) and Northwestern. “I’ve been able to see [the ETHS students] grow as learners throughout my time at the school,” Gordwin says. “That’s been really cool ... being given the opportunity to help them on their own educational journey.” Originally from Chandler, Ariz., Gordwin says he plans to travel to different Major League Baseball stadiums this summer and will start law school at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law in August.   

EMILY AMESQUITA

Originally from Seattle, Emily Amesquita took on many roles at Northwestern, both on-stage, as a vocal performance major, and off-stage, serving as a peer adviser and a camp counselor at the nonprofit Camp Kesem. “I have a distinct memory of applying to be a peer adviser in the winter of my freshman year,” Amesquita recalls. “There were a lot of big personalities. But ... no matter how loud or quiet you were, every single person made distinct efforts to give space for everyone within that group. That particular group of people ... made Northwestern feel like home.” A member of the Bienen Contemporary/Early Vocal Ensemble and co-president of Northwestern’s student-run opera company, Opera Projects for Undergraduate Singers, Amesquita was selected for the 2024 Grant Park Music Festival Vocal Fellowship and plans to perform at the Chicago-based festival again this summer in addition to singing as a Studio Artist at Opera Neo in San Diego, CA.