Members of the Class of 2024 share their memorable moments, favorite projects and more.
Hometown: Southfield, Michigan
Major: Journalism with a minor in legal studies
School: Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications
Most impactful professor: Ava Thompson Greenwell
Campus activities: The Daily Northwestern; Northwestern News Network Sports; WNUR Sports; Psi Sigma chapter of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity; the National Association of Black Journalists campus chapter
“The [NABJ chapter] has been my home away from home.”
Favorite project: The Unsung Heroes series for the The Daily Northwestern's Cats Corner podcast
“A deep dive into the people in Athletics who don't get the credit they deserve ... like the people out there cutting the grass at 6 a.m. for a 9 a.m. game.”
Advice for incoming students: Make use of all the opportunities you can
Post-grad plans: A career in sports journalism
Hometown: Naperville, Illinois
Majors: Saxophone performance and economics
“The biggest thing that drew me to Northwestern was the ability to study multiple things while I was here.”
Schools: Bienen School of Music; Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
Campus activities: Academy of Music and Arts for Special Education (AMASE); Masso Quartet
Favorite way to unwind: Running along the lakefront
“And every spring, when the lake thaws, a group of friends and I jump in!”
Standout class: Economic Development in Africa
Advice for incoming students: Don’t be too hard on yourself and appreciate the people around you as sources of inspiration
Post-grad plans: Contribute to economic research on global poverty and keep playing the saxophone
Hometown: Los Angeles
Major: Political science and international studies with a minor in Asian humanities
School: Weinberg
Campus activities: Model U.N.; resident assistant; Posse Scholars
Favorite memory: Seeing snow for the first time
“I made a snowman for the first time with my roommate.”
Standout class: Racial Politics in American Cities
Favorite activity: Model U.N.
“It’s like Dungeons & Dragons for history nerds.”
Post-grad plans: Working as an advocacy associate at the Woodstock Institute
Hometown: Los Angeles
Major: Industrial engineering with a minor in data science and engineering
School: McCormick School of Engineering
Favorite memory: Watching the sunset with his girlfriend
“I met [her] through a Zoom call through a summer academic workshop program. ... She’s been my rock my whole four years here.”
Campus activities: Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers; Multicultural Greek Council
Most impactful professor: Seyed Iravani
“He really helped me find what I wanted to go into.”
Advice for incoming students: Don’t forget where you’re from
Post-grad plans: A career in logistics
Hometown: Clifton Park, New York
Majors: Learning sciences and computer science
School: School of Education and Social Policy
Favorite memory: Laughing at home with roommates
Standout class: Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science
“I learned so much about how to think logically and think critically.”
Campus activities: Computer science advisory board; Lumi Tutors
“We work with high school students in Chicago public schools ... being there for them has been really gratifying.”
Advice for incoming students: Be yourself and pursue what you enjoy
Post-grad plans: Software engineering at an education company
Hometown: Duluth, Minnesota
Majors: Dance with a minor in art theory and practice
Schools: School of Communication
Campus activities: Refresh Dance Crew
“Refresh has shown me what it means to truly connect with people through dance and be able to create work that brings people together.”
Most impactful experience: Nature Art and Habitat Residency in Taleggio Valley, Italy
Standout class: Choreographic Composition
“The dance faculty here are so welcoming and they created such a good environment to grow as a dancer.”
Advice for incoming students: Trust yourself, you’re capable of more than you know
Post-grad plans: Continue dancing, auditioning and applying to graduate school
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Reader Responses
Northwestern has significantly advanced my career, and I am grateful to my professors and classmates for a wonderful experience.
—Sumia Imran '24, Chicago, via Northwestern Magazine
The NU Class of '24 deserves not only our applause but also our admiration (*full disclosure — our daughter is one of you).
“They endured everything we took from them, every pivot we asked of them and every ounce of patience we expected from them. They showed us how to stand firm in a storm, not knowing when or how it will end. This perseverance will serve them well in their lives. It is a lesson they could not learn in a classroom. They discovered it is the light from within them that will guide them through the darkest days.” — Online college news site Grown&Flown
Congrats to the courageous, resilient Class of '24! You will always have a special place in our hearts. Go 'Cats! Go Class of '24!
—David Mumford '76, Santa Monica, Calif., via Northwestern Magazine
Such a pleasure to “meet” these impressive, articulate grads!
Updates about their futures in a year, five years, 10 years would be wonderful.
—Nancy Miller Harray '64, Monterey, Calif.
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