Mission Driven
You earned two degrees from Suffolk. When you look back now, what are the things you remember most?
Doing my work-study at the Career Center. All day long, I got to hear the advice the career counselors were giving students. They stressed the importance of doing internships and doing them early in your college career, so that you could build up your résumé and discover what you did and didn’t want to do. I did four internships between undergraduate and grad school, each of which really connected what I was learning in the classroom with the real world.
I also really appreciated the variety of Suffolk faculty. Some were legal scholars, others were full-time researchers and professors. Then there were professors who worked full time and taught a single course, who’d bring what was happening day to day in their field to class—just like I do now. I got my first job out of graduate school with the help of a Suffolk professor who worked full time at a nonprofit, and I went on to work there for 11 years.
You’ve been giving back to Suffolk for 16 years. What’s behind this kind of support?
When I was a student, it was clear there were alumni who were giving back regularly, as well as coming to campus to talk with students. There were also so many volunteer and community engagement opportunities, and I think that instilled in me the importance of giving back to the community, including to Suffolk.
After grad school, I helped found the GOLD Council, for Graduates of the Last Decade. We focused on connecting recent graduates with current students, and that gave me a really clear view of things I had benefited from (including the College of Arts & Sciences Scholarship) and the role that alumni play in supporting those things. So I began contributing both my time and treasure.
What has giving back given you?
Knowing I’m helping to guide the next generation, both through my teaching and my financial support, feels very impactful to me. I’ve gone to conferences and run into former students who are now working in the field. That’s so motivating to see the influence that I’ve had on them—just like my professors had on me. It really makes you want to stay involved.
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spring 2025
By Beth Brosnan
Director of Operations, The New England Innocence Project
Adjunct Professor, Suffolk University’s Master of Crime & Justice Studies Program and Undergraduate Sociology Program
Summa Society Donor
Co-Founder, The GOLD Council
Past President, The CAS Alumni Board
2015 10 Under 10 Alumni Honoree
