Letter From the President
First-year students in the Sawyer Business School are using generative AI, not to do their homework, but as a business tool that helps summarize information, improve team dynamics, and hone their presentation skills.
Undergraduate students in the College of Arts & Sciences’ Spanish program have teamed up with Suffolk Law students in the Immigrant Justice Clinic to translate and interpret during legal consultations with Spanish-speaking clients, bridging the language divide.
On a service-learning and leadership trip to Portugal, a dozen Suffolk students grow their understanding of how that country delivers essential medical and social services by meeting directly with a group of patients from Cape Verde who are receiving life-saving medical care.
These are just a few examples of Suffolk’s innovative and immersive approach to teaching and learning found in this issue of Suffolk University Magazine. Both inside and outside the classroom, students at all levels of this University are expanding their knowledge, perspectives, and abilities by actively engaging in the world around them. It is a powerful way to teach and learn.
Since 1906, Suffolk University has been preparing its graduates to succeed in the real world and to positively impact their communities. We think continuously about the best and most relevant ways to do that, and we are constantly evolving and adapting. But the essence of what we do has never changed. At a time when higher education is facing enormous pressures and disruption, our commitment to ensuring that our graduates are ready for success remains stronger than ever.
Immersive learning is one of the key ways that Suffolk prepares students for the real world, with all of its challenges and possibilities. In this issue, you’ll read about the many forms that learning takes, and the ways that it builds on classroom instruction, as students dive into real-world experiences, from high-level internships and student consulting projects to global travel seminars.
If you’re looking for a case study in immersive learning, our cover story on Jacob Tobey, BA ’18, is a good place to start.
A broadcast journalism major, Jacob took advantage of many hands-on learning opportunities that Suffolk offered to sharpen his skills, from doing play-by-play coverage for Rams athletic teams to anchoring the Suffolk Sports Report at Studio 73 and working as a news reporter with Suffolk in the City and NECN. Today, Jacob is the television play-by-play announcer for the San Antonio Spurs—and among the youngest in all the NBA.
Or consider Suffolk in the Hub, a fully integrated student-run marketing agency. Working in teams, the close to 50 students who make up Suffolk in the Hub are developing sophisticated marketing strategies for companies and nonprofits across Massachusetts—and building the kind of confidence and competence that will enable them to secure good jobs when they graduate.
That’s one of the reasons that Sawyer Business School Marketing Instructor Kim Ring founded Suffolk in the Hub, but it’s not the only one. Like faculty members across our University, she is also focused on larger lessons. “I want students to invest in others the way I’ve invested in them,” she says. “I want them to go on and build other people up and invest their time in helping other people learn.”
Creating community. Working for the greater good. These are bedrock principles that underlie a Suffolk education, preparing our graduates to succeed in their lives as well as their careers. As a university, we’re committed to meeting this moment, to ensuring that our students are not only getting their money’s worth, but also the kind of lasting value—and values—that higher education can impart.
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spring 2025
Marisa J. Kelly, President
Senior Hope Miller is part of the Suffolk in the Hub student-run marketing agency, which works with real-world clients from around Massachusetts. Photograph by Michael J. Clarke
First-year students in the Sawyer Business School are using generative AI, not to do their homework, but as a business tool that helps summarize information, improve team dynamics, and hone their presentation skills.
Undergraduate students in the College of Arts & Sciences’ Spanish program have teamed up with Suffolk Law students in the Immigrant Justice Clinic to translate and interpret during legal consultations with Spanish-speaking clients, bridging the language divide.
On a service-learning and leadership trip to Portugal, a dozen Suffolk students grow their understanding of how that country delivers essential medical and social services by meeting directly with a group of patients from Cape Verde who are receiving life-saving medical care.
These are just a few examples of Suffolk’s innovative and immersive approach to teaching and learning found in this issue of Suffolk University Magazine. Both inside and outside the classroom, students at all levels of this University are expanding their knowledge, perspectives, and abilities by actively engaging in the world around them. It is a powerful way to teach and learn.
Since 1906, Suffolk University has been preparing its graduates to succeed in the real world and to positively impact their communities. We think continuously about the best and most relevant ways to do that, and we are constantly evolving and adapting. But the essence of what we do has never changed. At a time when higher education is facing enormous pressures and disruption, our commitment to ensuring that our graduates are ready for success remains stronger than ever.
Immersive learning is one of the key ways that Suffolk prepares students for the real world, with all of its challenges and possibilities. In this issue, you’ll read about the many forms that learning takes, and the ways that it builds on classroom instruction, as students dive into real-world experiences, from high-level internships and student consulting projects to global travel seminars.
If you’re looking for a case study in immersive learning, our cover story on Jacob Tobey, BA ’18, is a good place to start.
A broadcast journalism major, Jacob took advantage of many hands-on learning opportunities that Suffolk offered to sharpen his skills, from doing play-by-play coverage for Rams athletic teams to anchoring the Suffolk Sports Report at Studio 73 and working as a news reporter with Suffolk in the City and NECN. Today, Jacob is the television play-by-play announcer for the San Antonio Spurs—and among the youngest in all the NBA.
Or consider Suffolk in the Hub, a fully integrated student-run marketing agency. Working in teams, the close to 50 students who make up Suffolk in the Hub are developing sophisticated marketing strategies for companies and nonprofits across Massachusetts—and building the kind of confidence and competence that will enable them to secure good jobs when they graduate.
That’s one of the reasons that Sawyer Business School Marketing Instructor Kim Ring founded Suffolk in the Hub, but it’s not the only one. Like faculty members across our University, she is also focused on larger lessons. “I want students to invest in others the way I’ve invested in them,” she says. “I want them to go on and build other people up and invest their time in helping other people learn.”
Creating community. Working for the greater good. These are bedrock principles that underlie a Suffolk education, preparing our graduates to succeed in their lives as well as their careers. As a university, we’re committed to meeting this moment, to ensuring that our students are not only getting their money’s worth, but also the kind of lasting value—and values—that higher education can impart.