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“Coming to Suffolk, I felt like I had the resources and the ability to succeed. I’m going into a field that will uplift my family—something I’m passionate about.”
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When Ryan Fayyaz Ardityo, Class of 2027, transferred to Suffolk from a community college in Seattle, he could have played it safe. Instead, the marketing major from Jakarta, Indonesia, made a bold move, running for a seat in the Student Government Association (SGA) even though he was a brand-new Ram. “My biggest fear was that no one was going to choose me,” he admits. “But I wanted to prove to myself that I could do this.” When the results came in, Ryan earned over 400 votes and has served as an SGA senator ever since.
That drive has set the tone for his time at Suffolk. As a semifinalist in a Boston Globe student competition, Ryan helped build a website and campaign to get younger audiences engaged with the news. He’s also taken on roles as an orientation leader, trustee ambassador, and member of the SGA’s public relations committee. And in fall 2026, he’ll bring his marketing acumen to SEED, the University’s prestigious cross-functional consulting clinic. “I really love seeing myself as an extrovert,” Ryan says, “and that is who I am here.”
Although Ryan is proud to represent Suffolk’s international community, he doesn’t want to be defined by that alone. In fact, he's inspired by everything Suffolk has to offer. “I don’t see myself as an individualist,” he says. “I love gaining ideas from other people. I am part of the Suffolk family.”
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JOYCE LUKELO
Law Major, Black Studies Minor
Class of 2029
Bryan Mendez
Media & Film Major, Black Studies Minor
Class of 2028
“People always say they step outside the box, but they might’ve only dipped their toe. I’ve been able to jump out of the entire box here at Suffolk and experience so much.”
Gianna Missiti
Criminal Justice and Psychology Double Major
Class of 2027
“I do a little bit of everything and it’s great, because I’m able to gather all my interests and create one big community.”
Ryan Fayyaz Ardityo
Marketing Major
Class of 2027
“I don’t see myself as an individualist—I love gaining ideas from other people. I am part of the Suffolk family.”
BETTING ON HIMSELF
Gianna Missiti, Class of 2027, has learned that success at Suffolk comes down to one thing: relationships.
Working closely with her “amazing” project advisor, Professor Jessica Gillooly, on her honors podcast about the school-to-prison pipeline, Gianna—a criminal justice and psychology double major from Bedford, Massachusetts—did exactly what current students always tell incoming Rams to do. “Everyone says, ‘Oh, get to know your professors,’” she notes. “But then when you actually do, you’re like, ‘Wow, this is why people tell you to!’”
That enthusiasm animates Gianna’s involvement with the Honors Program. In fact, she’ll step into the role of Honors Council vice president her senior year. This November, she’s heading to New Orleans to present her podcast project at the National Collegiate Honors Council Conference. For Gianna, the Honors Program is about more than academic credentials. “It’s about the resources it provides, the leadership opportunities, and the fact that I’m able to go on this trip,” she explains. “One of my favorite things is the community.”
Community-building is Gianna’s superpower. As cofounder of Move It or Lose It, a women’s fitness club, she’s helped grow the group from six members to over 100 in under a year, organizing everything from wellness walks to puppy yoga classes. She’s also a key member of Suffolk’s softball team.
Gianna’s found her winning formula: “I do a little bit of everything and it’s great, because I’m able to gather all my interests and create one big community.”
A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING
For Joyce Lukelo, Class of 2029, the Massachusetts State House’s golden dome is her guiding light. “Sometimes if I woke up early enough, the sun would be shining on it,” says the Quincy, Massachusetts native, recalling the epic view from her freshman year residence hall. She still passes the State House on her walk to class, a reminder that gives this law major and Black Studies minor “that extra motivation” to pursue her dream of one day working there.
Joyce has come a long way since she arrived at Suffolk. As a first-generation student, she was “honestly nervous” for college. Those jitters melted away as she found her groove in downtown Boston.
“Coming to Suffolk, I felt like I had the resources and the ability to succeed,” Joyce says. “I’m going into a field that will uplift my family—something I’m passionate about.”
That transformation hasn’t gone unnoticed back home. “They see me times ten,” Joyce says of her family, who proudly watch her serving in student government, leading orientation, and pursuing a legal internship with growing confidence.
“At Suffolk, there are so many experiences and opportunities around us, as long as we’re willing to look for them and learn from them,” she says. “I try to do that every single day.”
A VIEW WORTH CHASING
For Bryan Mendez, Class of 2028, strong visuals matter. That’s what inspired him to declare his major in media and film. And why he never forgot the Suffolk University logo on the hoodie his mom bought him in seventh grade. When it was time to fill out the Common Application, Suffolk’s name stood out to him.
“I think it was fate,” Bryan says. “I realized how close it was to my hometown—Lynn, Massachusetts—and the financial aid is good. I love Boston. Why not be here?”
Bryan’s creating quite the highlight reel so far. His production classes have solidified his early love of filmmaking and taught him new technical skills. And he’s added a Black Studies minor to his coursework. His campus involvement has widened his frame of reference, too.
Bryan mentors new students as an orientation leader and RAM Supporter. He’s served on the Caribbean Student Network’s e-board and the Black Student Union’s outreach team. Next up: being a teaching assistant for CAS 101.
And he's done all this as a commuter student, sometimes staying on campus ’til midnight. “I knew I would have to work harder to get involved,” Bryan says, “and that’s what’s helped me grow a stronger passion for Suffolk and a deeper appreciation for what the faculty and other student leaders do.
“People always say they step outside the box,” he continues, “but they might’ve only dipped their toe. I’ve been able to jump out of the entire box here at Suffolk and experience so much.”
CREATING THE ULTIMATE HIGHLIGHT REEL
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JOEY PISANI
Political Science Major
Class of 2028
“I feel like I’m coming alive when I walk out the door. Boston is exciting: there’s always something new. We say the city is our campus. It’s so true.”
Joey Pisani, Class of 2028, is living his dream as a political science major. He’s created social media content as an intern for Massachusetts State Auditor Diana DiZoglio. As a campaign fellow, he helped Boston Mayor Michelle Wu win reelection. This Russell, Massachusetts, native also serves as director of communications and senior advisor to Jeromie Whalen, a congressional candidate running to represent Joey’s hometown in Massachusetts District 1.
For Joey, politics isn’t a job. “It fuels my soul,” he explains. “It’s that thing that I wake up wanting to do more of.”
Studying here makes it easier to do what he loves.
As a freshman in Suffolk’s Honors Living Learning Community, he lived minutes away from his State House internship. A Summer Career Development Stipend from our Center for Career Development, Equity & Success empowered Joey to stay in Boston while interning for Mayor Wu’s campaign before he landed his paid fellowship.
Joey’s gained experience in the nation’s capital, too. He’s attended two seminars in DC through Suffolk’s partnership with the Washington Center. He also went to Washington to advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment with Feminist Generation, a new campus organization he’s helped start.
“I feel like I’m coming alive when I walk out the door,” Joey says. “Boston is exciting: there’s always something new. We say the city is our campus. It’s so true.”
FUELING HIS SOUL
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MOna Ammar
Business Analytics & Information Systems Major
Class of 2028
“Once I came to campus, I really liked the community here: how small it is and the class sizes and being in the city, too.”
Mona Ammar, Class of 2028, had to decide between Suffolk and the state university her brother attended. Suffolk’s Showcase for Admitted Students made her choice easy.
“Once I came to campus,” the Braintree, Massachusetts, native and business analytics & information systems major says, “I really liked the community here: how small it is and the class sizes and being in the city, too.”
Mona launched herself into campus life. “I went to every single club at Welcome Fest and talked to everyone around me,” she says. “It helped: I tried different things and eventually found something.”
That something was orientation. Mona landed a work-study position in the Office of Orientation, New Student & Family Programs and befriended the team that made her feel so welcome from the start. And it inspired her to pursue her dream of becoming an orientation leader (OL) herself.
She’s proud to represent her culture and inspire her fellow Muslims to become campus leaders, too. Mona, who has Egyptian and Indonesian roots, was particularly touched at orientation when students shared that seeing her as an OL made them feel empowered.
“I know who I am now,” Mona says, “And people love me for who I am and support me.”
That includes her family. “I’m showing them what I’m doing,” she says. “And I’m hearing from my parents, ‘We’re so proud of you. We can’t believe you’re doing all these things.’”
FINDING HERSELF
