Alexandra Candelas – Pioneering Digital Media Education with Passion and Purpose
Alexandra Candelas is not just a professor of digital media at Northeastern University College of Professional Studies; she is a seasoned tech executive, entrepreneur and co-founder of PenloParc, a BCorp consultancy for tech startups. Candelas transitioned from the corporate world to academia with a vision to revolutionize education through experiential learning. Her journey from a first-generation college graduate to a trailblazing educator reflects her unwavering commitment to empowering students and redefining digital media and design education.
Roots of Resilience: A First-Generation American’s Journey
Born in Somerville and raised in Arlington, Massachusetts, Candelas grew up as the eldest daughter of Greek immigrants. “Being the ‘family translator’ came with a lot of responsibility,” she recalled. Her father, who arrived in the U.S. as a shoemaker, worked his way up to become a foreman at Stride Rite, overseeing 500 people. “He would take me to the factory and teach me about hard work and resourcefulness. I was just ten years old!” she said, laughing at the memory.
Her parents’ journey epitomized the American Dream. Arriving at Ellis Island with nothing but five dollars, they built a life from the ground up, eventually investing in retail stores and real estate. This entrepreneurial spirit shaped Alexandra’s relentless work ethic. “Our parents drove us hard,” she reflected. “They instilled a work ethic in us that most families didn’t have.”
Her father, who arrived in the U.S. as a shoemaker, worked his way up to become a foreman at Stride Rite, overseeing 500 people. “He would take me to the factory and teach me about hard work and resourcefulness. I was just ten years old!” she said, laughing at the memory.
Overcoming Adversity: Lessons in Perseverance
Candelas’s childhood was marked by both joy and hardship. Growing up in a traditional Greek household, she often felt out of place among her American peers. “I was the kid with homemade clothes who didn’t have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch,” she recounted. The pressure to excel academically was compounded by the responsibility of translating for her parents and working at the family’s fabric store from a young age. “Freshman year of high school, I was holding down the retail store,” she shared.
Despite struggling with reading until sixth grade, Candelas’s determination prevailed. “By high school, I was speed-reading and outperforming my classmates,” she said proudly. Her father’s strict expectations led her to Bentley University, where she majored in accounting despite her passion for art. “He wanted me to pursue business, but my heart was in art,” she said. This intersection of business and creativity would later become the cornerstone of her career in digital media and design.
Business Meets Art: Pioneering Digital Media and Design
Candelas’s unique journey in the tech and design industry began during her time at Bentley. Working at Advent, a high-fidelity speaker company, she was exposed to the world of art, history, and music. “I met people with incredible intellectual pursuits. They became my lifelong friends,” she reminisced. It was there that she met Roger Sametz, whose presentations ignited her passion for design. “I remember thinking, ‘That’s who I want to be.’”
After a brief career in accounting, Candelas pursued her dream of studying art at the Massachusetts College of Art. She founded her own design firm, Twinn Design, which quickly gained traction, working with Fortune 500 companies like Kodak and Hewlett-Packard. “We launched the digital camera for Kodak in 1989 and created the first all-digital brochure,” she recounted. Her firm’s cutting-edge projects and risk-taking approach made her a pioneer in digital media.
By the late 1990s, Candelas’s firm was at the forefront of the tech revolution, building some of the first websites and contributing to the rise of “experience design.” Her firm was eventually acquired by an engineering company during the dot-com boom, marking a pivotal point in her career. “We were high-end designers doing million-dollar projects. It was the glory days of the internet,” she said.
A Passion for Teaching: Integrating Experiential Learning at Northeastern
After the tech bubble burst, Candelas returned to academia to pursue a graduate degree. At the time, there were no PhD programs in Design, New Media, or similar fields, except at MassArt. She attended MassArt and earned an MFA, a terminal degree that qualified her to teach at the university level. She then transitioned into academia, bringing her industry experience to the classroom. She began teaching at the Massachusetts College of Art and later joined Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies in 2019. “I love Northeastern. I’m amazed by the students’ motivation to succeed. They go above and beyond every single semester,” she said enthusiastically.
Candelas’s teaching philosophy is rooted in experiential learning, a concept she championed by integrating real-world client projects through Northeastern’s Experiential Network (XN). “The Experiential Network is the differentiating point at CPS. It’s a spectacular program that bridges theory with practice,” she explained. Under her guidance, students collaborate with industry partners, gaining hands-on experience that prepares them for the competitive world of digital media and design.
Her approach to teaching extends beyond traditional lectures. During the pandemic, Candelas adapted her courses to an online format, leveraging her global corporate experience to engage students virtually. “I was already familiar with virtual communication, but I had to figure out how to keep students engaged remotely,” she said. Her innovative methods were met with overwhelming success, solidifying her reputation as an educator who goes the extra mile.
Courage Through Adversity: Battling Cancer with Resilience
In 2023, Candelas faced her toughest battle yet – breast cancer. Diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma, she underwent rigorous treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Yet, even during this challenging time, she continued teaching. “I’d sleep for three days, wake up to teach, then go back to bed,” she said, her determination evident. “I had to keep my mind going.”
Her students remained unaware of her struggle as she maintained her positivity and dedication. “Both my courses did spectacularly well,” she said proudly. “Ringing that bell on my last chemo day was incredible. I went into 2025 with a fresh start.”
“Ringing that bell on my last chemo day was incredible. I went into 2025 with a fresh start.”
Legacy of Inspiration: Empowering the Next Generation
Candelas’s journey from a first-generation college student to a leader in digital media and design is nothing short of extraordinary. Her commitment to experiential learning, her passion for creativity, and her resilience through life’s challenges inspire everyone around her.
She continues to empower her students at Northeastern, encouraging them to take risks, embrace creativity, stay curious, and pursue their passions fearlessly. “I always tell my students, ‘Let’s just try it,’” she said with a smile. “I’m a risk-taker. I always have been.”
Alexandra Candelas’s story is a testament to the power of perseverance, the impact of experiential learning, and the extraordinary influence of a dedicated educator. She is not just teaching digital media – she is shaping the future of design, one student at a time.
Learn more about the Digital media graduate program at Northeastern.
