Experiential Learning Awards: Experience is Everything
By Heidi Happonen
Experiential Learning is at the heart of Northeastern and is a cornerstone of the College of Professional Studies’ approach both in the classroom and in the field. The real power of that approach is seen not only in the value that students get from real-world, learn-by-doing application but in the meaningful impact their work has on the companies and organizations that sponsor their experiential learning journey.
That fact was in clear view at this year’s Experiential Learning Awards, where students were recognized for their outstanding work in delivering actionable results for their client sponsors. Those students included:
Experiential Learning Project Award
The Experiential Learning Project Award specifically honors students whose performance on XN projects, capstones, or other experiential learning activities has profoundly impacted their sponsor organization and overall academic experience. Winners have demonstrated exceptional dedication, initiative, and professional growth through their contributions. Their commitment to exceeding goals and elevating their project is evident. Winners truly embody the spirit of applied learning.
Valeria Garcia Nin, MPS Digital Media 24′
Capstone XN Project for DGM 7980 with CPS Marketing and Communications (CPS Marcom)
Project Summary
The CPS Marcom team is constantly exploring ways to improve how it communicates with an incredibly diverse and geographically and temporally dispersed learner community. This project aimed to gain a better understanding of what kind of information students want to know and what their preferred modes of communication are. It also aimed to explore a prototype concept of a student-facing app as an aspirational goal.
According to the Senior Director of Communications and Val’s nominator for this award: “Val saw the big picture immediately, and stepped into this project with a creative, thoughtful perspective. The presentation of findings was insightful and actionable and will have broad-reaching impact on college marketing and communications efforts.”
In accepting the award, Val extended her gratitude to the team she worked with adding:
This project gave me the chance to talk to so many students, faculty, and administrators. I wanted to thank you all for sharing your stories and perspectives with our team. Your voices were the foundation of this project, and we hope our work reflects the same passion and commitment you bring to this community every day.”
Humanics Award
The Humanics Award celebrates students who personify Northeastern University’s ethos of humanics, our integration of technical, data and human literacies. Recipients contribute significantly to understanding and improving the world around them. They demonstrate curiosity, empathy, adaptability and lifelong learning. These students combine technical skills, data analysis, and interpersonal awareness to enact positive change. Their embodiment of humanics prepares them to thrive in an increasingly complex world.
Winner: Maria Angelica Charris Franco, MS Project Management ’25
Co-op, Assistant Program Manager at NU Student Temps
Project Summary
Develop detailed hiring project plans, including scope of search/recruitment, placement objectives, placement timelines, and resources in collaboration with stakeholders (hiring managers, students) and the Associate Director of NU Student Temps.
According to her nominator, “With our limited resources, Maria had to manually collect data on how many emails were undeliverable and how many new requests we received. She also developed a feedback form and a plan for regularly collecting feedback. She has single-handedly shaped the way we market our program.”
In accepting the award, Maria said: “I’m incredibly proud of the impact we’ve made and the meaningful work we do at NU Student Temps. I’m excited to carry everything I’ve learned into the next chapter of my professional journey. Muchas gracias!”
Experiential Learning Project Team Award
The Experiential Learning Project Team Award specifically honors project teams that collaborated to produce exemplary work through experiential learning projects associated with their coursework. Their strong communication, problem-solving and excellence in teamwork leads to powerful shared success and measurable positive results for the sponsor.
Winners
Vishva Bhatt, Bianfei Chen, Simran Raizada, Dharmishta Rathod, Zhaojing Wang, John Wood-Downey
This team of students were nominated by Kevin Fleming, Founder and CEO of Prosper Nonprofit Advisors. With minimal supervision, they helped the company map out its own personal strategic planning process, creating a refined sales orientation document with a compelling branding package, and researched potential client expansion candidates
They created polished and effective materials that communicated the mission, services, and unique company approach, helping portray Prosper Nonprofit Advisors and its process in easy and compelling ways.
According to Fleming, “the entire suite of products was above and beyond what I expected and took a loose description of what I was looking for and crystallized it into what I wanted.”
While team members were unable to attend the night’s award ceremonies, they shared their appreciation in a message to the group: “It was a great opportunity to work alongside Prosper NonProfit Advisors and help them achieve their goals during the Experimental Learning Project. This wouldn’t have been possible without Professor Delmonaco’s support and strong guidance. She guided us through numerous hurdles to receive the wining award.”
Co-Op Excellence Award
The Co-op Excellence Award recognizes students who have gone above and beyond in their co-op performance, making tangible impacts on their host organization. Winners have demonstrated exceptional dedication, initiative, and professional growth through their workplace contributions. Their commitment to exceeding goals and elevating their co-op experience is evident. These students embody the spirit of experiential learning at its finest.
Winner: Kunal Vora, MS Regulatory Affairs ’25
Nominated by: Co-op Employer, Dr. Mohammed Grewida
Co-op: Regulatory Affairs, Labeling Operations at Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals
Project Summary
During his co-op, Kunal played a pivotal role in Regulatory Affairs Labeling Operations, taking on responsibilities that directly contributed to compliance, innovation, and process efficiency. His key responsibilities included: Regulatory Strategy & Research, Spearheading efforts to enhance patient-centric labeling approaches, and contributing directly to three NDA submissions by integrating innovative strategies for improving label readability and comprehension and more.
According to Grewida, “Kunal is a natural leader and and exceptional team player who seamlessly integrated into the team and fostered strong relationships with colleagues and stakeholders. His inclusive and welcoming personality allowed him to build trust and camaraderie, making him a valued collaborator across multiple functions.”
In accepting the award, Kunal said: “My co-op journey at Boehringer Ingelheim has been nothing short of transformative. I’ve seen firsthand how regulatory work directly impacts patient safety-and I’ve learned that yes, even Excel sheets and PowerPoint presentations can be heroic.”
Other Award Nominees and Finalists
In addition to the night’s winners, the nominees and finalists were also recognized for their incredible accomplishments. According to Yvonne Rogers, Assistant Dean, Center of Co-op and Professional Advancement, to be acknowledged for Northeastern’s signature programs in experiential learning is an incredible honor and one for which each nominee should be incredibly proud. Finalists include:
Experiential Learning Project Award
Valeria Garcia Nin, Esther Pronovost, Mansi Hasmukhbhai Kyada, Sudhanshu Bansal, John Wood Downey
Humanics Award
Maria Angelica Charris Franco, Prasoon Raj
Experiential Learning Project Team Award
Abhishek Magapu, Jovina Singh, Surabhi Bhatt, Tanaya Hingane, Yiqi Shi, Abdullah Mahmood
Leilani Lewis, Iva Martinovic, Nicholas Patton, Priya Mohan
Simran Raizada, Vishva Bhatt, Bianfei Chen, John Wood-Downey, Dharmishta Rathod, Zhaojing Wang
Co-Op Excellence Award
Jayashree Ganesh, Sonal Shinde, Harpreet Singh, Samruddhi Amarsinh Raut, Shubham Deepak Ghadi, Mariya Pragna Samuel Kathi, Sahil Panchal, Akash Kirani Adarshakumar, Kunal Vora, Vishal Singh, Komal Changediya, Fuad Ali Khowaja, Keerthi Kalyani Maddela, Yongqin Li, Kwadwo Koahene, Ishwari Dhamdhere, Surabhi Bhatt, Nazar Mammedov, Promise Gbama, Harshitha Jogish, Prasoon Raj, Sai Priya Thurupu, Daljit Kaur, Dnyanada Deo
