Krithika Krishna Murthy
First-Generation Student Spotlight
What led you to college, and to Northeastern?
My journey was never a straight line. I studied Electronics Engineering as an undergraduate, influenced by the advice of people around me. I did well academically, yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was meant for something different.
I found that feeling during my final-year internship in digital marketing. Over the next five years, I built a career in marketing. Working with major clients at Publicis Groupe made me realize I wanted to understand the data behind marketing decisions, which led me to Northeastern to pursue my master’s in Analytics. I’m proud that I gave myself permission to change direction.
What did your family understand, and not understand, about what you were signing up for?
People understood that studying in the United States could create opportunities for my future. What is harder to explain is everything that comes with making that decision.
When did you realize you’d be navigating this without a roadmap?
I have always been the person who had to figure things out first. I am an only child and the eldest among my first cousins, so I never had an older sibling or cousin whose experiences could serve as a guide.
Moving to the United States made that impossible to ignore. There wasn’t one dramatic moment. It was in the everyday decisions, especially the ones where I wished someone could simply tell me I was doing the right thing. Over time, I stopped waiting for certainty before taking the next step. I learned to research, reach out, try, and adjust.
I may not have inherited a roadmap, but I have learned how to find my way.
Krithika Krishna Murthy
Who or what made the biggest difference?
My on-campus role as a Marketing Coordinator with the College of Science helped me become part of the university community, while my Marketing Analytics co-op let me connect my professional experience with what I’m learning. Through my co-op, I even traveled to Belgium for work, something I never imagined when I first arrived in Boston.
The Huskies for Life program has been equally meaningful. I’m grateful to my mentor for guiding my professional growth, to Mariah Silva for creating opportunities for students to learn and connect, and to my advisor, Naomi, who is always there to answer my questions. Teaching STEM to students at Boston Arts Academy and volunteering at the BARI Conference have given me ways to give back.
I arrived thinking I had to figure everything out alone, but Northeastern taught me the value of community.
Is being first-gen a badge of honor, a source of pressure, or something else?
It is both a source of pride and a reminder of how much responsibility I have learned to carry. There are times when being independent becomes its own kind of pressure. You become the person who researches, plans, solves problems, and finds a way forward, even when you are tired or uncertain.
I am proud of what I have built, but I am also learning that I don’t have to prove my strength by doing everything alone.
What would you tell a first-gen student just starting out?
Don’t mistake not knowing something for not being capable of doing it. Ask questions, seek guidance, and give yourself permission to change direction. You don’t need to have your entire future figured out before you begin.
Sometimes, making a difference begins with becoming the person you once needed.
Krithika Krishna Murthy
Write your own first chapter.
Being the first in your family to earn a degree takes courage, and you don’t have to do it alone. Explore flexible CPS programs built around your life, your work, and your goals.
