Speaking on behalf of the Class of 2025 on Northeastern University’s Seattle campus, Shivangi Sharma urged her peers to remember the powerful connections they’ve made as they pursued their graduate studies. “We’ve learned how to build something meaningful — not just in the work we do, but in the way we connect with others,” she said. “We’ve learned that success isn’t just about achieving goals, it’s about bringing others along with us, about creating spaces where more people feel valued and supported.”
Addressing a jubilant gathering of graduates, family and friends in Benaroya Hall on Tuesday, Sharma said she was in awe of Seattle’s tech industry when she first arrived in the city — and felt small walking past offices for Google, Meta and Amazon. It was her classmates who put her at ease. “What changed everything for me wasn’t just mastering technical skills or landing an internship,” said Sharma, who earned her master’s degree in analytics. “It was the people and the opportunities around me.”
