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Abrielle De Veaux

Psychology, BS
Africana Studies Minor
Behavioral Neuroscience Minor

2024

Abrielle always knew that she wanted to be an Africana major or minor as an undergraduate. Over the past few years, she became increasingly concerned about the impact the pandemic, hate crimes, and police brutality have had on the mental health of marginalized communities, particularly Black Americans. Ultimately, it has fueled her motivation to pursue psychology for her own career path, and to advocate for intersectional practices in psychology so everybody can access support during difficult times now and in the future.

Related Schools & Departments

Abrielle’s Path

Abrielle transferred to Northeastern from American University during her second year, and decided to become a Psychology major and Africana Studies minor.

Abrielle was drawn to Northeastern because of the co-op experience as well as hearing positive things about the administration's efforts to prioritize Black voices.

As a transfer student, her first priority was to find community on campus where she could be unapologetically Black - which led her to the Black Student Association. She is now VP.

NBSA Website

For her first co-op, Abrielle worked as a research assistant at the Center for Cognitive and Brain Health, doing blood processing, data management and organization, and administering cognitive assessments.

Abrielle began working with Professor Nicole Aljoe as a researcher with the Early Caribbean Digital Archive. She continues this research and finds it greatly rewarding.

ECDA Website

So far, Abrielle's favorite classes include Introduction to African American Studies and Black Popular Culture with Professor Fadeke Castor.

Professor Castor's Faculty Profile

In 2021, Abrielle interned at The Opportunity Agenda, a social justice communications lab.

The Opportunity Agenda

Although her entire first year at Northeastern was remote, Abrielle feels that with rigorous testing and protocols, she was still able to have a college experience.

In September 2021, Abrielle joined the Shansky Lab of Neuroanatomy and Behavior as a research assistant.

Shansky Lab

For her future co-op at Northeastern, Abrielle wants to work in clinical psychology, either through research or in a healthcare setting.

Abrielle knows that her career path will uplift and strengthen the Black community. Her career interests are neuropsychology, cognitive decline, psychotherapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

“It is one of the greatest misconceptions in academic spaces that Africana studies degrees don’t hold much weight. These programs are worthwhile, particularly for non-Black individuals, because they allow you to see outside of yourself and glimpse into the lives of other people and communities. To be able to take an academic and informed point of view on someone’s condition is necessary for any career path you choose. Moreover, unlearning engrained belief systems and world views is just as important as learning is in both academic and works settings–lives depend on it.” 

More Student Paths

Charles T. Wallace-Thomas IV

  • Charles chose to attend Northeastern because he was intrigued by the signature co-op program and wanted a curriculum that combined real-world experience without compromising thorough academic rigor.
  • Initially an engineering student, Charles switched to a combined major in Economics and Mathematics to build upon his interest in economic and social justice work. He also has a minor in psychology.
  • In his first year, Charles took Sustainable Renewable Energy Development in the Global South with Professor Shalanda Baker, which taught him to question systems as they exist, no matter how established.
  • As part of the Ujima Global Leaders Program through the John D. O’Bryant African American Institute, Charles did community service, working on the Timebank team which helped him give back to Boston.
  • For his first co-op, Charles split his time between the Center for Economic Democracy and the Boston Ujima Project, where he analyzed studies on community needs, like infrastructure and childcare.
  • As Campaign Coordinator and Director of Northeastern’s Students Advancing Intersectional Dreams, Charles had spoken to people like Patrisse Cullors, Richie Reseda, Michelle Alexander, and Angela Davis.
  • Over the summer of 2020, Charles was one of the co-creators of the #BlackAtNU campaign where he advocated for racial literacy courses and for a restorative and transformative justice center on campus...

Casey Greenleaf

  • Casey took “Global Markets and Local Cultures'' with the late Professor Jeffrey Juris. After traveling, she saw how the coursework mirrored reality, and knew her education was preparing her for the world.
  • Casey went on a DOC to Argentina and Uruguay. She wanted to become fluent in Spanish, and she did become highly proficient while living in Buenos Aires and visiting the glaciers of the Patagonia region.
  • Casey did her first co-op at the Museum of Fine Arts as a Community Arts program assistant. She gained valuable hands-on experience assisting in arts classes for the local communities.
  • Casey joined the Sociology & Anthropology Student Association during her third year. It allowed her to get to know her fellow students and mirrored the small school experience she loved.
  • Casey studied abroad in Nepal for her capstone thesis. She lived alone for a month while she researched and wrote about the lived experience of climate change in the lower Himalayas.
  • Casey joined the Sunrise Movement, an environmental group that organizes protests urging political action for climate justice issues. With them, she truly felt like a part of the local Boston community.
  • Casey worked for the Environmental Data and Governance Initiative, founded by Professor Sarah Wylie. She produced promotional videos, developed a virtual research event, wrote event programming, and more. ..

Sunita Pfitzner

  • Northeastern has provided Sunita with interdisciplinary opportunities to utilize her education in the Greater Boston community, on co-op, and abroad.
  • Sunita spent Summer 2019 on a Dialogue of Civilizations in Jordan and Egypt. It helped her realize her interest in Middle East politics and the Arabic language.
  • Her favorite class, Revolution, Civil War, and Insurrection taught by Professor Risa Kitagawa invited students to question the motives behind acts of violence against governments.
  • Her first co-op was at the Institute for Economics and Peace in Sydney, Australia where she analyzed data on the corruption of police forces in Mexico.
  • Her second co-op at Enel X provided insight into battery storage, solar and wind farms, demand response, and the economic incentives that drive the energy market.
  • In spring 2019, Sunita joined the Student Alliance for Prison Reform as well as Partakers, a partner of the club, where she mentored a prisoner at MCI Concord.
  • Sunita is a member of the International Relations Council and has traveled abroad with the club to compete in Model Arab League, Model NATO, and Model UN conferences...
Northeastern student Yasser Aponte works at The Food Project to help deliver fresh food to local communities in Dorchester, Massachusetts.

Yasser Aponte

  • Yasser was in the Foundation Year program at Northeastern. The program was a rigorous deep dive into core subject classes that helped Yasser bridge the gap between the high school and college experiences.
  • Initially indecisive, Yasser’s interest in traveling and experience exploring different religious texts in high school led him to a double major in international affairs and religious studies.
  • Yasser took Issues in Cities and Suburbs with Professor Erin Graves in Fall 2018. As someone deeply invested in urban life, he found the course was an enlightening look at the problems endemic to cities.
  • Yasser’s first co-op was at the Boston Beer Company as a Program Operations and Event Assistant. He worked on inventory, public relations, directed brewery events, and maintained workspace organization.
  • Yasser went on a Dialogue of Civilizations to Europe in Summer 2019 and took Engineering Principles in Nature with Professor Sandra Shefelbine.
  • Yasser implemented and maintained community gardens all over Boston on deserted plots of land during his time as the Northeastern Campus Director for the campus’ United Nations Millennium Fellowship.
  • Yasser began working at the Food Project and at a farm in Dorchester, he maintained the farm, harvested crops, distributed produce through donations and food markets, and worked on overall logistics...