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Tiffany Pottenburgh

History, Culture, and Law
Law and Public Policy minor
Biology minor

Graduating in May 2024

Tiffany Pottenburgh came to Northeastern to prepare to study law as a first-generation college student. At CSSH, she connected with staff and students from similar backgrounds and built a supportive network for herself. Tiffany’s participation in experiential learning, including co-op and study abroad, has established a foundation for a successful career and future in law school.

Related Schools & Departments

Headshot of Tiffany Pottenburgh.

Tiffany’s Path

Red tulips bloom in the foreground of a mural created by artist Silvia López Chavez that swirls and dives along a formerly gray entrance to Ruggles Station

Tiffany participated in the Summer Bridge Scholars program, building lasting relationships with fellow students even before starting college.

Summer Bridge Scholars Program

She enrolled in "Gender, Sexuality, and the Law" with Professor Libby Alder. Tiffany enjoyed being able to analyze and learn from experts in the fields of law, gender, and feminist studies.

Professor Libby Alder
Tiffany Pottenburgh (middle) posing with fellow sorority members of Sigma Sigma Sigma. They are holding greek letter signs.

Tiffany joined the sorority Sigma Sigma Sigma and found a community with other members. She strengthened her leadership skills as vice-president for DEI.

Sigma Sigma Sigma
Photo of the Peaceable Kingdom Alternative Spring Break group.

On an Alternative Spring Break to Peaceable Kingdom, a camp geared to children with disabilities, she assisted campers with daytime activities.

Peaceable Kingdom
Group photo of students on the ​Storytelling, Landscapes & Contested Identities dialogue.

Tiffany took an Honors Dialogue of Civilizations to Northern Ireland. There, she studied the impacts of colonialism and how the divisions within Ireland impact its cultural life.

​Storytelling, Landscapes & Contested Identities in the North of Ireland
Northeastern SGA

She volunteers with Northeastern's Student Government Association as special advisor to the president, leading collaboration between administration and community.

Northeastern SGA
Tiffany Pottenburgh posing next to the Goodwin Proctor sign.

Tiffany completed two co-ops with Goodwin Procter. First, she was a Coaching Co-op, developing materials for attorneys and support staff. She recently returned as a Goodwin Experience Co-op.

Goodwin Procter
“I chose CSSH because of the various major options, which allowed me to explore my many interests while still preparing me for a future in law. I have always loved studying history, but getting to understand culture and politics, and being able to explore the role of women in all of these different disciplines has made my experience even more relevant to what I want to do in my future.”

More Student Paths

Charles T. Wallace-Thomas IV

  • Charles took "Sustainable Renewable Energy Development in the Global South" with Professor Shalanda Baker, which pushed him to further question systems as they exist, no matter their entrenched in society.
  • He did community service as part of the Ujima Global Leaders Program through the John D. O’Bryant African American Institute. He worked on the Timebank team, helping give back to local communities.
  • Charles split his time for his first co-op between the Center for Economic Democracy and the Boston Ujima Project, where he analyzed studies on community needs, including infrastructure and childcare.
  • He was one of the co-creators of the #BlackAtNU campaign and advocated for racial literacy courses and a restorative and transformative justice center on campus.
  • Charles made his own research project- a macroeconomic index to measure democratic participation in municipal economies, partnering with NU, the Columbus Foundation and the Center for Economic Democracy.
  • He worked at the Participatory Budgeting Project as a Program Associate, helping city systems and other organizations actively decide how to invest money across different spaces.
  • Charles graduated in 2022. ..

Casey Greenleaf

  • Casey took Global Markets and Local Cultures. After traveling, she better saw how the coursework mirrored real life, and knew her education was preparing her for the world.
  • She went on a DOC to Argentina and Uruguay, and become highly proficient while living in Buenos Aires and visiting the glaciers of the Patagonia region.
  • Casey completed 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 local communities.
  • She 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.
  • She 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.
  • Casey graduated in 2020. ..

Sunita Pfitzner

  • Sunita took Revolution, Civil War, and Insurrection, taught by Professor Risa Kitagawa. The course invited students to question the motives behind acts of violence against governments.
  • She traveled on a Dialogue of Civilizations to Jordan and Egypt; while there she grew interested in Middle East politics and the Arabic language.
  • Sunita worked at the Institute for Economics and Peace in Sydney, Australia, where she analyzed data on the corruption of police forces in Mexico.
  • Sunita was a member of the International Relations Council and traveled abroad with the club to compete in Model Arab League, Model NATO, and Model UN conferences.
  • Sunita conducted research with Berna Turam, developing a greater understanding of the Mediterranean migrant crisis. She also researched the feminist response to Covid-19 with Val Moghadam.
  • She graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2022.
  • ..
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 his high school and college experiences.
  • He 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 enlightened look at the problems endemic to cities.
  • Yasser joined the Boston Beer Company as a Program Operations and Event Assistant for his first co-op. He worked on inventory, public relations, brewery events, and workspace organization.
  • He implemented 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 maintained a farm in Dorchester for The Food Project. He harvested crops, distributed produce through donations and food markets, and worked on overall logistics.
  • In 2020, Yasser won the Community Service Leadership award, given to students who show exemplary community engagement. He was recognized for his work at The Food Project, Northeastern Crossing, and more.
  • He graduated 2022 with his Bachelor’s in International Affairs and Religious Studies and his Master’s in Security and Resilience Studies, through Northeastern’s PlusOne program...