Student Leader of the Month Award

Name: Milo Lam
Major: Marketing (Product Innovation and Branding Concentration)
Involvement: President of the Information Systems and Business Analytics (ISBA) Club
Fun Fact (about you): I took two gap years after high school to work at a few startups and competed in national and regional (Southeast Asia) startup competitions
Is there anything else you’re involved in that your nominator may have not mentioned? I'm not currently involved in anything else at Suffolk but I do work full-time as a freelancer. My project areas include SEO, web development, and performance ads.

What does being a student leader mean to you?

It's honestly just like being any regular student for me, but I do appreciate that I can make an impact by sharing my passion with others in the same community. It also means being people-oriented and putting other people first.

What advice would you give for aspiring student leaders?

Lead with integrity

Word from their nominator: Mahed Maddah

“Milo Lam, who serves as the president of the Information Systems and Business Analytics (ISBA) Club, demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to his role and is a perfect example of a successful student leader. Milo, who works as a full-time marketing freelancer, runs the operations for the Suffolk ISBA Club. He handles the club's social media marketing, organizes events, and even hosts his own sessions as a speaker on topics like technology, web development, and Google. He manages the club operations, while he is taking six classes this semester from across the world in Vietnam.”

Name: Caroline Elizabeth Enos
Major: Print/Web Journalism Major
Fun Fact: I am same height as Danny DeVito!
Involvement: Editor of the Suffolk Journal

What does being a student leader mean to you?

“Being a student leader is about listening to other people and making sure that everyone feels like they can be a leader in their own way.  Good leadership means constantly working toward building a more inclusive and supportive community. It also means that you can't put yourself before the people you work with or are trying to help, and that your organization is always working as a team.”

What advice would you give for aspiring student leaders?

“Don’t ever think that you know everything. If you make a mistake, listen to the people around you and the people who that mistake affects the most. Do your best to learn from that mistake and make sure your organization can grow from it, too.”

A Word from their Nominator - Emily Devlin:

“Caroline wants The Journal to be the best that it can be and she puts in the work to get it there. She is passionate about what this newspaper stands for and wants it to benefit the staff and the Suffolk community as a whole. Continuously working hard, Caroline is a role model to The Suffolk Journal staff; she not only wants the best of its writers and stories but is there to help. She knows the hard work that goes into running a newspaper and is ready to help others be the best they can be at it.

Name: Sarah Brow
Major: Finance
Leadership Positions: President of UDot, President of Greek Council, Active Member of Sorority Alpha Sigma Alpha (former VP), Journey Member, and NSLS Member, Commuter Ambassador and Teachers Assistant
Fun Fact: “I have been to the top of Machu Picchu”

What does being a student leader mean to you?

“It means empowering others to being the best that they can be and improving yourself along the way.”

What advice would you give for aspiring student leaders?

“You don't always need to be the best at what you do, you just need to have the passion to do your best and help others do that same. Sometimes leading from behind and inspiring others to get involved is the best way to lead.”

A Word from her Nominator – Yvette Velez:

“Sarah, is an outstanding Student Leader, leading by example she gives 110% always. I appreciate Sarah’s tenacity to get thing done. She is committed to her education, her involvement in sorority life and her work as a Commuter Ambassador with the Off-Campus Housing Office. She is an exemplary student of Suffolk University.”

Name: Benjamin Flanders
Major: History and Public Relations
Leadership Positions: CCE Scholar, Treasurer of Ramily Matters
Fun Fact: “I like to look at maps.”

What does being a student leader mean to you?

“Being a student leader is being able to help other students. Helping students make the university feel like their home. When it comes to the community engagement, it's not just making them feel at home here but engaging in the community as well.”

What advice would you give for aspiring student leaders?

“Don’t stop trying to get involved with what you’re passionate about. I started at the CCE as a work-study and didn’t stop. I applied for the position I had on a whim not thinking I would get it, but I did, and I have not been happier! Volunteer with service after hours!”

A Word from Nominator – Adam Westbrook

“Ben has done a phenomenal job reimagining and exponentially growing the CCE’s Service After Hours program. He has brought new energy, ideas, a new branding scheme, and has provided phenomenal support and mentorship to our project leaders this year. I’ve also been really impressed with how reflective Ben is as he’s developed the program. He is continuously refining and revising things as he learns from the experience of what worked and what didn’t in the program. This is a well-deserved award and we’re excited to see Ben continue to grow as a community-engaged leader here at Suffolk!”

Name: Nicole Frangolini 
Major: Management
Leadership Positions: President of Commuter Student Council, work study at SLI, member of NSLS
Fun Fact: “I went dogsledding in Alaska!”

What does being a student leader mean to you?

“I think being able to be a good role model and helping in guiding others. We are all going on the same journey in college and being able to help each other makes the experience worthwhile”

What advice would you give for aspiring student leaders?

“Try new things. You never know if you will like it if you don’t do it. When I started college, I wasn’t sure but tried new things and worked my way up and even became president of the Commuter Student Council”

A Word from her Nominator - Bailey Herrera:

I’ve known Nicole for about a year now and she is an unsung hero to Suffolk University. She shows passion and love for Suffolk, even when times are rough. With the current event of the school being remote, Nicole has still been 100% supportive and positive to the members of the Commuter Student Council. The CSC e-board will miss her next year but we can’t wait to see the amazing things she will do!

Name: John Gathua
Major: Finance and Entrepreneurship
Leadership Positions: President of the Caribbean Student Network, Treasurer of Unspoken Feelings, Events Coordinator of the International Business Club, Member of the Black Student Union and the Finance Club, Member of the Senior Committee.
Fun Fact: “I am from Kenya and I can speak two languages and one dialect”

What does being a student leader mean to you?

“One thing about leadership for me is about the people you work with. It is about the skills that people are getting from me and the skills that you get from other people. That is why I love leadoughship, it makes you think about what it means to be a leader. Being a leader means seeing growth in yourself and in others. That is why I love being President of CSN because I get to see the things people come up with, they’re dope. I also love the feedback from others from those events and seeing that you are bringing the Suffolk community together”

What advice would you give for aspiring student leaders?

“Be yourself. When you are yourself people are going to accept you and you don’t need to be anything else. That is one thing for me, I am able to dive into something new like clubs. My friends pushed me to it, when we started Fundamental Brotherhood Society. Go into the spirit of wanting to learn new things. When you are on e-boards, you’re not only making events and making sure the budget is okay you are gaining a lot of skills. Like with CSN you are basically running a small business. You have to be authentic with yourself and all the people you are with. Make sure you are always learning new things, if you find you’re doing the same thing step out of your comfort zone. When you want to go to a certain extent, you are going to do it for yourself. Come with an open mind” 

A Word from his Nominator – Sydney Watson:

As a past student leader winner, I knew that John exemplified what it meant to be a leader and I felt that he deserved to be recognized for that. John has been nominated for the Senior of the year award and the Exemplary Leader award as a part of the SGA awards, and that just goes to show how extensive his impact is. I am confident that I am speaking for a number of students and staff alike when I say that John spreads love, positive vibes and a feeling of competence in oneself and others.

Name: Tara Murphy
Major: Media and Film, PR Minor
Leadership Positions: At Suffolk, I was the social media chair for Best Buddies from spring 2018-Spring 2019, and Best Buddies Chapter President this past year (2019-2020).
Fun Fact: In the summer I work on a farm and am in charge of the farm stand store as well as a few farmers markets that the farm attends.

What does being a student leader mean to you?

I love being a student leader because I am able to share my voice and work towards something I care about. When I first came to Suffolk, I didn't ever plan on becoming president of an organization, but after taking my first leadership position on the E-board my sophomore year, I realized I really enjoyed being able to lead other students in the school that meant so much to me.

What advice would you give for aspiring student leaders?

My advice for future student leaders is to be confident in your ability to take on leadership roles even if you've never done it before. You will always have a team behind you to help you, and it is incredibly fulfilling to look back on everything you accomplished as a leader.

A word from her nominator – Kelsey Johansen

Tara is a committed, detail-oriented, incredible student leader! Her work with the Best Buddies organization this past year has been organized and fun for all participants. It’s been a pleasure to support her as she demonstrates leadership in her role and showcases her passion for a wonderful non-profit.

Name: Sydney Watson
Major: Finance and Global Business
Leadership Positions: International Business Club President, CSN Secretary, Study Abroad Ambassador, EY Campus Ambassador, and member of NSLS
Fun Fact: “I am a twin, my mom is a twin, and my sister just had twins!”

What does being a student leader mean to you?

“The first thing that I think about when you ask me that is that I enjoy doing it, for the benefit of the people that I am serving as a leader. I think even when my e-board and I, or whoever I am working with in this position, I have in mind that I want to make sure that it will benefit the people who are attending an event, or even for the greater good. I want to make sure that it is for something more than myself.”

What advice would you give for aspiring student leaders?

“Get involved as much as possible and reach out to people. For myself, I came to Suffolk as a freshman and studied abroad and when I came back, I wanted to be involved and make a mark. Surround yourself with people that want to see you elevate!”

A Word from her Nominator - Casey Mulcare

“Sydney had a really strong month of programming, and did it all with a calm, collected manner that really exemplified what it means to be a leader. She worked collaboratively with on and off-campus partners, and bettered our community with her work. I look forward to seeing what else Sydney will accomplish this year!”