Dat Le needed some advice about his future as his undergraduate commencement approached in 2012, so he went to see Lew Shaw, an accounting professor who had been providing him with guidance for four years.
“He educated me about the public accounting field and ways to learn about different companies and roles to see what the right career path would be for me,” said Le, BSBA ’12, MSA ’13.
Today, Le, an audit senior at the Deloitte & Touche Big 4 accounting firm, still enjoys working in the public accounting field and considers his career choice “one of the best decisions in my life.
Le and nine others who have graduated from Suffolk within the past decade were honored at a recent 10 Under 10 event honoring young alumni making a difference in their careers, communities, and to the University. More than 150 alumni, faculty, and staff were on hand to celebrate these passionate, dedicated, innovative, and impressive honorees.
Making an impact
“The young alumni we are honoring tonight have taken interesting life paths since graduating from Suffolk University,” said Acting President Marisa Kelly in addressing the crowd. “They have made such an impact in their professions and in their communities. It’s a testament to their abilities and hard work.”
Le, whose twin brother Huy, BS ’12, and sister Thuy, BS ’11, are also Suffolk graduates, strongly feels that his Suffolk education gave him the right foundation for success in the workplace.
“Suffolk helped prepare me for the real world through both the professors who shared their experiences and the resources available to help transition from being a student to a professional,” he said.
International concerns
Shannon Murphy, BSBA, ’08, another “10 Under 10” honoree who now serves as deputy CFO and program manager for the U.S. Air Force, pointed to highlights of her Suffolk student experience, from the advantages of the school’s downtown Boston location to the challenging curriculum and dedicated faculty.
“I was given instant exposure to successful leaders within the community and the capacity to master team building and building a network,” she said. “I knew an education from Suffolk would benefit me in many ways for a long time to come.”
Murphy’s Air Force role is focused on foreign military sales and international affairs. She manages 21 programs and a $2.3 billion budget and also is the program manager for Egypt, where she develops, implements, and controls all contractual, financial, and technical aspects for border security against terrorism.
Murphy pointed out that what she learned as a marketing major at Suffolk has informed work.
“It has been a big help for me in many ways, from pitching a product, delivering a message, to communicating with people from all over the world on a daily basis,” she said.
Joining Murphy and Le as 2016-17 “10 Under 10” alumni honorees are:
- Elizabeth Conley, BS ’07, MPA ’12, director of development for engagement & leadership programs, Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC.
- Ruthly Francois, BS ’12, research associate, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland.
- Nicholas Giaquinto, BS ’10, deputy chief of staff, City of Brockton, Massachusetts.
- Michael Miccoli, BSJ ’08, MA ’13, assistant director of development marketing, alumni affairs & development, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- Cordelia Pisacane, BS ’08, rating veterans service representative, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; founder and chair, Suffolk University Women in Leadership Alumnae Network.
- Breana Pitts, BA ’12, traffic reporter, WBZ-TV Boston.
- Anna Plotnikova, BSBA ’11, strategic account manager, digital sales, Microsoft.
- Jacob Stewart, BSBA ’10, MST/MSA ’12, securities compliance examiner, Securities and Exchange Commission; CFO, GMAC Accounting.