Senior Spotlight 2024
To celebrate the Class of 2024, we asked graduates who attended CGS to share their memories, proudest accomplishments, and plans for the future. Congratulations Class of 2024!
Gabrielle Drillis, CGS and Pardee,
International Relations Major
What student organizations have you been involved in?
Under-Secretary General of Boards and Cabinets for BarMUN XVI, Chief of Staff for the IRR, Chair for BosMUN XXIII, Marketing Intern for CGS
What have you done in your time at BU that you’re most proud of?
I am most proud of following my passion for global affairs by getting involved with the International Affairs Association my sophomore year. At the time I was conflicted between career paths, and now seeing all of the accomplishments, experiences, and friends I have gained from BUIAA, I know that following my heart was the right choice.
What do you have planned for the future?
I will be starting at the University of Maine School of Law this fall!
What is your favorite memory of CGS?
Spending eight days in London at the end of my second-year in CGS was an incredible experience. While it was an unconventional abroad trip due to the pandemic, I am so grateful for the amazing memories I made, especially since it was my first time leaving the US!
Remi Pappas, CGS and COM, Advertising Major, Business Administration & Management Minor
What student organizations have you been involved in?
Dean’s Host Coordinator, Peer Mentor of CGS, Kappa Delta Sorority, Marketing for Kesem, BUTV10 Head of Social Media, University Title 9 Student Hearing Panelist, Vice President of New Business for AdLab
What have you done in your time at BU that you’re most proud of?
I am most proud of how I put myself out there to join different organizations (academic, volunteering, and social) to make the most out of my college experience.
What do you have planned for the future?
I plan on working as a Sales Development Representative at Datadog’s Boston office immediately post-grad. I am excited for the career path that will be built from there!
What is your favorite memory of CGS?
My favorite memory is being able to go to London with my fellow CGS peers, teachers, and faculty for one week the summer going into junior year. Although COVID made it impossible our freshman year, Dean McKnight and others were able to provide us with this amazing trip that allowed me to explore and enjoy the other side of the world!
Sukhmani Kaur Kalia, CGS and Questrom, Business Administration & Finance Major
What student organizations have you been involved in?
President of Sikh Student Association, CGS Dean’s Host, CGS Peer Mentor, BU Bhangra, Vakhri Taur Diyan, Study Abroad Program
What have you done in your time at BU that you’re most proud of?
One of my favorite experiences at BU was helping connect Sikh youth in the greater Boston area, providing them with a home away from home.
What do you have planned for the future?
For now, I plan to spend time with family and do some traveling!
What is your favorite memory of CGS?
Some of my favorite memories stem from my time in CGS, particularly our week-long trip to London, which deepened my love for the city. A special shoutout to Professor Boots! I’m also very thankful to CGS for helping me forge friendships with some of my closest friends.
Gardner Krag, CGS and Questrom, Business Administration & Operations and Supply Chain Management Major
What student organizations have you been involved in?
Pride in Business, International Peer Mentor, CGS Dean’s Host
What have you done in your time at BU that you’re most proud of?
I am most proud of my Capstone at CGS focus around congestion charging in Boston. We got our project recognized by the City Council and they are using our research in their feasibility study.
What do you have planned for the future?
I will be moving back to New Jersey and working as an Area Manager for Amazon Logistics. I’m aspiring to go into the airline industry in operations management.
What is your favorite memory of CGS?
I loved going to London for our week-long class trip. It was an excellent way to end sophomore year with my friends. Also, I loved the CGS Boston Harbor cruise!
Mackenzie Pike, CGS and CAS, English and History Major
What student organizations have you been involved in?
Students for Reproductive Freedom, Undergraduate English Association, Tri-Alpha, Phi Alpha Theta, Study Abroad Ambassador
What have you done in your time at BU that you’re most proud of?
I am most proud of helping with the installment of the emergency contraceptive vending machine in the basement of the GSU and advocating for the changing of an inaccessible BU bus stop!
What do you have planned for the future?
I’m starting a new job working as a youth disability advocate at a Boston nonprofit and applying to grad schools.
What is your favorite memory of CGS?
The week long London trip! I made amazing memories and appreciated the efforts to get us to London, it was amazing:)
Marcus Wachira, CGS and Engineering
What student organizations have you been involved in?
Delightfully X, BU Baja SAE
What have you done in your time at BU that you’re most proud of?
During my CGS London Experience, I wrote a 100 page sci-fi novella. It’s now published on Amazon.com, ranked in Amazon’s Top 20 Time-Travel Books, and is being put in several libraries in Boston. It’s really been a dream come true!
What do you have planned for the future?
I will be working at a manufacturing company and writing the next installment of my sci-fi book series.
What is your favorite memory of CGS?
I took three of Professor Deese’s classes and enjoyed every single one of them! I also had a blast as a CGS Peer Mentor during my junior year. Team F rules!
Caroline Cain, CGS and Questrom, Strategy and Information Systems Major
What student organizations have you been involved in?
BU CGS Dean’s Host, BU CGS Peer Mentor, Finance and Investment Club, BU Consulting Group, Girls Who Code, Questrom Honors Program Advisory Board, Research Assistant Questrom
What have you done in your time at BU that you’re most proud of?
My research under Professor Siobhan O’Mahony in Questrom’s Strategy and Innovation department is what I’m most proud of. For the past 18 months, I’ve been working on an in-depth exploration of the strategic decisions nascent organizations make in aligning their purpose with their resources and challenges. This research is culminating in a thesis for the Questrom Honors Program. I will be continuing my research with Siobhan over the summer.
What do you have planned for the future?
Post-graduation I will be joining Alpha Financial Markets Consulting as an Analyst in the SF office. I am also currently working on my own startup, Strategy2Soul.com, through the BU Build Lab and hope to continue this!
What is your favorite memory of CGS?
I have a very fond memory of celebrating my team’s Capstone win on our project on maternal mortality in the CGS building with friends, family, and professors.
Sage Winkler, CGS and Questrom, Management and Organizations
What student organizations have you been involved in?
President of Tri Delta sorority, Class Gift co-chair, Intramural volleyball (both player and referee)
What have you done in your time at BU that you’re most proud of?
I led two amazing organizations during my senior year, both of which gave me numerous opportunities to improve my leadership skills (more specifically, public speaking).
What do you have planned for the future?
I plan to get my real estate license this summer so I can work alongside my parents who are EXP real estate agents.
What is your favorite memory of CGS?
My favorite memory is meeting Naysha Kola. Naysha and I met on our first day of Sophomore year during our humanities class. We realized that we had almost all of the same CGS and Questrom classes, so we started walking to classes together every day. We eventually decided to live together on campus, and have been roommates ever since!
Sanika Gupta, CGS and Questrom, Business Administration & Management Major with a Concentration in Law, Spanish Minor
What student organizations have you been involved in?
Art for the Heart, Diversity in Law, Business Law
What have you done in your time at BU that you’re most proud of?
Balancing being a General Manager at Chipotle and starting my own restaurant with my classes, achieving an A average.
What do you have planned for the future?
I will be getting my MBA.
What is your favorite memory of CGS?
The London trip was my first trip abroad without my family, so it was really crucial to fueling my personal traveling desires and a major factor when I decided to study abroad in Spain.
Jennifer Small, CGS and COM, Journalism Major and Media Science Minor
What student organizations have you been involved in?
The Daily Free Press, BUTV10, WTBU News, The Boston University BosTones
What have you done in your time at BU that you’re most proud of?
During my time at BU, I have been most proud of working as a campus news editor at The Daily Free Press and working at The Daily Free Press in general. The FreeP is such a great organization and really helped me gain the experience and skill set I need to pursue a career in journalism in the future. Every writer, associate editor, editor, and board member at The Daily Free Press works so hard and I am so grateful for all the time I spent there.
What do you have planned for the future?
I will be attending Georgetown University to get a Master’s Degree in American Government. I am excited to learn more about American politics through this accelerated, 12-month program in the nation’s capital. I hope to take everything I learned from BU, and everything I will learn at Georgetown, into my future career as a political journalist.
Taylor Steele, CGS and COM, Film & TV Major and Deaf Studies Minor
What student organizations have you been involved in?
BU Redlist, BUTV10, Deaf Studies Club
What have you done in your time at BU that you’re most proud of?
I am extremely proud of the work I’ve done in the Deaf Studies department as President of the Deaf Studies club, specifically the planning and execution of the annual ASL Ball. This club has helped me further connect to the Deaf community and immerse myself in the language and I hope that I’ve helped and encouraged others in this same pursuit as well.
What do you have planned for the future?
I am currently finishing a documentary that I started in a BU class while working part time at WBUR and freelancing as a production assistant. I plan to move to NYC in June for a post-production internship with a film production company called Incline Productions.
What is your favorite memory of CGS?
My favorite memory from CGS was going on the one-week trip to London after my sophomore year where we visited Stonehenge, the London Eye, and more. Even though it was a little disappointing to have our freshman year abroad cancelled, the opportunity for a shorter trip to London with all my friends from CGS was such a great send off to the program.
Amanda Yuanyuan Wu, CGS, COM, and Pardee, Public Relations and International Relations Major
What student organizations have you been involved in?
Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), Migration Tales, PRLab, COM Ambassador
What have you done in your time at BU that you’re most proud of?
Hosting the PRSSA Northeast District Conference with over 250 attendees and guests!
What do you have planned for the future?
I look forward to working with mission-driven companies and clients as a strategic communications/marketing consultant. I also hope to work and live in different countries around the world, explore cultures, and meet new people.
What is your favorite memory of CGS?
Obsessed with all the amazing people at CGS, and I’m so glad to be in such a tight community! Almost two years after I graduated from CGS, I’m still in contact with my friends from CGS and my lovely professors – excited for the next round of reunion dinners.
Andrea Ventura, CGS and Pardee, International Relations Major
What have you done in your time at BU that you’re most proud of?
I feel so grateful to have been able to pursue multiple academic interests while at BU! While pursuing my international relations major, I simultaneously have been working as an RA at Harvard’s Laboratory for Developmental Studies.
What do you have planned for the future?
I will be attending Tufts University for my MA/EdS in School Psychology! My goal is to become a bilingual (Spanish/English) school psychologist and work with children to support their academic success and social-emotional wellness.
What is your favorite memory of CGS?
My favorite memory during my time at CGS is having the opportunity to participate in the Undergraduate Research Experience (URE). For a few years, I’ve had the blessing of working with Professor Thomas Whalen on his research on the 1983-1984 NBA season. Before attending BU, I never believed I’d have the chance to help conduct academic research on a topic like basketball history. I am eternally grateful to Professor Whalen for his invaluable mentorship and vast knowledge as a historian, and to Ms. Donna Connor for her ongoing support.
Jessica Spiers, CGS and CAS, Political Science Major and History Minor
What student organizations have you been involved in?
Sigma Delta Tau, Women in Law, and the International Relations Review
What have you done in your time at BU that you’re most proud of?
Completing my CGS Capstone paper. While one of my most difficult assignments in college, it was also the most rewarding. The paper turned into a product I’m extremely proud of and I gained a lot of valuable knowledge on a topic relevant to my field of study.
What do you have planned for the future?
I will be attending GW Law School this fall to pursue my Juris Doctorate.
What is your favorite memory of CGS?
The one-week excursion to London was one of my best memories from college. Being able to see all the incredible and historic sights of London with my friends and classmates was such a fun experience. I made so many new friends on the trip and felt like there was a real sense of community within CGS. I particularly enjoyed going to visit Stonehenge and the town of Salisbury.