In his turn at the podium, Patrick Luizzo, the 2018 Mitchell Scholar from Edward Little High School who is pursuing a bachelor’s in business administration with a focus on marketing analytics, entrepreneurship, and innovation, began by recounting a bumpy start at Northeastern University.
“Transitioning from Auburn to Boston was such a daunting experience,” he said. “I consider myself a very outgoing person, and honestly when I entered this school of nearly 25,000 students and a city filled with another 100,000, I had never felt so alone. It was as if I had forgotten how to make friends … Heck, for the first year I think I talked to three other people on the floor of my dorm. Needless to say, I had very few friends in my first year … I found myself alone in my dorm, staying in on weekends doing nothing but schoolwork, and while I believe schoolwork is important, there is so much more to college than what you gain from the classroom.
“It was around this point that I remember first reaching out to (Scholarship Director) Kim Gustafson. I explained how difficult it was to find friends, and she made me feel a lot more at ease with the situation. She assured me that what I was experiencing was perfectly normal, and she encouraged me to explore clubs on campus, and really hyped me up. She made me feel empowered again and reminded me of my strengths. Even though it was over email, you get the sense that Kim really cares about you and your success, because she does, as does the rest of the staff at the Institute. It was this encouragement that prompted me to swallow my fears and explore new clubs and organizations on campus. I ended up joining a social fraternity and even became a Senator for the D’Amore-McKim School of Business on Northeastern’s Student Government Association.”
Luizzo’s takeaway: The Mitchell Institute offers much more than a scholarship. It also offers fellowship on the journey — and guidance when the way forward is unclear.