Moments

Writing and education are central interests for Grace Flaherty, and she’s laying the groundwork for a career that combines both at Emmanuel.
“I’ve been opened up to a lot of different routes where I can go,” she said.
The possibilities include graduate school, with the goal of becoming a writing professor, or going into nonprofits.
Flaherty is interning with an organization that partners with schools to produce literary magazines. She is assisting the editor and helping with social media, using skills she honed in Writing, Editing, & Publishing.
“I’m kind of doing a little bit of everything but it’s the perfect mix of education and writing,” she said.
Flaherty’s essay “Familiar Shores” was published in Memoir Mixtapes Magazine.

After much anticipation, the brand new commuter lounge opened on the lower level of St. Ann Hall! Commuters, come check it out!

Head of Non-Viral Gene Therapy and Genome Engineering at Sanofi
“Looking back, my time as a tutor at the ARC was my first real teaching experience. I became a peer tutor for Chem1102 during the spring semester of my first year. At the time, I knew nothing about teaching—the importance of patience, adapting to different learning styles, and mastering a subject well enough to teach it back to someone else. I picked up tips from other tutors, tutees, ARC staff, and my peers along the way and eventually tutored for a range of Biology and Chemistry classes.
I quickly realized that teaching was the most effective way to learn, and that lesson has stuck with me ever since. In my junior and senior years, I often found myself leading informal tutoring sessions for courses like Differential Equations, Molecular Biology, and Physical Chemistry—classes that didn’t always have official peer tutors since completing the course usually meant graduating. I would volunteer to help my classmates, knowing that by teaching the material, I was solidifying my own understanding.
That philosophy followed me into graduate school and continues to shape how I approach learning and leadership in my career today. I owe a debt of gratitude to the Emmanuel ARC for planting the seed early on—not just to master a subject, but to teach, to share knowledge, and ultimately, to embody what it means to truly be a doctor.”

Director of Athletics at Lesley University
"Emmanuel offers so many important resources to support its students and the ARC peer tutor program is a great example. When I served as a peer tutor, it not only helped me get a better grasp of the course material by planning group study sessions, it allowed me to connect with more members of the student-body and strengthen the sense of community within our program of study while developing a bond with some faculty members with whom I'm still in touch with today."

Curatorial Department Coordinator, Art of Europe, at the MFA Boston and Adjunct History Professor at Greenfield Community College
"I was a peer tutor for the History department from 2015 to 2018, and I cherished every moment! This experience shaped my journey as an academic and educator, as I learned to engage students and present content in ways that resonate with them. Today, as an adjunct professor, I carry forward the invaluable skills I gained—collaboration, understanding diverse learning styles, and helping to hone students' editing and grammar abilities—which have empowered me to inspire and mentor the next generation."

Account Manager at Building Engines
“While at Emmanuel, I worked for the ARC as a tutor for Introduction to Business Management. Currently, I work as an Account Manager for Building Engines, a JLL Company, a commercial real estate operations software platform).

In my current role, my responsibilities include being the main point of contact for the customer as well as managing the overall relationship between the client and Building Engines. Being a tutor helped me to lay the ground work for the organization, outreach, and time management skills that I use in my job every day.”

Isabelle Coughlin came to Emmanuel knowing she wanted to write. It was something new and she was a bit nervous, but she quickly found her way.
“Professors like Dr. Pope really helped me feel more confident in my writing and gave me the tools to be better at it,” said Coughlin. “She gives great prompts and that helps us work through our writing process.”
Coughlin’s essay “Cancer: Then and Now,” was recently published in The Manifest Station. Looking ahead, she’s weighing freelance writing or something in communications, confident she’s prepared for either track.
“I’ve learned so much from my professors, who are always willing to help out and talk,” she said. “I feel like I have the skills to succeed, going into my future career.”

Ava Cunningham chose the Writing, Editing & Publishing major to sharpen her writing skills, but found its also made her a better communicator.
“I’ve really developed to become a more authentic writer,” she said. “I’m more comfortable talking about myself and writing about my experiences. One of the greatest benefits of writing is that it’s a way for people to connect and learn about each other.”
Cunningham’s story “Wishbone” was published in Talk Vomit magazine. She said it was a great experience that left her wanting more.
“It almost didn’t register until I had the physical magazine and could flip through it,” she said. “It made me feel confident as a writer.”
Post-graduation, Cunningham is interested in professional writing.

Emma Grenier has always enjoyed writing, but that interest went in a surprising new direction after taking Dr. Pope’s Advanced Prose Writing course.
“I’ve always been a good writer, but it was really the first time I was writing about myself and what I’m interested in,” she said. “My interest in writing has grown.”
Grenier’s essay “Tanking the Growth Chart” was recently published in The Journal of Expressive Writing. She said that was a wonderful surprise, which grew out of inspiring classroom instruction from Dr. Pope.
“We did simple but very helpful exercises before each piece, and that was the most helpful thing,” said Grenier.
Looking ahead, Grenier is considering political communications, professional writing, or editing as career tracks.

An interest in publishing brought Abigail Di Carlo to Emmanuel. She discovered a love of writing in the classroom with Dr. Mary Elizabeth Pope.
“I think her sharing some of her life experiences in class helped me open up with my own writing,” said Di Carlo. “I felt inspired by what she’s accomplished, and it helped me see what I wanted to do as well.”
Di Carolo’s essay “Walking Away” was published in Waywords Literary Magazine. She is now working toward a Master of Library Science.
“Writing, Editing, & Publishing helped me learn how to write both creatively and professionally,” she said. “It showed me the different types of writing literary magazines look for and how to write for each one. That really prepared me for writing in my graduate studies.”

Sabrina Pires '24 began her Ph.D. program at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in August 2024, shortly after she graduated from Emmanuel. As an undergraduate, she got the opportunity to try out research - even when she wasn't sure if she would pursue it as a career. Without that opportunity, she said she might never have discovered the passion for research that set her on the path to a Ph.D., and her combined majors, neuroscience and biology, proved to be foundational for the next step in her education. "I never feel lost in my classes as it talks through cellular/molecular dynamics to genetic dispositions and behavior models. I feel really prepared despite being one of the younger people in my program," she said.

Keren Santanello '20 is currently enrolled in her Ph.D. program at Harvard University, where she is doing research focused on neuroimmunology. As a first-gen undergraduate and graduate student, she said that pursuing a science degree and aiming for Harvard often felt unattainable - but through her dedication and a foundation of mentorship, research opportunities and access to resources, she is now fully underway on that dream. “The supportive community at Emmanuel gave me the confidence to pursue ambitious goals, and the well-rounded curriculum ensured that I graduated with not just technical expertise, but also the communication and critical thinking skills for a multidisciplinary fields like neuroimmunology," Santanello said.