Alumni Guest Speaker Series Brings Real-World Insight to the Classroom
When immigration attorney Elisabeth Ames 鈥�86 returned to UMass Boston this spring as part of the university鈥檚 Alumni Guest Speaker Series, she brought more than just decades of legal experience. She also brought perspective, lessons, and what she describes as 鈥渁 story that鈥檚 not at all linear.鈥�
Before becoming an attorney with a thriving immigration law practice, Ames held 17 different jobs. She sold flowers at a farm stand, mucked horse stables, babysat, washed dishes on Cape Cod, worked as a line cook at Faneuil Hall, and taught English as a Second Language at UMass Boston. She eventually earned a JD and built a career advocating for artists, businesses, scientists, undocumented families, and more.
Ames credits UMass Boston as the place where the pieces began to come together. Surrounded by classmates from all walks of life, and professors who encouraged her curiosity, she said the university nurtured both her intellect and her sense of purpose.
“You won't find many classrooms in America that resemble UMass Boston’s,” she said.
Returning to campus decades later, she found herself moved by the familiarity of it all—the energy in the room, the hunger to learn, the stories that echoed the hundreds of clients she has helped over the years.
“I’ve spoken at a lot of places, but coming back to UMass Boston was different. It felt like home,” she said, calling the experience “inspiring.” “UMass Boston students are incredibly diverse, grounded, and motivated. They’re here because they value education, not because it was handed to them.”
Ames spoke in Professor Andres Perez Carrasco’s Intermediate Seminar, The Meaning of Life, where she shared ten takeaways from her student experience—ranging from the power of interdisciplinary learning to the importance of taking risks, forming real connections with faculty, and embracing UMass Boston’s diversity. She also encouraged students not to panic if their career path doesn't look traditional.
“I was a Classics major who studied Latin, Ancient Greek, and French,” she said. “Choosing a major is a very important decision, but it doesn't determine your life. It will all come together.”
Hosted by the Office of Alumni Engagement each semester in collaboration with faculty, the Alumni Guest Speaker Series brings accomplished alumni from a variety of fields back to campus to connect with students—in the classroom, at panel discussions, and over informal lunches.
“UMass Bostom has been a life-changing tool for career growth so early in my life. I've had the opportunity to meet alumni who give real-world applications of the information taught in the course,” said Gabriel Pacheco ’25, who later landed a paid internship with one of the guest speakers he met. “The connections I have created have offered me countless opportunities that simply would not have been feasible without coming to this university.”
Heather Brigham G’18, Director of College Engagement, said this kind of outcome is exactly what the series is designed to inspire.
“This is a unique opportunity for students to engage with professionals who once sat in the very same classrooms,” she said. “It’s a way for students to gain perspective, build confidence, and start imagining their own path forward.”
The Spring 2025 semester featured a diverse lineup of alumni leaders, from entrepreneurs to healthcare executives, each offering students a window into life beyond the classroom:
- Adam Averback ’04, Owner of Party Excitement Entertainment
- Devansh Bajaj ’12, G’17, Manager of iGaming Business at DraftKings
- Aaron Battista ’88, Managing Partner of The Ember Company
- Steven Drury ’90, Global Vice President at Thermo Fisher Scientific
- Jennifer Kanyugi G’10, a mediator with The Mediation Group
- Jeremy Krantz ’09, Director of Paid Search at Compound Growth Marketing
- Melissa Magerer ’12, Senior Marketing Program Manager at Very Good Ventures
- Kelly Manning ’98, Executive Vice President, Manning Personnel Group Inc.
- Victoria McKay ’05, Director of Development at the Massachusetts Historical Society
- Steven Moy G’95, Founder and CEO of MoY
- Mary Thistle ’83, Biopharmaceutical Leader
- Diana Tran ’21, IT Business Analyst at John Hancock
- Meghana Vallurupalli ’17, Associate Manager, National & Performance Media, KFC
Ames said the Alumni Guest Speaker Series offers alumni a meaningful way to give back.
“If you can bring all your gifts back to UMass students, who in many cases are unsure about the future, you’ll be doing such a service—to the students, to UMass Boston, and to yourself,” she said. “You’ll be an inspiration, a North Star, and an example and a paradigm of the gifts UMass Boston gave to you.”
Want to Pay It Forward?
If you’re a UMass Boston alum interested in sharing your story and mentoring students through the Alumni Guest Speaker Series, fill out the , or contact Heather Brigham at heather.brigham@umb.edu.