{"682082":{"#nid":"682082","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Meet the Spring 2025 Commencement Reflection Speakers ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpring Commencement will take place May 1 \u2013 3, and at each of the four ceremonies, a student reflection speaker will address their fellow graduates to share their experience and offer words of encouragement as they celebrate this pivotal milestone.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe speakers are Anamik Jhunjhunwala, a Ph.D. biomedical engineering candidate; Madelyn Novelli, a bachelor\u2019s computer science candidate; Daraja Brown, a bachelor\u0027s civil engineering candidate; and Irene Feijoo, a master\u2019s analytics candidate.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAnamik Jhunjhunwala \u2014 Ph.D. Ceremony\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnamik Jhunjhunwala had already earned two master\u0027s degrees at Georgia Tech \u2014 M.S. BME 2023, M.S. Analytics 2024 \u2014 along with two bachelor\u0027s degrees from the University of California San Diego, but navigating a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering felt like uncharted territory. In his address to his fellow doctoral students, he intends to celebrate their achievements by stressing the resilience, humility, and gratitude it took to reach this point, as well as the ability to leave a \u0022map\u0022 for the next generation of Yellow Jackets.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022You once stood upon the shoulders of giants, who carried you to the edges of knowledge. As you stand at the frontier today, through your dedication and determination, each of you has become a giant yourself. Someday soon, new explorers will stand on your shoulders, looking toward new horizons, and you\u0027ll guide them into the unknown,\u0022 he said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJhunjhunwala credits mentors, friends, and family for helping him along his journey, and he has tried to assist others throughout his time here. In addition to research and entrepreneurial pursuits, the President\u0027s Fellow mentored undergraduate students and served as group leader and an advisory board member for the GT6000 Program.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe will miss the \u0022helluva crowd\u0022 of peers at Georgia Tech, and after finishing lab work, Jhunjhunwala will travel to India to visit his family before returning to Atlanta to join the Boston Consulting Group.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMadelyn Novelli \u2014 Bachelor\u2019s Morning Ceremony\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMadelyn Novelli thought she knew what she needed to do when she got to Georgia Tech \u2014 study hard to maintain a good GPA, complete internships, and follow an established path to success. But as she finishes her computer science degree, she wants to share the concept of \u201cidentity capital\u201d from \u003Cem\u003EThe Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter \u2014 And How to Make the Most of Them Now\u003C\/em\u003E as she and her fellow graduates enter the next phase of their lives.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Looking back, I realize that my resume isn\u0027t all that different from many of my peers. It made me reflect on whether I was building a life that\u0027s uniquely mine, or just checking boxes,\u201d she said. \u201cThe most valuable capital we can invest in ourselves isn\u0027t just what looks good on paper \u2014 it\u0027s the time and energy we put into developing ourselves, whether that\u0027s through education, work, personal projects, or pursuing other passions. We have so much time in our lives to define ourselves and build our stories, and we don\u0027t have to follow a formula to do it.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Institute became a \u0022land of opportunity\u0022 for Novelli, and she spent her extracurricular time finding ways to help others in the Georgia Tech community as an active member of the Student Government Association, the NASPA Culture of Respect Collective, and working as a student assistant at Georgia Tech Professional Education.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter taking the summer to unwind with her friends and family, Novelli will begin her career as a data analyst in Birmingham, Alabama.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDaraja Brown \u2014 Bachelor\u2019s Afternoon Ceremony\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYellow jackets are social insects that thrive in a hive surrounded by their fellow worker bees. From snowball fights in front of Tech Tower to the long nights studying in the libraries, Daraja Brown saw parallels between the Institute mascot and the Georgia Tech student body. While every student\u0027s next step is different, Brown implores her peers to keep their yellow jacket \u2014 and Yellow Jacket \u2014 spirit with them wherever they go.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022What ties everyone here together is not just wearing the same gown, but that we all are passionate about something, and we dedicate ourselves to living out those passions,\u0022 she said. \u0022I urge you to use what you\u0027ve gained as a student here and apply it for the benefit of those around you. In five, 10, or 50 years, I hope you continue to reflect on what it truly means to be a Yellow Jacket.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA Stamps President\u2019s Scholar, Brown served as a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and captain of the Timber-Strong Design Build team. Through Engineers Without Borders, she participated in international aid projects and was a sub-team lead on the Building for Equity and Sustainability Vertically Integrated Project.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFully recovered from a childhood fear of the insect after being stung, Brown will remain a Yellow Jacket to pursue a master\u0027s degree in civil engineering after spending the summer interning with an Atlanta engineering firm.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIrene Feijoo Cedillo \u2014 Master\u2019s Ceremony\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommencement represents the final step of many graduates\u2019 Georgia Tech journey, including Irene Feijoo. While she has always heard that the first step is the most important, Feijoo wants to challenge her classmates to look forward to the next step and keep the same approach they\u2019ve taken to complete their degree programs.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe habits we have built during these years \u2014 showing up, asking questions, solving problems \u2014 are what really matter going forward,\u201d she said. \u201cI hope we stay open to change, keep supporting the people around us, and continue learning. Hopefully, moving forward, it will be in ways that don\u2019t necessarily come with exams or deadlines. And as we move on, I hope we also take a second to appreciate how far we have come and the values and people that helped us get here.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter earning her bachelor\u2019s degree in mechanical engineering, Feijoo returned to pursue a master\u2019s degree in analytics. Along with tailgates and trivia nights, she was active in several student organizations on campus, including as president of Suit Up Professional Preparation.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter five years as a student here, Feijoo will take a break to \u201ctravel and recharge.\u201d Eager to explore other cultures, she intends to visit Vietnam, Japan, and the Philippines before beginning her career in consulting services, applying her background in technology and supply chain management.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The four student speakers will offer words of wisdom to their peers across four Commencement ceremonies. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe four student speakers will offer words of wisdom to their peers across four Commencement ceremonies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The four student speakers will offer words of wisdom to their peers across four Commencement ceremonies. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2025-04-28 14:45:43","changed_gmt":"2025-04-30 19:59:32","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-04-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-04-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676963":{"id":"676963","type":"image","title":"New-2025-Spring-Reflection-Speakers_0.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe 2025 Georgia Tech Spring Commencement Reflection Speakers. From left to right: Anamik Jhunjhunwala, Madelyn Novelli, Daraja Brown, Irene Feijoo Cedillo.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1745851636","gmt_created":"2025-04-28 14:47:16","changed":"1745852497","gmt_changed":"2025-04-28 15:01:37","alt":"2025 Spring Reflection Speakers ","file":{"fid":"260818","name":"New-2025-Spring-Reflection-Speakers_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/28\/New-2025-Spring-Reflection-Speakers_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/28\/New-2025-Spring-Reflection-Speakers_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":173970,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/04\/28\/New-2025-Spring-Reflection-Speakers_0.jpg?itok=dSO5N7dz"}}},"media_ids":["676963"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/commencement.gatech.edu","title":"Commencement Schedule"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"}],"keywords":[{"id":"190493","name":"Reflection speakers"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 Institute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}