Northwestern University School of Professional Studies

Northwestern graduates: we celebrate each one of you and your journey to get here. You did it!

"Yes, we may be an unusual group of graduates that do not fit into the traditional image of a college student. We came to this degree with full lives already in progress. And somewhere along the way, the world may have made us feel like that was a disadvantage. However, I want to offer a different interpretation: Because, the person with a diverse work experience is not scattered, they bring perspective that can't be taught in a classroom. The parent on the team is not stretched too thin, they are the most resourceful person in the room. And the person who got their degree later in life? They are not behind. They are persistent. And persistence, it turns out, is the most transferable skill there is."— Alejandro Gutierrez, student speaker and BS in Information Systems graduate

"Wherever your journey takes you, build something meaningful, serve with intention, and never forget the people and experiences that brought you here. Because this degree is not just a milestone—it is a responsibility." —Lidia Teshome, Northwestern SPS student speaker 2026 and MS in Global Health graduate

"Our academic team and faculty have worked to create some of the highest-quality and demanding academic programs in the nation, whether exceptional distance learning or traditional on-ground programs. These skills and knowledge now define you, and like your Northwestern degree, they are something no one can ever take from you. It is what will always set you apart." —Dean Thomas Gibbons, Northwestern University School of Professional Studies

Congratulations to National Champions Northwestern Lacrosse! The team secured their ninth NCAA Championship at home, with Sports Administration graduate student goalkeeper Jenika Cuocco holding North Carolina scoreless for the game's final 17 minutes, 24 seconds. Go 'Cats!

Northwestern's online Bachelor of Science in Enterprise Leadership major, HR concentration, has recently been recognized as an academically aligned program by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), providing a direct pathway for students to pursue industry credentials alongside their degree.

The alignment places Northwestern among more than 700 programs worldwide that have earned SHRM's acknowledgment for meeting its recommended HR education standards. https://sps.northwestern.edu/stories/news-stories/undergraduate-enterprise-leadership-hr-shrm-alignment.html

How do you stay active during Chicago’s long winters and gloomy springs? For Northwestern SPS alums Armi and Nathan Cachila, the answer was simple: build something of their own.

When the husband-and-wife duo couldn’t play their favorite sport year-round, they decided to open Pickledilly Skokie, an indoor pickleball facility. While Armi was earning her degree in organizational behavior and both were working full-time, they teamed up with two friends to launch the business—proof that sometimes the best motivation is simply making space to have a little fun.

When Alex Ramnarine '22 decided to pursue her MS in Data Science, she didn’t realize yet how profoundly AI would reshape society and industry. Graduating in 2022 when OpenAI released ChatGPT, she leveraged her degree to step into AI and strategy leadership roles across industries.

Today, she’s positioned at the forefront of that transformation—while still honoring her creative roots.

"The program helped me gain specific in-demand AI and data science skills, and the confidence to close the gap and become a data strategist and creative technologist,” she says.

Read the full story: http://spr.ly/6183B69DdH

Three cheers for the three Northwestern players invited to the 2026 NFL Combine in Indianapolis: Aidan Hubbard, Evan Beerntsen, and Caleb Tiernan.

They are the first Wildcats to receive Combine invitations since 2023.

Tiernan is a student in the MA in Sports Administration program. Beerntsen and Hubbard earned a Specialized Studies post-bacc at Northwestern SPS. http://spr.ly/6188hhABo