For Sara Rivera, November 3rd wasn't just election day. It marked the day he started working at Northeastern University 23 years ago.
“Iit's funny because nobody said anything,” Rivera said. “I didn't say anything either. I just told myself. I was like, “Oh, today is my 23rd anniversary. Wow.”
His assistant manager Latinx Student Cultural Center, or LSCC, Rivera has impacted the lives of countless students. He has been on staff at LSCC since it opened its doors in 1997.
Getting to where she is today wasn't easy, Rivera said. After graduating from high school in 1989, Rivera enrolled at Northeastern. Her heart wasn't in it at the time, and she flew out. Then he started working full time. She was one of about 10 employees who were part of a startup company that handled student health insurance, but after a few years at the company, she realized she was stuck.
“I went ahead and started as a customer service representative. Then I just kept making claims, and it went up and up,” Rivera said. “Then I hit the glass ceiling because I didn't have a college degree. It was very impressive and very disappointing.”
Deciding to give a Northeastern education a second shot, Rivera applied for a secretarial position at LSCC. Although it was a step down from the jobs she had held in the past, her goal was to get a college degree. Since he's been here, he's earned an associate's, bachelor's, and master's. She is currently serving as interim director while LSCC works to fill that vacancy.
“Even though I only went to Northeastern for my education, I ended up staying,” Rivera said. “I ended up loving it.”
Now, he is learning to adapt to the pandemic. In a typical year, LSCC is a place where students can go to relax, meet new people and take a break from their lives. Many student groups used the space to gather, and Rivera offered support after hours.
Rivera is tasked with planning events and scheduling each semester, so she had to replicate the LSCC “family” via Zoom. Three days a week, she or her colleagues are present in the LSCC building. But most of the time it works virtually. He tries to keep in touch with the students as best he can, given the circumstances.
Students can still schedule an appointment with Rivera to talk about classes or life. There's also a student coalition that advises Rivera on what's working and what's not, as they brainstorm ideas for increased connectivity among LSCC students.
In addition to directing the LSCC, Rivera chairs the committee for the La Comunidad Latina En Acción scholarship or LaCLA Scholarship. The LaCLA Scholarship was established in 1993 after a group of Latinx students noticed that retention and graduation rates for Latinx students at Northeastern were low and wanted to fix that. After surveying students, it became clear that they were leaving because they could not afford to stay.
Each year, eight students receive the scholarship. This opportunity is not only for Latinx students, but applicants must be full-time undergraduate students and have at least a 3.3 GPA and a background in social work. Each fellow is required to do 200 hours of community service each year.
“We had a nice, diverse student body, not just Latinx. There were black students, Asian students and Caucasian students,” Rivera said. “It was very different and we're really proud of it.”
Catalina Cardelle, a fifth-year math major and LaCLA Scholar, had the opportunity to work in a program that helps immigrant adults from Boston whose first language is not English. As a classroom aid, she helped people learn basic English so they could navigate city life.
“The most rewarding part of it was getting out into the community in a way that I never would have done before if it wasn't for the scholarship,” Cardelle said. “The opportunities it brought me were irreplaceable.”
Some of the scholars also have the opportunity to work with Northeastern faculty. Alejandro Hervella, a third-year computer engineering and computer science major, volunteers under Dr. Seth Cooper, assistant professor in the Khoury College of Computer Sciences, thanks to the scholarship program.
“I think the most important part is the fact that it's a scholarship program where you don't just get the scholarship and that's it. This fellowship is also a really humbling experience because you will be volunteering,” Hervella said. “I think it also helps stimulate and highlight the Latin American population in the school.”
As the advisor to all scholarship students and coordinator of their peer tutoring program, Rivera has watched each student grow and enjoys seeing their progress.
“I feel like one of the things I'm most proud of is that I've been able to keep in touch with most of them in some way, shape or form, including those I met when I first started working at Northeastern in 1997,” Rivera said .
In addition to her involvement with LSCC, Rivera has served on the Empower Retreat, house move and Welcome Week committees. She also raised two children while managing all of this. For many she is like a second mother.
“Sarah is like a campus mom. It's always great to see her and her door is always open.” said Esme Alvarez, a fourth-year psychology major and LaCLA Scholar. “She's always willing to listen and support me through whatever I'm going through. She is just amazing.”
Twenty-three years later and counting, Rivera continues to inspire.
Rachel Erwin can be reached at [email protected]