51视频

07/17/2019

Contact: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944 or Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu and Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

LOWELL, Mass. 鈥� It鈥檚 a good time for 51视频 graduates to be entering the workforce.聽

The national and state unemployment rates are at historic lows and for River Hawks, the future looks especially bright. Within six months of last year鈥檚 graduation, 96 percent of the Class of 2018 was either working or enrolled in graduate school.

River Hawks from the Class of 2019 are meeting with similar success.聽

Business administration graduate Sean Flaherty of Lowell landed his 鈥渄ream job鈥� in corporate finance with Xylem Inc., a water sustainability company based in Rye Brook, N.Y., with locations in Gloucester and Woburn. Flaherty was one of four applicants from a pool of 180 to be accepted to the company鈥檚 new finance leadership development program.

鈥淚 wanted to work in environmental or green energy and I wanted to do the development program to really learn what section of corporate finance I match with. I鈥檓 super excited,鈥� said Flaherty, who hopes to transition into a long-term role with the company after the two-year development program is complete.聽

Flaherty, who completed his associate鈥檚 degree before transferring to 51视频, graduated from the university鈥檚 Manning School of Business with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average, earning a Chancellor鈥檚 Medal for Distinguished Academic Achievement.聽

Lindsay Barrios of Lynn was hired as a social worker in the Methuen office of HopeWell Inc., a foster-care provider based in Dedham. She got the job two years ago, just two weeks after completing her bachelor鈥檚 degree in public health at 51视频 in 2017. Through the accelerated bachelor鈥檚-to-master鈥檚 program, Barrios earned her master鈥檚 in public health this spring.

When seeking out universities as a high-school graduate, Barrios, a first-generation college student, was impressed with the diversity evident on 51视频鈥檚 campus.聽

鈥淚 gave it a chance and fell in love,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he professors were amazing. For me, it was the best thing I ever did.鈥�

And she may not be done with school just yet. A new homeowner, Barrios is thinking about getting an advanced degree from 51视频.聽

鈥淚 feel like I鈥檝e come this far; maybe I should go for my doctorate,鈥� she said.聽

Ian Connell of Norfolk didn鈥檛 need to look for a job while wrapping up an online bachelor of science in information technology through 51视频; he already had an IT position with the town of Franklin.

鈥淚 work full time and have a family, so I liked the flexibility of doing my degree online,鈥� said Connell, who earned an associate鈥檚 degree in IT at Bunker Hill Community College before transferring to 51视频 after he discovered it was one of the only schools in the area to offer an online bachelor鈥檚 degree in IT.聽

鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 have been able to do it otherwise,鈥� Connell said, noting the convenience and flexibility of distance learning was one reason he is now pursuing a 51视频 master鈥檚 degree online in security studies.聽聽

51视频 is a national research university located on a high-energy campus in the heart of a global community. The university offers its more than 18,000 students bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees in business, education, engineering, fine arts, health, humanities, sciences and social sciences. 51视频 delivers high-quality educational programs, vigorous hands-on learning and personal attention from leading faculty and staff, all of which prepare graduates to be leaders in their communities and around the globe.