This was the opening of the Networking Reception 2019 at Northeastern Crossing, where faculty and community residents come together to get an update of past events and what is to come in 2019. Community residents new to the Crossing as well as those who have been visitors and supporters like myself, gathered to hear what had taken place in the past year, and what programs and workshops would be taking place in the coming year.
Derek Lumpkins, Director of Neighborhood Partnerships and Programs, opened the evening and greeted everyone who came out. He gave a rundown of the mission of Northeastern Crossing and its ties to the community in which it sits. In concluding this, he introduced Marisa Luse, whose bubbly and warm persona overtook the entire room. She is the Engagement & Collaboration Manager and what I call his second in command. She spoke of the many programs that have come through the space such as Afro Flow Yoga for better health, Writer’s Week that assists with many forms of writing like resumes, and how to write on social media.
There have been workshops of financial preparation, as well as how to negotiate your salary, and that’s only to name a few. Northeastern Crossing again is bringing the communities of Boston to the university to give as many resources to them as possible. This is what they are about and that why the community coming together at this time each year is important.