Lisbeth Martinez (DMSB ’25) is a fourth year International Business and International Affairs student who was elected as the Alumni Representative on the Massachusetts Educational Opportunity Association (MEOA) Board of Directors. In this role, and in many of her other professional experiences, she advocates for students like herself from underserved communities to support them in accessing equitable educational opportunities.
“I’m a fourth-year Honors student at Northeastern University studying International Business and International Affairs with minors in Spanish and Latinx, Latin American & Caribbean Studies. I’m a proud first-generation college student, an immigrant, and someone who comes from a low-income community. These identities don’t hold me back—they drive everything I do. One of the most meaningful experiences I’ve had at Northeastern has been my involvement with educational equity advocacy on both the state and national level. I currently serve as the Alumni Representative on the Massachusetts Educational Opportunity Association (MEOA) Board of Directors, a role I was elected into at the end of 2024. Through this position, I advocate for students like me—first-generation, low-income, often overlooked and underserved—because I understand firsthand the barriers we face.
Before Northeastern, I was a student in the Salem State University Upward Bound Program, one of the federally funded TRIO programs that support disadvantaged youth through high school and into college. Upward Bound changed my life. It gave me the tools, the guidance, and the belief that college was not only possible—but achievable. From tutoring and college prep to summer residential programs, Upward Bound became a second home and gave me the launchpad I needed to become who I am today: a successful Honors student on a full scholarship, with two co-ops under my belt and international experiences in both London and Costa Rica. In 2023, during my first co-op working for that same Upward Bound program that shaped me, I was selected to attend the Council for Opportunity in Education’s National Policy Seminar in Washington, DC. It was a full-circle moment. As a student who once benefited from these programs, I now had the honor to stand at the Capitol and speak directly with lawmakers like Congressman Jim McGovern, sharing my story and advocating for funding that supports students just like me.
This past March (2025), I returned to Washington, DC to attend the Policy Seminar again—this time as the youngest and newest board member of MEOA. I once again spoke on behalf of thousands of students across Massachusetts and the nation, using my platform to make sure their voices are heard at the highest levels of government. What I do is bigger than me. I advocate so that more students can break generational cycles and dream beyond their circumstances. I want my story to remind others that where you start does not define where you can go—and that we each have the power to make space for others to rise!
What events or activities would you recommend to new Honors students?
I’d recommend student attend networking events and meet employers and upper-class mentors!