‘Follow what fascinates you. And don’t wait for permission.’

Suffolk alumna Dr. Frida Polli, PhD ’07, a neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and investor who explores the intersection of behavioral science and artificial intelligence, encouraged graduates of Suffolk’s College of Arts & Sciences to push past feelings of self-doubt to follow the voice of inspiration.  

“The people who change the world, in my experience, are rarely the ones who feel comfortable doing it,” said Polli in her keynote speech at the Class of 2025 ceremony on Sunday, May 18.  

Polli, a doctoral graduate of Suffolk’s College of Arts & Sciences, received an honorary Doctor of Science degree during Suffolk’s celebration of the Class of 2025 at Boston’s Leader Bank Pavilion.  

‘You are nowhere near done becoming who you are meant to be’ 

Addressing the Class of 2025, Polli spoke of the near-universality of uncertainty, and how to reframe feelings of imposter syndrome as an indicator of growth.  

Polli shared how she was first drawn to the field of neuroscience as an undergraduate seeking to better understand her mother’s schizophrenia, and to “help others who suffer trauma.” She recalled later being drawn to Suffolk’s doctoral program by the work of psychology professor Dr. Edith Kaplan, “a pioneer of brain sciences” who allowed Polli to be innovative and entrepreneurial. 

“I met some of the kindest, most passionate faculty here, some of whom I reconnected with today,” said Polli.  

After earning her PhD at Suffolk, Polli eschewed a conventional postdoc to pursue an MBA at Harvard Business School, because she wanted to “take the discoveries out of the lab and into the real world.” This nontraditional path raised eyebrows among some of her neuroscientist peers.  

“Imposter syndrome tells you that you don’t belong, even when you’re already in the room,” said Polli, describing her own feelings of self-doubt at that time.  

Over time, she told graduates, she learned that “it’s not a sign I’m in the wrong place, or anyone else here who suffers from it is in the wrong place. It’s a sign you’re pushing yourself to the limit, and you’re going to do something incredible and bold!” 

Instead of listening to the voice of self-doubt, Polli encouraged graduates to heed “the voice of inspiration.” 

“Every meaningful decision I’ve made—every decision that has changed my life—was made by listening to that voice,” she explained, including “the decision to start a company as a 38-year-old single mom.” 

Noting how she overcame uncertainty to build a successful business that harnessed emerging AI technology to address bias in the workplace, Polli urged the Class of 2025 to identify what they “care about deeply, especially in these uncertain times—what makes you curious, what makes you angry, what makes you stay up at night, all of these things—and then having the courage to follow [the voice of inspiration]. 

“You are not an imposter—any of you who are feeling that way—you are an explorer,” said Polli. “And you are nowhere near done becoming who you are meant to be. So be bold. Be different. Be curious. Follow what fascinates you. And don’t wait for permission, because where you go from here, excellence awaits you.” 

Download video transcript [PDF]

‘You are ready to succeed in a world where the only certainty is change’ 

Suffolk University President Marisa J. Kelly also spoke of the need for the Class of 2025 to adapt constantly to the ever-shifting realities of the modern world—from economic uncertainty to AI. 

“Your class has faced unfathomable change and disruption happening at breakneck speed during your time at Suffolk,” said Kelly. “Over the course of one semester starting in the fall of 2022, you watched [generative] AI move from a sci-fi novelty to an everyday reality.”  

Kelly noted that while students have watched the world “redefine itself on a monthly basis,” they have been learning vital skills and gaining deep and diverse knowledge in the classroom and beyond. A firm grounding in the liberal arts, as well as extensive professional preparation throughout their college experience with the University’s Office of Career Equity, Development & Success, will, she said, enable each graduate to pivot and respond to changes that will occur “inevitably, rapidly and frequently” throughout their careers.    

Kelly also applauded the Class of 2025 for their deeply developed sense of justice. “You are willing to fight for what you believe is right. We need that now more than ever,” she said. 

Citing the graduates’ thousands of service and volunteer hours and involvement in civic engagement efforts that earned Suffolk a national recognition as one of the “Most Engaged Campuses for College Student Voting,” Kelly concluded with a message of pride and hope.  

“Your efforts will make our world more beautiful, more sustainable, kinder, and more just. You will continue to lead with purpose and compassion.” 

‘You can find your beacon of light because you ARE the light’

The undergraduate greeting was delivered by Areta Odiah, who earned a bachelor of arts degree in broadcast journalism. Odiah, a former student reporter who regularly appeared live on NECN through the Suffolk in the City program and will soon begin her career as a multimedia journalist in western Massachusetts, referenced the challenges and responsibilities for the media at this time in history.  

“I recently accepted a full time TV news reporting job, but here in this moment I will not be censored,” she said in her speech, listing threats to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and current Immigrations and Customs Enforcement activities among her concerns for the country. To thunderous applause, Odiah expressed solidarity with the struggles of marginalized and vulnerable people. “We have a responsibility—not just as graduates, but as global citizens—to keep paying attention, speaking out and fighting for what is right.” 

Odiah said she’s never agreed with the saying “there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.” 

“Light doesn’t only exist at the end. It is always around us, even when we can’t see it,” she said, encouraging her fellow graduates to take an active part in improving the world. “You can persevere, you can rise and you can find your beacon of light because you ARE the light.” 

Download video transcript [PDF]

‘The act of creating joy is your power’

Graduate student speaker Alexandria Onuoha, the first Black woman to earn a PhD in applied developmental psychology from Suffolk University, shared lessons learned from her immigrant parents about cultivating joy even in trying times.  

Onuoha, whose research explores how far-right ideologies and online hate impact Black women college students’ mental health and belonging, has also worked with Boston schools to help educators center joy and protection in their classrooms. 

“It’s not always easy to bring positivity, especially in our current socio-political climate, but you have shown me that my parents’ lessons were very true—the act of creating joy is your power,” said Onuoha, describing how her fellow students inspired her by “actively creat[ing] joyful and positive experiences for [themselves] and [their] community.”  

She advised graduates to be gentle with themselves and allow for times of rest and recovery to help sustain their joy. 

“Joy isn’t something that happens when things are easy. We create it. We identify it,” said Onuoha. “Let your joy remind you, that you can rise, you can endure and, most importantly, you can thrive.” 

Download video transcript [PDF]

About Dr. Frida Polli, PhD ’07 

Dr. Frida Polli is an award-winning neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and investor known for her pioneering work at the intersection of behavioral science and artificial intelligence.  

She co-founded and served as CEO of pymetrics, a company that utilized AI and behavioral science to improve workforce decisions. Under her leadership, pymetrics became a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer and was recognized in Inc. 5000’s Fastest Growing Companies and Forbes AI 50.   

Polli is currently a visiting innovation scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Schwarzman College of Computing, focusing on combining AI and behavioral science to address global challenges. She is also an entrepreneur in residence at the Global Consortium for Reproductive Longevity and Equality at the Buck Institute, and has launched initiatives promoting ethical AI use and investing in women founders in science and healthcare.   

Polli earned a Bachelor of Arts with honors from Dartmouth College, an MBA from Harvard Business School and a PhD from Suffolk University. Her academic career includes predoctoral training in neuroscience at Harvard Medical School and a postdoctoral fellowship at MIT, where her research focused on multimodal imaging of health and disease, leading to numerous publications in esteemed journals.  

Commencement 2025 

The College of Arts & Sciences Class of 2025 comprises 669 new alumni, with 571 undergraduate and 98 graduate degrees awarded. 

The ceremony was one of three Suffolk Commencements held on Sunday, May 18, at Boston’s  Leader Bank Pavilion. The University conferred a total of 1,818 undergraduate and advanced  degrees to graduates from 35 states and 68 different countries. Twenty-nine percent of the  College of Arts & Sciences’ undergraduate degree recipients are first-generation college  students.