Full Circle Huskies: When My Intern Became a Northeastern Grad a Decade After Me

The other night, as I laid in my boys’ bedroom until I heard a set of snores, I clicked through Instagram stories to land on Northeastern’s graduation content. Notably, a congratulations from Cardi B and Ed Sheeran for the Class of 2025.

About seven mentions of “2025” in, it dawned on me…

I graduated from Northeastern in a year that ends in 5. And it surely wasn’t 2005, but there’s no way it has been a full decade since I stood proudly in TD Garden (GO KNICKS!!!) to mark the end of my collegiate journey —

But, it has. It has been 10 whole years since I graduated from college. I did what most millennials do: I notified my parents in horror at this revelation. Coming during a week that’s been full of too much, this was too much more to handle.

Cue crisis.

I didn’t spiral too hard. I had too much to get back to, including mapping out tasks for the next four weeks for my new intern from Tuckahoe High School.

Then today, I opened Instagram once more, and I saw Marina Sperbeck in her cap and gown, adorned in cords and stoles, standing with friends in Fenway and at my (now, our) stomping grounds.

See, four years ago, this very week, three things happened:

1. Marina became my first intern from Tuckahoe HS.

2. I started as an account manager at Codeword Agency.

3. A positive pregnancy test — Heyyy TreTre!

Marina and I were a match made in first-time-manager-for-your-own-business heaven. She was valedictorian and on her way to my alma mater. Even though she had her heart set on studying biology, something about working with me in branding, business, and books stood out to her (maybe it was just the B’s😂). She is smart as a whip and made it easy for me to trust her with my baby — while I brewed my next real baby.

We worked so well together that I hired her, after the four weeks, to stick with me through the summer, when she had downtime during semesters, and the following summer after her freshman year. She taught me my first real lessons in planning, delegation, and leadership in practice. I’m grateful to have been in a position to give her an opportunity, and to continue to.

Northeastern, through my master’s (another 2021 accomplishment), was also the catalyst for my then-new job.

Here I am, now, four years into Codeword and double mommyhood. I’ve had one role change and two promotions since, with lots of balancing, rearranging, and temperament managing to add. I still often have concerns of having not done enough since college…

And I realize, both 10 years, and 4 years later, that there is proof of progress beyond time.

It’s a new intern to train.

It’s in the clients who keep coming back.

It’s the systems, processes, and services I’ve made better since.

It’s all the people I’ve grown to love over the years.

It’s growing boys who can walk and talk and ask for new toys and request where to go on the weekends, even while refusing to use the potty consistently.

It’s the first time considering hiring someone for real. 👀 The most nerve-wracking proof of growth. It’s a lot, and I’d like time to chill out, but I’m grateful.

If you’ve ever felt like you were behind, take this as a reminder to look for signs that you’re exactly where you need to be. There is more to do, but there are also markers of success — count them and honor them.

If you have any opportunities in research, healthcare, or STEM — please reach out to Marina or message me to connect you.

If you know anyone who’s a marketing or small business whiz and needs a side opportunity, send them my way.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ I’m open.