Meet the Team
The advisors and staff look forward to guiding and encouraging students to fully engage in the academic exploration process.
Lynn Dornink (she/her)
Director
Lynn Dornink studied creative writing at the University of Illinois and Syracuse University. She began her career at Northeastern as a writing instructor and continues to teach writing courses in the General Studies Program. Her favorite part of her job is collaborating with the awesome GSP team (Maggie, Becca, and Emma) and equally awesome partner offices (Student Athletic Support Services, Opportunity Scholarships and Outreach Programs, Peer Tutoring) in supporting students to find their path/tribe/groove during their time in the Program.
Her family includes Maisy, a English Bulldog/Terrier mix, and two children who attended Northeastern. In her spare time she can be found tending her plant collection, bingeing the latest Netflix series, or reading graphic novels.
Maggie Lakis (she/her)
Assistant Director
Maggie Lakis studied English at Manhattan College and Education at DePaul University. She taught first grade for a number of years before making the transition into higher education. Her favorite thing about working in the General Studies Program is having the opportunity to develop relationships with her students and watch them grow more self-assured throughout their first year at Northeastern. Additionally, she finds the GSP team to be collaborative and fun, and she feels lucky to be a part of it.
In her spare time, Maggie likes hiking with her rescue mutt, Georgie, spending time with her niece and nephew (both of whom she's mildly obsessed with), and either binge-reading or binge-show-watching.
Becca Beshoar (she/her)
Advisor
Becca Beshoar grew up in western Colorado and graduated from the University of Portland in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education and English. After working for two years for a college access non-profit in Portland, She moved to Boston to begin her teaching career and earn her Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction at Boston College. Becca’s college access experience and teaching experience in Boston were both formative in developing her passion for urban education and educational equity.
Becca is the second of eight children and enjoys traveling around to visit her siblings, who have ended up spread out across California, Oregon, Colorado, Arizona and Michigan. She is an avid reader and learner and, therefore, finds joy in consuming stories in all mediums - television, podcasts, and stand-up comedy included!
Emma Ledoux (she/her)
Program Assistant
Emma Ledoux studied creative writing at Roger Williams University. She started at Northeastern University working with the Student Financial Services office but is now part of both the General Studies and Explore Programs. Her favorite thing about her job is being able to support the amazing students and staff as well as getting creative with all sorts of different projects.
In her free time, Emma loves to read (either nonfiction or old-fashion mysteries), bake (usually Lord of the Rings inspired recipes), and write (mostly short fiction). She also enjoys playing video games and traveling.