The grad school experience that made Preeti Jain feel complete

When Preeti Jain (‘25) arrived at Northeastern, she brought a decade of experience spanning consumer goods and tech. She began her career as a key accounts manager at Luxottica Eyewear before moving into India’s tech industry, where she took on roles at Flipkart and VerSe Innovation.

At Flipkart, one of India’s leading online retailers, she turned ebooks — a struggling category — into a thriving revenue stream within a year. At VerSe Innovation, she was part of the founding team behind the short-video app Josh, used by millions across India.

Then, at the peak of her seven years at VerSe — she’d just launched Dailyhunt, a leading Indian news app, in the Middle East — she left to pursue a degree in the US. 

“After leading a team of product managers, I wanted to add a layer of structure and science to what I’d learned on the job. I also wanted to grow my people skills and take on larger projects,” Jain said.

Researching project management programs abroad, she found Northeastern — one of the few schools offering a full master’s in the field, and with a campus in the heart of the Bay Area tech scene. 

Seeing alumni on LinkedIn in leadership roles convinced her to apply.

A serious start

Relocating from Bangalore to the Bay Area meant relearning everything — from how to get around to how to make friends. It was challenging, but also exciting. More than anything, she looked forward to being a student again. 

For her, that meant fully immersing herself in her studies — reading everything assigned, attending every class, turning in every assignment, and aiming for top grades.

“I was coming back to academics after a really long time,” she said. “I wanted not only to catch up but to learn what was new in the industry and truly excel.”

At the time, she didn’t know that there was more to the grad school experience — that some of her most significant learning would happen outside the classroom.

Preeti on a trip to the Grand Canyon

A new perspective

It took a mindset shift for Jain to peek over her coursework and notice what else was happening around her. She credits that shift to the university’s career workshops, which helped her see that learning and growth come from interaction, not isolation.

“Discovering how much I could learn from the community — about U.S. work culture, how people function here, how small talk works, even how to present myself more confidently — changed everything.”

She put that insight into action by becoming a student ambassador and helping run two student clubs.

In the process, she reconnected with things that brought her joy — like organizing events, dancing, and playing sports.

“Northeastern inspired me to do things that had been on the back burner for a really long time,” she said.

From classrooms to community

As a student ambassador, she set out to create “a home away from home” for her peers and found herself at the center of student life — from casual “Husky Nights” to full-scale gatherings like Friendsgiving. Beyond her ambassador role, she also ran two student organizations: Northeastern University Project Management (NUPM) and Husky Moves.

With Husky Moves — which she described as “a fun space for both the brilliant dancer and the person with two left feet” — she built community through one of her greatest passions. 

With NUPM — which she co-led with classmate Jussara Oliveira Barbosa — she built connections beyond campus, including with members of the Project Management Institute, who regularly joined as guest speakers.

Each gave her a chance to put her skills into practice — and reshaped how she approaches life today. She was later recognized with Northeastern’s Graduating Student Leader Award for her contributions to the campus community.

“I came here to sharpen my skills, but I’m leaving with much more — a sense of balance, confidence, and a community that feels like home.”

At the Silicon Valley campus commencement ceremony in spring 2025