Meet the Global Alumni Board 2024 Award Honorees

Melissa L. Hector received the esteemed Harry C. Bentley Alumni Achievement Award, which lauds professional as well as alumni achievement. Graduating seniors Humberto Zepeda ’24 and Megan Forman ’24 were each named an Emerging Alumni Leader. 

GAB announced the honorees at Bentley’s first-ever Alumni Conference, which boasted two days of content-packed sessions, topical keynotes and networking receptions — all featuring the cutting-edge work and ideas of esteemed Falcons.

Harry C. Bentley Alumni Achievement Award

Honoring graduates who reflect the tenets of Bentley’s founder by achieving excellence in their profession, their community or through university engagement.

Melissa L. Hector  ’11

A dedicated service leader, active alumna and champion of health equity, Melissa L. Hector serves as Director of Equitable and Strategic Initiatives at the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC). An independent public agency, BPHC works in partnership with communities to protect and promote the health and well-being of all Boston residents, especially those impacted by racism and systemic inequities. 

“My goal is to lead and live a life of service,” Hector says. “I believe that as a service leader, connecting communities to a nexus of resources can create transformation.”

Hector felt called to service work early on. She watched her father promote change as a community activist in the Grove Hall area of Roxbury, Boston, and as a kid did her own community service work. At Bentley, she took that passion overseas, volunteering as a student mentor in Somanya, Ghana, and after graduating, serving as an AmeriCorps Massachusetts Promise Fellow who promoted youth workers’ rights and youth employment.  Working with a Massachusetts-based nonprofit, Hector was also one of the first English-language tutors in an online academy serving an all-girls school in Afghanistan. 

Over her public service career, Hector has led community initiatives under three Boston mayors. She has also been a champion and resource for students and alumni at Bentley. Among other contributions, she has served as an adjunct professor of Management, teaching Diversity, Equity and Inclusion courses; hosted sessions on health equity both at the MLK Day Celebration and through the Center for Health and Business; is an active member of Coming Full Circle, a network for Bentley women of color; and contributed to This Era of Black Activism, a book of academic essays recently published by Bentley’s Valente Center for Arts and Sciences. 

One of the first generation in her family to graduate college, Hector has also earned a Master of Science from Northeastern University and an MBA from Boston University. She says Bentley laid the foundation for success in her career and in her graduate studies.

“Bentley taught me to understand how I show up in my work, to understand what it means to work with others with different backgrounds and experiences, and to set out desired goals and achieve outcomes together,” she says. 

Looking back on her own career path, Hector urges new alumni to nurture their Bentley ties. “Don’t let go of the rope. Stay connected with those favorite professors and your classmates. Share what you are doing and your expertise with each other and with Bentley — you never know where it will lead.”

And don’t forget to enjoy the fun engagements too, she says: “I attended every Homecoming except one since graduating, and my parents still went to the one I missed because it is such a wonderful event!”

Emerging Alumni Leader Award

Recognizing graduating seniors whose Bentley tenures reflect their potential to be esteemed and involved members of the alumni community.

Humberto Zepeda ’24

Over his four years at Bentley, Humberto Zepeda ’24 has been determined, impactful and, above all, engaged. The Management major traces this back to an unlikely source — the COVID pandemic.

During his remote freshman year, Zepeda realized he needed to be fearless in carving out his place at Bentley. He did that by sharing his identity and passions with others. He joined the Multicultural Center and La Cultura Latina (LCL) — eventually serving as president of LCL. One of his proudest accomplishments was helping to bring back the La Raza festival, a community event that showcases the Latin community’s diverse heritage through dance, music, food and art. More than 500 students joined.

In all his roles, Zepeda has worked to make Bentley a better, more inclusive and impactful school. As a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant in Student Affairs; a Resident Assistant; and member of the Student Government Association, his priority has always been to make every student feel seen and heard. 

Zepeda has every intention of staying engaged as an alumnus. He especially looks forward to becoming the kind of mentor he found at Bentley. “No one can succeed alone; you need people who can support you and hold you up,” he says. 

Megan Forman ’24

Megan Forman was one of the first program assistants at the Center for Health and Business. A Health Studies major, she passionately engaged faculty, students and alumni in the Center’s mission. She coordinated events, invited speakers and facilitated student engagement. She also mentored new staff. 

Forman furthered her impact through an independent research project that shines a light on racial disparities in new drug pricing models. A thoughtful and data-driven analysis, her work was featured as part of Bentley’s Undergraduate Research Day. She also served as a Student Lead in the Office for Undergraduate Admission, advocating for the school while also helping students determine whether Bentley was right for them.

In starting her career, Forman has set an ambitious goal for herself: “To help expand sustainable and equitable healthcare access for all people.” She recently took a big step in that direction, accepting a spot in the prestigious Managed Care Leadership Development Program at Cigna Healthcare.