Gary Yessaillian is no stranger to Northeastern University. He and his wife, Lina (Caruso) Yessaillian who is also a Northeastern grad, lead a family of younger huskies. Before graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1985, it was on campus where Yessaillian met his wife, who was in the business program at the time. His daughter will begin studying neuroscience at Northeastern in the Fall, and his son will be a third-year computer science major this September.

After graduating from Northeastern, Yessaillian began working at a company called GTE, where he worked on the physical design of heating and cooling of telecommunications equipment.

“I transitioned over to doing a lot more of the operational work and planning, got my business degree, became a program manager, ran a line of business and then migrated to Cisco.

Yessaillian’s son, who is both a peer tutor and teaching assistant, is currently enrolled in the CCIS program and will embark on his first co op in the Fall at Cisco in the Security Group, while his father works in Global Partner Marketing.

“He wants to excel in his first opportunity,” Yessaillian said. “He wants to leverage his experience at Northeastern for other opportunities and he wants to serve as a catalyst for more co ops at Cisco – he wants to do such a good job that they want to bring on other students.”

Yessaillian himself now serves as part of a bridge between Cisco and Northeastern – a bridge that began with a simple introduction.

It was at a parents event, during which, new students were being welcomed to school, where Yessaillian bumped in to a CCIS co op coordinator he knew, who ended up introducing Yessaillian to the CCIS Dean, Carla E. Brodley.

“The Dean reached out to me and said, ‘We would like to nurture some opportunities with Cisco.’ It was her leadership and her vision for CCIS that really drew me in to the school. It was outstanding,” Yessaillian said. “I called my son and told him that I had just met with the dean, and told him, ‘You’re on the right track, your degree will be worth a lot more under her leadership.’”

Since the initial meeting with Dean Brodley, Yessaillian has been working with her team at CCIS, with a focus on getting co ops and strengthening Cisco’s talent pipeline.

Watching his son grow as a young professional during his first co op opportunity is something Yessaillian said he looks forward to very much, and he said he applauds the opportunity that Northeastern is able to offer to both his children and other students alike.

“I’m expecting him to enjoy working and to enjoy the experience of working with a team, which he does at school. At Cisco, he’ll work with a more diverse team in terms of background, allowing him to link what he’s learning both in school and in a fast-paced environment. Northeastern’s model of giving students exposure to the industry is spot on,” Yessaillian said.

On top of the Dean’s leadership, Yessaillian said that his motivation to help grow the number of opportunities CCIS students have access to also stemmed from the mindset of his father.

“I get my motivation from my father. He always helps someone out—not out of getting something for himself, but as a way of giving back,” Yessaillian said. “Whether it be someone from the community or anyone that reached out to him, he always tried to help out and that’s how I am operating with Northeastern.

According to Yessaillian, it is that sense of community that he got from his father that he’s trying to expand upon with his newfound relationship with Northeastern.

“The sense of community goes back to the leadership of the dean. It is very energetic on campus and it’s a great place be,” Yessaillian said.