When Rebekah Israel ’26 started Future Creators & Innovators (FCI) at age 18, she had a simple idea: Young people should have the opportunity to explore careers and creative fields they might not otherwise have the chance to pursue.
Israel transferred to Emerson from Miami Dade College, after she had founded FCI in Florida in 2023. She had grown up taking advantage of opportunities to try different things herself—from entrepreneurial ventures like starting her own cookie company, to photography, science competitions, and social media—and wanted other young people to have those same opportunities.
“I believe every student should be able to dabble in different career paths or industries they don’t know about,” said the Business of Creative Enterprises (BCE) major.
Now, as a senior at Emerson, Israel is growing FCI in Boston, where the organization has begun connecting young people with creative workshops, career exploration, and real-world experiences. Along the way, she has found collaborators within the Emerson community, including recent alum Sophia Lam ’26 and Communication Studies Senior Executive-in-Residence Mark Brodie, MA ’00, who is an advisor to the student organization Common Collective.
Lisa Yaeger, Senior Associate Director of Undergraduate Admission and Director of Transfer Admission, also joined its three-person board alongside Israel’s parents.
Finding a Colleague at Emerson
FCI’s expansion to Massachusetts gained momentum after Israel met Lam at Emerson’s fall 2025 Student Org Fair.
At the time, Lam was working with the Common Collective, Emerson’s student organization that brings together communications practice groups. Brodie had asked Lam to help reboot the Center for Nonprofit Communications (CNPC), one of Common Collective’s practice groups.
“I knew immediately this was the kind of dynamic, community-driven initiative I wanted to build,” Lam said.
Lam, who now serves as FCI’s director of programs and outreach while working full time at a Boston marketing agency, joined Israel to establish FCI’s presence in Massachusetts.
“It was a true bridge between campus organizing and community application,” Lam said. “Common Collective served as an incubator, helping test engagement strategies, refine workshop formats, and establish organizational workflows.”
Brodie saw an opportunity for the students to apply their Emerson education beyond campus.
“The mission of Common Collective is simple: We use our communication skills for the betterment of others and in the process master these skill sets in real-world environments,” Brodie said.
FCI became a natural extension of that mission. The organization’s work draws on marketing, public relations, nonprofit communications, digital storytelling, social media, audience analysis, event management, and community engagement, Brodie said.
“What Rebekah and Sophia do show what a difference an Emersonian can make,” he said.
Brodie has also participated in video shoots for FCI’s Career Insights social media campaign, which features professionals talking about their careers, how they got started, and advice for young people. The videos are designed to give students a glimpse into career paths through short, accessible conversations.
Creating with Boston Youth
This summer, FCI put that approach into action through a six-part Let’s Create It workshop series at Boston Public Library’s Teen Central in Copley Square.
During two weeks in August, approximately 80 local teens participated in workshops covering photography, Canva and LinkedIn, canvas painting, digital storytelling, and video editing. Students ages 13 to 18 could attend individual sessions or multiple workshops.
The goal was twofold, Lam said: for students to learn technical skills and gain greater confidence in their own ideas and a stronger sense that they could create something themselves.
“We wanted students to walk away not only with concrete technical and creative capabilities, but also with stronger self-efficacy, confidence in their perspective, and a sense of agency,” Lam said.
Israel taught several of the workshops, like the LinkedIn session that introduced students to a professional networking platform many had never used before. Students created LinkedIn accounts and banners and connected with FCI and their peers.
The organization also brought in guest speakers and instructors, including Brodie, who taught digital storytelling.
FCI had earlier worked with the Beethoven Ohrenberger School in Boston’s West Roxbury neighborhood, where six Emerson student volunteers helped lead a filmmaking workshop for 22 fifth graders.
Students used phones and filmmaking equipment to create four very different projects: a dance showcase, a parody stylized like The Office, a newscast, and a video focused on creative camera angles.
“They all came out of it with four very different stories,” Lam said.
For Israel, one of the most rewarding moments came when a student told her she felt more confident in front of the camera after the workshop.
“It was awesome to see that,” Israel said.
A Growing Emerson Connection
FCI’s relationship with Emerson now extends beyond Common Collective.
Yaeger first met Israel while recruiting at Miami Dade College in fall 2024. She was impressed by Israel’s commitment to helping young people from underserved communities explore career and educational opportunities. Israel was drawn to the BCE program because it combines business fundamentals with opportunities to explore film, music, and nonprofit work.
When Israel began expanding FCI to Boston, Yaeger saw a way she could help.
“I felt I could be helpful in making connections and identifying opportunities to support her work here in Boston,” she said.
As a board member, Yaeger provides guidance and feedback, assists with fundraising, and helps connect FCI with educational leaders, community organizations, and potential partners.
“It is truly remarkable to see what FCI has already accomplished in Boston,” Yaeger said. “These programs give youth opportunities to explore their interests, learn about different career and educational pathways, and see possibilities for their futures that they may not have otherwise considered.”
For Israel, Emerson itself has become an important part of FCI’s development. She credits the College with helping her develop skills in leadership, collaboration, graphic design, strategic management, and working across departments and with different groups of people.
“I love Emerson,” Israel said. “Emerson is a part of me.”
Looking Ahead
FCI is also developing new initiatives, including virtual sessions that would connect middle and high school students with professionals working in different fields.
“Everything connects back to the power of story and communication,” Lam said. “Whether I am writing, managing programs, or collaborating with community partners, my goal is always to create spaces where young people feel heard, capable, and equipped to shape their own futures.”
For Brodie, FCI demonstrates what can happen when Emerson students take an idea and put their education into practice.
“They did it for real, it worked, and it has made a considerable difference in the lives of a variety of young people,” he said.