Building a Roadmap to Opportunity

When first-generation alum Charbel Hanna ’18 reflects on his journey, he doesn’t start with his professional accolades or leadership awards. Instead, he thinks about the sacrifices his parents made when they left Lebanon in search of greater opportunity — and the responsibility he feels to honor those sacrifices every day. Hanna sees his Bentley degree as more than a personal accomplishment. It represents a milestone for his entire family.

“Being a first-generation graduate is one of the deepest sources of pride in my life,” he says. “It represents the sacrifices my parents made and the opportunities they never had the chance to pursue.”

For Hanna, earning a college degree signified what he calls a “generational shift,” creating new possibilities not only for himself but for future generations of his family. “For my family, my degree meant security, possibility and proof that their hard work created a new path for all of us.”

That perspective has shaped the way Hanna approaches every opportunity and challenge in front of him. As a first-generation student, he learned that success often requires forging a path where no roadmap exists.

His journey to Bentley embodied that mindset. After initially being waitlisted, Hanna faced what felt like a devastating setback. Rather than giving up on his goal, he transferred to Bentley as a sophomore and made the most of his second chance. The experience taught him a lesson that continues to guide his life and career: rejection may just be redirection.

That perseverance became a defining theme of his time at Bentley. Hanna worked tirelessly to establish himself academically, socially and as a leader, with one of his proudest moments coming when he was inducted into the Falcon Society.

“That recognition from faculty and peers validated not only my work ethic but also my commitment to community,” he says. “It taught me that leadership is earned through consistency, character and showing up for others.”

Today, Hanna has built an impressive career at PwC, where he was selected as one of just 10 employees nationwide for the firm’s highly competitive MBA Scholars Program. Through the program, he is earning his MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. He has also received PwC’s Leadership Impact Award, recognizing his leadership, mentorship and commitment to community engagement.

Above all else, Hanna remains focused on creating opportunities for others, especially students who share his first-generation background. And his mission is always the same: helping people recognize possibilities they may not yet see in themselves — something he says he strives to do as a Career Design Instructor, a course he has taught at Bentley for the past five years.

“Bentley changed my life, and I want to help create that same experience for the next generation,” he says.

Looking ahead, Hanna envisions Bentley continuing to expand access and opportunity while preparing graduates to lead with integrity, empathy and purpose — a future he is eager to help shape.

And for all the current and future first-generation students, his message is both simple and powerful: “You belong here.”