Accomplished alumni share first-person stories about moments that have shaped their lives. Senior reporter at the Denver Business Journal Ed Sealover ’95 moderates this TED-style event. You can access previous NU Live events here.
Friday, October 15
10:30–11:30 AM
McCormick Auditorium,
Norris University Center
Alumni Stories
Better to be lucky than good: My impostor syndrome through the decades
Dr. Zara Cooper’s ’91 initial career path had her on a very different course because of impostor syndrome. Critical conversations at formative stages in her life persuaded her that she couldn’t truly excel in academics and that her success was due to luck—she had a classic case of impostor syndrome. Dr. Cooper will talk about those times when she wrestled with—and beat—impostor syndrome to achieve things she never imagined.
Rolling Stops
In many ways, the past year has forced many of us to let go of old conceptions and idealizations of ourselves and our society. For Kevin Nigarura ’16, the intersections of a global pandemic, racial unrest and protests, and his own health left him no choice but to wade through the challenges and beauties of self-examination and redefinition. On the first anniversary of a mental health episode, he reflects on a time of rebuilding and difficult change.
Do. Not. Shrink.
In this session, GiGi Lucas ’01 brings the audience on a journey that takes place over the span of three weeks on the east coast of Florida during the filming of On The Side Of Right, which resurrects critical civil rights events around equal access to public waterways. Through this experience, GiGi connected the painful past with the present, realized the impact she can have on the future, and reaffirmed the necessity of change—major and minor—that happens in all of our lives.
Moderator
Ed Sealover ’95
Ed Sealover graduated from the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. He is a senior reporter at the Denver Business Journal where he covers subjects ranging from state government to the brewing industry. Throughout his career, Sealover has won 138 state or national awards, including being named the 2020 Colorado Journalist of the Year by the state’s Society of Professional Journalists. He is the author of two books—Mountain Brew: A Guide to Colorado’s Breweries and Colorado Excursions with History, Hikes and Hops. Sealover lives outside of Denver with his wife, Denise Jobin Sealover ’95, a fellow Medill graduate, and their children, Lincoln and Jane.
About the Speakers
Zara Cooper ’91
Zara Cooper, MD, MSc, FACS, is an acute care surgeon, trauma surgeon, and surgical intensivist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston where she serves as Kessler Director for the Center for Surgery and Public Health. She is a nationally recognized health services researcher with a focus on surgical palliative care and geriatric trauma. Dr. Cooper has authored over 150 peer-reviewed manuscripts, mentored many individuals, and is a leader in several academic societies. She also serves as chair of the Executive Advisory Council for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Brigham Health, leading initiatives to improve equitable care for patients and employees and health outcomes in neighboring underserved communities. Dr. Cooper is an associate professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School.
Kevin Nigarura ’16
Kevin Nigarura is a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategist with Justice Informed (JI), a social impact consulting firm. At JI, he focuses on assessments and audit services for the firm’s clients. He has authored several DEI roadmaps for corporations and nonprofits. Previously, Kevin worked at the Civic Consulting Alliance in areas such as organizational strategy, policy implementation, and community engagement. Past clients include the Obama Foundation, the Cook County State's Attorney, and the Office of the Mayor for the City of Chicago. Prior to his work in consulting, Kevin taught history in Botswana through the Princeton in Africa Fellowship, where he is now a volunteer.
GiGi Lucas ’01
Gwenna “GiGi” Lucas is the founder of SurfearNEGRA, a Florida-based nonprofit that teachers surfing to more than 100 girls of color each year. A corporate 'dropout' and serial entrepreneur, she leveraged her favorite pastime to create a platform that advocates for gender, identity, and cultural diversity in surfing. SurfearNEGRA has been celebrated in Oprah Magazine, Surfer: The Magazine, Northwestern Magazine, and on The Drew Barrymore Show. GiGi is on the board of USA Surfing, the governing body for the sport in the United States. Through the examples of her ancestors, female entrepreneurs, and fellow Northwestern alumni, GiGi recognizes that sustainable impact rests not on what one person can do, but on the path you forge so that others can do more.