Throughout this week, a University-wide conference showed Northwestern students how to build meaningful, fulfilling careers while giving back. Successful, active alumni who have integrated their passion for helping others into their lives participated in a series of panel discussions held Wednesday and Thursday nights.
Civically Engaged Young Alumni Week, a new event this year, was inspired by the One Book One Northwestern selection, “Mountains Beyond Mountains,” said Prof. Dan Lewis, director of the Center for Civic Engagement. The book, written by Tracy Kidder, explores how Dr. Paul Farmer went from being an undergraduate at Duke University to founding Partners in Health, a non-profit dedicated to delivering quality health care to the world’s poor.
“The book brings up all sorts of issues about being a college student and going on to (change the world)” Lewis said. “(It’s) a conference that helps Northwestern students learn from Farmer’s experience.”
The week of programming was sponsored by the Center for Civic Engagement, One Book One Northwestern, the Northwestern Alumni Association, University Career Services and the Global Health Studies Program. It was also part of the “Why Does it Matter NU?” program.
The Wednesday and Thursday events featured panels of alumni, organized by undergraduate schools. At the Weinberg event, each speaker had started at NU on the pre-med track but switched after eventually discovering their true passion. For Roel Vivit, Weinberg ’98 and co-founder of Polaris Charter Academy, that passion was education.
Placed into a Chicago Catholic school by the non-profit Inner-City Teaching Corps, Vivit said it was one of the hardest experiences of his life but also incredibly fulfilling. After receiving the Golden Apple award for Illinois educators, Vivit and two other award recipients decided to start their own charter school, using a model of learning based on experience. Rooted in the Humboldt Park community, Polaris teaches kids to be civically active, Vivit said.
Weinberg senior Ben Rothschild said the event was inspiring and informative.
“It makes you think differently about what’s possible once you graduate,” he said.
The School of Communication panel featured NU graduates who have integrated their passion for the arts with education. Luke Hatton, Communication ’00, is the artistic director with the Barrel of Monkeys. The acting ensemble tours Chicago public schools, teaching creative writing to students and then performing their pieces. Nikki Zaleski, Communication ’08, organizes Sisters Empowering Sisters, a young women’s social justice and leadership program at the Chicago Girls’ Coalition, and has taught dance and drama in the Chicago area.
James Troupis, Communication ’03, said his work with Teach for America in New Orleans was eye-opening. Now, he is the co-founder and principal of Gary Comer College Prep in Chicago, helping minority students prepare for college enrollment and eventually graduation.
Jazzy Johnson, a Communication sophomore in attendance, said she appreciated the outreach of these alumni.
“It’s really cool how people who went to this school have submerged themselves in communities who are completely different from them,” Johnson said.
[email protected], contributing writer
