Nationally recognized women's health advocate and former White House aide Alejandra Campoverdi will be Northeastern Illinois University's May 2024 Commencement speaker.
Campoverdi is the bestselling author of "First Gen: A Memoir," (Hachette Book Group) which examines the emotional toll of social mobility on those she refers to as "first and onlys."
Campoverdi served as the first White House Deputy Director of Hispanic Media under former President Barack Obama. She produced and appeared in the groundbreaking PBS documentary "Inheritance: Women, BRCA, and Hereditary Cancer" and founded the Latinos & BRCA awareness initiative in partnership with the Basser Center for BRCA at the University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Cancer Center. Latinos & BRCA provides education and resources for the U.S. Latino community around BRCA-related cancers. She earned a master's degree in Public Policy from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and graduated cum laude from the Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism at the University of Southern California.
"NEIU is honored to welcome Alejandra Campoverdi as our May 2024 Commencement speaker," said Dr. Katrina E. Bell-Jordan, Interim President of Northeastern Illinois University. "A trailblazer and nationally recognized advocate for women's health, Ms. Campoverdi embodies the tenacity, and spirit of innovation and service we seek to instill in our graduates. Her remarkable journey, from her humble roots to the White House and on the forefront of health advocacy, is inspirational. We look forward to hearing her insights and wisdom as we celebrate the achievements of our graduates."
Commencement is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 10 at Credit Union 1 Arena, 525 S. Racine Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are required. The ceremony will also be streamed live at neiu.edu.
