Skip to main content
University of Nebraska Omaha logo University of Nebraska Omaha
APPLY MY UNO DIRECTORY

Students Faculty Staff Community
University of Nebraska Omaha logo
College of Arts and Sciences Department of English
APPLY MY UNO DIRECTORY
Students Faculty Staff Community
  • About Us Backback to Main menu
    • Faculty & Staff Directory
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • English Department Forms
    • Calendar of Events
  • Academics Backback to Main menu
    • Undergraduate Programs in English
    • Graduate Programs
    • English Minors
    • Knowledge & Skills Gained
    • Academic Advising
    • English Class Schedule
  • Student Opportunities Backback to Main menu
    • Student Opportunities
    • Student Organizations
    • Scholarships
    • Careers
    • Internships
    • Study Abroad
  • Community Engagement Backback to Main menu
    • Dual Enrollment English
    • Community Engagement
    • Department Newsletter
    • Oxbow Writing Project
    • Tell All the Truth Project
    • The Face of War Podcast
  • Research
  • First-Year Writing Backback to Main menu
    • First-Year Writing
    • Our Courses
    • English Composition Placement Information
    • Retroactive Credit
    • UNO Language Lab
  • Support Us
  1. UNO
  2. College of Arts and Sciences
  3. Department of English
  4. About Us
  5. Event Spotlight: Madison Larimore at TEDxUNO

Event Spotlight: Madison Larimore at TEDxUNO

  • published: 2019/02/25
  • contact: Justin Garrison - English
  • search keywords:
  • TEDx
  • English Major
  • HumanKind
  • Empathy
  • Resilience
image

On Saturday February 16th, faculty, students, and community members packed the newly renovated Strauss Performing Arts Center to experience TEDxUNO 2019. The event, nearly annual since 2015, highlights ideas relevant to Omaha as a community. This year’s theme was “Resilience,” an idea expanded upon by each speaker in their own unique fashion. Organizer Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado, Ph.D. expressed that the event was formed of “ideas worth sharing” from guests of many backgrounds. Dominique Morgan, the national director of Black and Pink, described his journey of Resilience in the Nebraska prison system and beyond. UNO political science student Carrie Anderson explored her experience overcoming a speech impediment and systemic issues she faced. Among eight other speakers, UNO English major Madison Larimore took the stage to describe how her project “HumanKind: A Perspective Collection” highlights the resilience of UNO students.

Larimore, currently a senior with a concentration in Creative Nonfiction, began her speech by asking the audience “What if we used our own stories to expand empathy?” She took issue with imagining ourselves in others’ shoes because how we imagine them is “based solely on [our] own experiences.” Instead she found that the best way to understand others is to “ask them” and “really listen.” Her desire to empathize with the stories of those around her produced “HumanKind: A Perspective Collection,” a project that is funded by a FUSE grant. For the project, Madison asks over 100 questions to her peers so that she might be able to tell their story through their words. HumanKind profiles combine quantitative data from surveys with students own perspectives to form a narrative. To complete the profile, it is paired with a professional photo of the student meant to “capture [them] organically” in a place that is meaningful to them.

Of the fifteen students interviewed so far, Madison found that each had faced “one major obstacle,” mostly early in life. She stressed that the profiles are “not feel good movies,” but rather something “messier, more complicated.” Surprisingly, she saw that “no two obstacles were the same,” but when asked about fulfillment all the answers were similar. They all seek connections and have not given up in the face of obstacles. From her interviews, it was clear to her that “we are all incredibly resilient” already.

With the help of HumanKind’s FUSE grant mentor Jody Kiesner, MFA, Larimore continues to collect and share the stories of resilience present on UNO’s campus. Find out more about “HumanKind: A Perspective Collection” and Madison at humankind.blog and in a previous spotlight here: https://bit.ly/2Xkqsr3. If you would like to contact HumanKind to set up an interview for yourself or another student, email contacthumankind@gmail.com with “Interview Request” in the subject line.

News Sections

  • Department of English News Center
  • UNO News Center
  • Maverick Daily
  • The Bullseye
  • Campus Events

College of Arts and Sciences

Contact Us
  • 220 Arts & Sciences Hall
  • College Advising Office
Social media
College Resources
  • For Faculty and Staff
  • Math-Science Learning Center
  • The Writing Center
Arts and Sciences Hall building with large white columns in front of a pink and orange sunset.

Next Steps

  • Visit UNO
  • Request Information
  • Apply for Admission
  • The UNO Advantage
  • Our City (Omaha)

Just For You

  • Future Students
  • Current Students
  • Work at UNO
  • Faculty and Staff
  • A-Z List

Popular Services and Resources

  • my.unomaha.edu
  • Academic Calendar
  • Campus Buildings & Maps
  • Library
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Course Catalogs
  • Internships & Career Development
  • The Maverick Store
  • MavCARD Services
  • Military-Connected Resource Center
  • Speech Center
  • Writing Center
  • Human Resources
  • Center for Faculty Excellence

Affiliates

  • University of Nebraska System
  • NU Foundation
  • Buffett Early Childhood Institute
  • Daugherty Water for Food Institute
  • National Strategic Research Institute
  • Peter Kiewit Institute
  • Rural Prosperity Nebraska
  1. University Policies
  2. Privacy Statement
  3. Accessibility
  1. 402.554.2800

University of Nebraska Omaha
University of Nebraska Omaha, 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE, 68182
  • ©  
  • Emergency Information Alert
  • MavsReport

Social Media


Omaha Skyline

Our Campus. Otherwise Known as Omaha.

The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its education programs or activities, including admissions and employment. The University prohibits any form of retaliation taken against anyone for reporting discrimination, harassment, or retaliation for otherwise engaging in protected activity. Read the full statement.