Category Archives: Lisa Ellen Niver

Author: Lisa Ellen Niver,  CAS’89

Next May, it will be my turn to celebrate 25 years since I graduated from Penn. I am still close with many of my friends from Ware College House. I count on them for so many things. I remember our days in the Quad especially during Hurricane Gloria. I had never been in a hurricane. I learned so many lessons in and out of the classroom. In part, it was my education at Penn that challenged me to take risks, and gave me the interest in journey to other countries.

I have truly taken the Penn motto “we will find a way or we will make one” to heart. After George found me online in 2007, we chose to quit our jobs and meander around Asia for a year from 2008-2009. During that time, I lost over fifty pounds, we got engaged underwater,  and we learned how to be a team.  When we returned home, we wrote a book together.  Last week,  I am happy to say that we published that book, Traveling in Sin.

The book is available on Amazon and was recently mentioned in Westside Today. In the article, Sommer said, that the book…”is a love story and travel memoir rolled in to a single, enjoyable book.” That love story started with my friends and experiences at Penn, where I was encouraged to pursue my curiosity to make discoveries around the globe.

You can learn more about the book and about our life together in the slideshow below.

Author: Lisa Ellen Niver, CAS ’89

I did not realize when I picked Penn (after being admitted early decision in December 1984), that class would still be in session in 2013 while traveling on a local bus in Nepal! During this trip, I read Contagious, Why Things Catch On, because as a traveler, teacher, and writer it sounded extremely compelling. I too wanted to learn how to “create contagious content!”

As Wharton marketing professor, Jonah Berger, explains in the book, “putting up a Facebook page or tweeting doesn’t mean anyone will notice or spread the word. 50% of YouTube videos have fewer than five hundred views. Only one-third of 1 percent get more than 1 million.” We actually have several videos over five hundred views and our We Said Go Travel YouTube channel, so that was good to learn. It is incredible to me that while on sabbatical in Asia, I can study with the award-winning Wharton “Iron Prof” and learn exactly the lessons I need next for my personal and professional life!

I also recently read  Made to Stick, by Chip and Dan Heath. Chip Heath was Berger’s graduate school mentor and while that book was helpful–Contagious’ “six key STEPPS” gave me new tools to propel my professional site to higher numbers and more views by using “the six principles of contagiousness: products or ideas that contain Social Currency and are Triggered, Emotional, Public, Practically Valued and wrapped into Stories.”

As a writer, the final emphasis on stories is of particular interest to me. Berger says: “Stories are an important source of cultural learning that help us make sense of the world. Information travels under the guise of what seems like idle chatter.” I hope that sharing our journeys will inspire others and soon be more and more contagious encouraging all to participate in our global community of travelers and writers.

I recommend getting a copy of Professor Berger’s book so you can “build a Social currency-laden, Triggered, Emotional, Public, Practically Valuable Trojan Horse, but don’t forget to hide your message inside. Make sure your desired information is so embedded into the plot that people cannot tell the story without it.”

Reading this book, I realized that our recent Inspiration Travel Writing Contest had so much traction as we used triggers (the contest ended on Valentine’s Day), emotions, and financial incentives. I will put my learning to work and hope that our Independence Travel Writing Contest (running from May 11 to July 4, no entry fee, and an even more valuable prizes).

Thank you to the Penn community for my past and continuing education! It is phenomenal that nearly twenty-five years after graduation I can still learn from Penn Profs and in a new digital way. As our Penn motto states, “We will find a way or we will make one.” Thank you, Professor Berger, for new tools for building a contagious community.

Author: Lisa Ellen Niver, C’89

This time of year in 1984, I was accepted via early decision into the University of Pennsylvania. My acceptance was binding, and I would be leaving for a campus I had never seen. My father and I had visited quite a few universities on the East Coast on a Spring break trip from Los Angeles, and I disliked most of the places we saw. None of them seemed to be the right fit.

As a Penn alumnus from the 1960’s, my dad remembered the Penn campus as a city school. When I started looking at colleges, he did not think it would be the right place for me and so we didn’t schedule it on our campus tour.  But then, my parents were on the East Coast visiting friends and they suggested that Penn had changed significantly over the years. After that, my dad said, “For all the reasons you did not like those other schools, you will like Penn.” I trusted his opinion and took the leap to apply early. Just a few short months later, I got my acceptance letter. I remember feeling so amazed and excited.

I had nearly the same feeling after graduation when I opened the big envelope from Penn inviting me to join the University community, and then again, when I learned I would have an article published in National Geographic magazine.  As a reader and a traveler, I have always loved the magazine with the golden yellow square and now in a small way, I am a part of it. I believe that my experience at Penn helped to shape my adventurous side. From coming to campus sight unseen as a freshman and then having such a great four year experience both in and outside of the classroom, Penn taught me that taking risks could lead to unbelievable, life-changing discoveries, such as those I made in writing the article.   I hope you enjoy reading  about the Royal Cremation in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia as much as I enjoyed writing it.

The crowd at the cremation ceremony.

Travel writer Lisa Ellen Niver (Penn 1989) is spending the year in Southeast Asia with her husband (both of whom are members of the Traveler’s Century Club). Follow her adventures on their blog, wesaidgotravel.com, and on Twitter @wesaidgotravel.

Author: Lisa Ellen Niver, CAS’89

As a Penn Quaker, I feel a special kinship for Benjamin Franklin. I am impressed by all he did for our country in so many different realms. He was a true renaissance man who needs to be remembered especially with the elections looming so closely. Here is one of my favorite quotes by him: “Hide not your talents, they were made for use. What’s a sundial in the shade?” -Benjamin Franklin

On the web site Beyond the Quote,  they state: “Your extraordinary abilities allow you to stand out among the crowd and should be demonstrated often. The special talents you possess may be helpful not only to yourself, but for others as well. When you have a talent you have a greater purpose to show the world and help to improve it.”

Recently, I had the opportunity to share some of my own personal abilities by being featured on the nationally syndicated television show, Career Day. Now in its third season, the show has brought on over two hundred people to share their careers with students and adults who may be interested in pursuing a similar line of work. I am the first teacher ever be selected and my students got to participate as well. In January 2012, two film crews spent the day with me and my 4^th and 5^th grade students. The show aired on September 29, 2012 (Episode 302).

Here I am on the set, working on a fun experiment with some of my students.

I loved when the narrator said, “Grab your test tubes & beakers! This week on Career Day we’re DISSECTING a career that will really SPARK your interest… teaching elementary school SCIENCE!”

Here I am behind the scenes of filming. Please note: I am wearing my Penn blue!

Enjoy some moments in the science lab. I hope it is as inspiring to you as it was an honor for me to be chosen to share my much loved job with others. Truly, my career path began at Penn, and I’m so happy to continue sharing my work and life adventures with all of you.