Nicholas Lievano

Associate - Cohort 005

Nicholas Lievano “Nick” is inspired by common goals across cultures. He dedicates his energy to reimagining a world without economic inequality. Influenced by his upbringing, he believes in working to improve one’s community, regardless if it is local or in another part of the world.

As an associate with Normal Next, Lievano is directly involved in developing a new way for young people to advance civic change, specifically working with the Rita Allen Foundation to create a virtual summer summit for the Civic Science Fellows.
He has always been interested in travel and learning about international differences, problems, and cultures. Raised in a family from Colombia, he learned the value of hard work, creativity, and dedication. These values inspired him to take on diverse jobs and experiences, ranging from being a cashier at a noodle shop in Washington D.C. to being part of a nonprofit’s efforts to set up community events and projects in Bogotá.

As a sophomore at American University, he is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in International Studies with a focus on International Political Economy and a minor in Arabic. At AU he’s a member of the Climate Reality Project, where he has helped to connect the group to other D.C. sustainability groups.

During his time at New Trier high school in Winnetka Illinois, he received the Deborah Johnson Award for Dedication to Social Studies for his work in his International Relations class. He wrote for his school’s political journal, focusing on Middle East events in the news.

At fourteen he obtained his boating license because he loved spending weekends on the lake. At sixteen he learned how to drive a stick shift on the streets of Bogotá’s Suta locality. He is fluent in Spanish and is working on mastering Arabic. Naturally competitive, he is always up for a game of soccer or basketball.