Derek Segars ’23 comes from a family of Detroit public servants and has always placed a strong value on it as a result. “My great-grandfather was a bus driver for the City of Detroit, my grandfather was a police officer, my father was a fire safety inspector and arson investigator, and my mother was a social worker for 25 years,” said Derek. “I grew up surrounded by public servants and understanding the importance of dedicating your career to helping others.”

Derek spent much of his childhood in Detroit, only having moved to the suburbs once he reached 9^th grade. “Detroit is over 70% African American and the suburb my family moved to was predominantly white. This was a culture shock for me and adapting to my new environment was challenging. Until 9th grade, I had spent my entire life being surrounded by black people. For the first time, I experienced outward racism and discrimination. That stark juxtaposition from Detroit to the suburbs motivated me and continues to motivate me as I pursue my law degree.”

Derek chose Pace because he is confident it is the right school to get him one step closer to his goal of helping others as an attorney one day. “Pace is a very special place. Both the professors and student body make the law school experience positive and unforgettable. Professor Betty Lawrence Lewis has been instrumental in developing my advocacy skills and continues to support me and mentor me as I apply to jobs and internships. Professor Josh Galperin and Professor Elyse Diamond have also been extremely supportive and continue to provide me with advice and mentorship as I finish my last year of law school. And, I have felt such a sense of camaraderie from my classmates – we are all here to uplift each other and celebrate each other.”

"Pace is a very special place. Both the professors and student body make the law school experience positive and unforgettable."

During his time at Haub Law, Derek has had many opportunities to be an active participant in his law school experience. “I was able to participate in the DC externship. It was an amazing experience and the professors were very supportive and continue to serve as mentors to the participants.” Derek also serves as President of the 2022–2023 Black Law Students Association (BLSA), as a board member and Director of Gender Diversity and LBGTQIA+ Services for the North East Chapter of BLSA, as a student member of the Faculty Hiring Committee, and he is also a member of the BLSA mock trial team at Haub Law.

As for the future, Derek’s biggest goal is to be a decision-maker one day and serve the public. He notes that this could mean “running for office, working in a government agency, starting my own advocacy organization, or becoming a professor.” As far as an immediate goal, Derek hopes to practice environmental law after graduation and pursue a fellowship or clerkship with the federal government.

Derek has an important piece of advice for future law students. “Relationship building is essential to your future career. Start now. And, advocate for yourself. Be confident in your intellect. Be confident in your capabilities. Be confident in your moral compass that led you to law school and always be vocal about your goals and what you need from others to get there.”

Outside of law school, Derek is an avid swimmer. He loves the outdoors and frequently spends days at local parks with a blanket and picnic basket in the summer. He is skilled in ceramics and wheel-throwing. Derek also enjoys spending time with his sister, Taylor, who is a quadriplegic and as he describes her, “the happiest person I know.” He also enjoys being with his big and close-knit family in Detroit, who he credits with motivating him on his law school journey and celebrating his accomplishments.

My name is Hinako Tanakamaru and I am an international student from Japan. I plan to graduate in 2024 with both my bachelor’s and master’s in Business Administration and Management. I attended an international high school in upstate New York, and a lot of my friends who graduated before me came to Pace, so I heard good things about the business courses from them. I also wanted to have college life in New York City because it’s so diverse and there’s so much happening. So, I came to Pace.

Here I can learn a lot of things I might not have learned in Japan. At Pace and in New York, I get a lot of perspectives, because I’m studying in a different culture I never experienced back in Japan. People in the United States have a lot of different opinions and share them directly. In Japan, it’s not like that. It’s made me feel like I should speak up more and I feel like I’ve become a more open-minded person because I have to think about other people’s cultural perspectives.

For over a year, I’ve been a peer leader UNV 101 courses, and I’ve had the opportunity to interact with a lot of first-year international students. It’s so nice to join the class because I really like teaching and supporting others. I also did an internship at the EF Language School. It was kind of similar, but I did the internship in Tokyo, so the students were different countries and there to learn Japanese. I supported students by issuing visas, helping with accommodations, and troubleshooting other customer service issues. It was new for me to have real-life experiences in a company, and it is very satisfying be on the other side and help students studying internationally with that transition period.

I strongly recommend international students come to New York and to Pace. In New York you can experience everything, meet new people, and learn new things. I think experiencing new things is the best thing in life.

Are you getting enough rest? Are you eating all right? What about exercise—are you doing that? Sorry to nag, but we want you well. We want you feeling great—bodily, emotionally, and spiritually.

On Wednesday, February 8, all three Pace University campuses will host the inaugural Wellbeing Fair, featuring 70+ info tables hosted by members of the Pace Community and our neighbors, in celebration of Pace adopting the Okanagan Charter, an international framework for promoting wellness on campuses globally.

“We are so thrilled that Pace will be signing the Okanagan Charter to join a higher education consortium committed to being health-promoting institutions,” says Todd Smith-Bergollo, senior associate dean for students and Wellbeing Fair co-chair. “This brings together our university’s sustainability, DEI, and wellness goals and allows us to build more momentum toward reaching these goals.”

The Wellbeing Fair will be inclusive of the entire campus community and provide all people with an array of well-being information and activities. This is part of Pace University’s wellness strategic plan which integrates an approach to physical, mental, and financial well-being for a diverse community of students, faculty, and staff.

Wednesday, February 8
12:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
With light refreshments and giveaways

Locations:

• Haub Law Campus | Tudor Room | Preston Hall
• New York City Campus | Student Center West | One Pace Plaza
• Westchester Campus | Gottesman Room | Kessel Student Center

Here are just a few of the tabling attendees for each campus:

Haub Law

• Chartwells
• Counseling Center
• Geoffrey Stein, artist-in-residence
• New York City Lawyer Assistance Program
• Pace Women’s Justice Center
• SBA Wellness Committee

New York City

• Center for Student Engagement
• Fare Trade
• Financial Literacy Counselors
• Office of Sexual and Interpersonal Wellness
• Pace Neuroscience Club
• Period Poverty
• RADical Health
• Stress Management
• University Health Care

Westchester

• Book Exchange
• Counseling Center
• Faculty-in-Residence
• Nature Center
• Nutrition experts
• Provost's Kindness Initiative
• Residential Life
• White Plains Hospital
• Yoga classes

For more information about these and other wellness initiatives at Pace, contact Assistant Provost for Special Projects and Retention Sue Maxam, EdD.