As a professional reporter and news anchor, Suzanne Spencer ‘14 found her calling in recording the stories of others. Her ability to make a difference, harnessing the power of storytelling, gave her not only a sense of direction but also a recognizable presence in Milwaukee, earning her two Emmy nominations for her reporting on crime and her cold case series “Inside a Mystery” on Fox 6 News.
But what did it mean for her when the script of her life changed?
Last Tuesday, March 31, Spencer addressed DePauw students, faculty and the public at the Watson Forum to share her own personal story of overcoming challenges — in her case, a brain tumor that plunged her within one millimeter of death. Her purpose now as an inspirational speaker, she says, is to help others reframe the challenges they face in their own lives as opportunities for self-advocacy and resilience.
“Mindset is not about being positive,” Spencer said. “It is about noticing how you see that problem.”
When Spencer received her diagnosis in 2021, she was scared. In the span of 18 months, she underwent two brain surgeries while also becoming a new mom. Her health wasn’t the only thing impacted — she also had to navigate questions of family planning, productivity, identity and confidence. But instead of letting fear overtake her life, she began examining her perception, realizing that uncertainty could be a powerful motivator for redirection — not just for herself but for others, too.
Now — as the version of herself she calls the “after” — she narrates her experience in a motivational framework she developed called “MIC”: mindset, inner voice and community.
“Just like reps in the weight room or laps around a track, choosing your mindset in the moment is a skill,” she said.
The choice to change her mindset from a fearful lens to a grateful one, Spencer said, was pivotal. With the knowledge she had from her diagnosis, she could now develop a game plan.
Games became a powerful metaphor in her speech for inner voice. In 2016, she was reporting in South Bend when the Chicago Cubs won the World Series for the first time in over a century. Although fans in the area had previously identified themselves as losers, she noticed that after the win, they began telling themselves a different story: that they were winners.
“It started with their inner voice,” Spencer said. “People don’t achieve their potential by feeling sorry for their circumstances. They learn the way they talk to themselves — their inner voice — is key to building that resilient mindset.”
Listening to her inner voice was a skill Spencer learned to hone throughout her illness. Her support system, she said, was instrumental in helping to shape it. With so much uncertainty and a rare diagnosis, she felt lonely; but the decision to continue sharing her story on social media — even the raw, vulnerable parts — allowed others to see themselves in her.
“What I hoped people would gain from my sharing was that without my persistence and advocating for myself, I never would have found that brain tumor until it was too late,” Spencer said. “What I did not expect were literally thousands of comments of support.”
Community — the final part of her framework — was something that formed around her but also something she intentionally built.
“Community is active,” Spencer said. “You create it. You grow it. And it works like a team.”
At the end of her speech, Spencer hoped audience members would embrace her motivational framework to navigate their own personal challenges. If a brain tumor could be only one millimeter from taking her life, she believes even the smallest shift in perspective can change a life.
“None of this was easy,” Spencer said. “It wasn’t easy to study and stare down those dark days of my past and ask myself, ‘How did you get through that?’ But when I did, the answer was simple. When I looked back, I saw in real time, through a real challenge, how mindset, inner voice, and community can transform outcomes.”
