Laura

Activities

• Volunteer Illini Projects – A group that organizes 15 different volunteer programs which connects students to the community
• Best Buddies – An organization that aims to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities by creating one-on-one friendships
• Special Olympics – An international organization dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities through sports training and competition

Where is your favorite spot on campus to study?

The tables outside of the Union

Where is your favorite spot on campus to hang out with your friends?

Either at IMPE's (IntraMural Physical Education building) pool or just in our dorm rooms

Where is your favorite spot on campus to relax?

Laying in the grass on the Quad!

What is your favorite club or organization on campus that you are involved with?

Volunteer Illini Projects

What do you like most about your major?

Here at the University of Illinois, the special education program is comprised of a small group of students; therefore, I have the opportunity to get to know my professors and classmates very well. It is comforting to be surrounded by people who feel as passionately as I do and are all working towards the same goals.

What are your favorite courses within your major?

Some of my favorite classes in the College of Education are those that focus on teaching students with special needs. This material is directly related to what I want to do once I graduate.

Describe your most memorable experience at Illinois.

I will always remember the Illini basketball team’s playoff run in 2005. I also had a blast participating in an effort to make it into the Guinness Book of World Records for the “World’s Largest Pillow Fight.” Although we didn’t set the record, it was one of the coolest things I have ever done.

Why do you belong at Illinois?

I have found friends and groups that are a perfect fit for me and, without hesitation, I can say that I consider Urbana-Champaign my home away from home. I absolutely love it here, and I could not be happier with my decision to become an Illini.