JULIA AZARI (‘02) started college hoping to be a journalist, and she selected political science because she hoped to do political journalism. As she studied political science, she fell in love with the field. She really enjoyed her classes with Professors Leff and Gaines, and one of her TAs suggested she might enter academia. She earned a doctorate at Yale University, and now is a...
AMANDA SONNEBORN (‘99) was born into a “very political” Springfield family, and she interned in the General Assembly while still in high school. Her decision to major in political science grew from this early interest in politics and her long-held plans to go to law school. She argues that great value of a political science degree is that it “helps an individual understand complex systems and...
ROB HUCK (’71) is a retired UI fundraiser and major supporter of the University of Illinois. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Illinois, he served in the United States Navy, and went on to earn an M.B.A from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. After working for the U.S. Congress for a year, Huck began his corporate career in accounting and finance, then marketing, and...
MEREDITH WIECK ('09) works as a Feature Film Executive in the production and development department at Lionsgate, an entertainment studio based in Los Angeles, California. She began college as a psychology major, but in the second semester of her freshman year, she took an introductory class in political science, “fell in love with it,” and decided to make it her second major. Her work entails...
TERRY WELCH (’76) grew up in Springfield with a Republican father and a Democratic mother who enjoyed engaging the family in political debate. Studying political science at the U of I felt like “a natural next step.” He was on campus during the Watergate era, a particularly interesting time to take political science courses! After graduation, he went on to study law at the University of Houston...
DAVID ADELEYE (’14) has spent the past few years working in multiple advisory roles within the Obama Administration at the White House and Department of Homeland Security. During his time at the University of Illinois, David was very involved on campus and held several leadership positions. He has also served as a mentor, both formally and informally, for a number of individuals pursuing...
WILLIAM BILLEAUD (’85) is an international business executive. He is the President of Lombard Global, Incorporated, which provides investment banking and management consulting services to companies looking to expand their global presence. When he first came to the University of Illinois, Bill thought he would follow in his father’s footsteps and become a general practice lawyer. During his time...
WENDY NETTER EPSTEIN (‘99) entered the University of Illinois intending to go the “pre-med” route. However, when she started classes, she quickly learned that she enjoyed political science the most, and decided to combine her interests by pursuing a career in health policy and law. During her time in the Department of Political Science, Wendy particularly enjoyed her participation in the honors...
JOHN COADY (’74) explains how his study of political science influenced his judicial career path and life in this way: “Politics is my life.” In college, he was involved in activities including student government and the Inter-Fraternity Council. His advice to students is that while classroom performance is important, participation in extracurricular activities is essential in the...
MICHELLE (EACK) MORA (‘11) entered college through the general curriculum program (a forerunner to the Division of General Studies) with hopes of studying business and going to law school. After exploring the curriculum a bit, she followed her heart to political science and Latin American Studies. During her time in the department, she was a participant in the Political Science Honors Program,...