JOHN BECK (BA ’71; MS ‘74) started at the University of Illinois in 1967 as a student in what is now known as the Division of General Studies.

AMANDA SONNEBORN (‘99) was born into a “very political” Springfield family, and she interned in the General Assembly while still in high school.

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.

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.

WILLIAM BILLEAUD (’85) is an international business executive.

SARA CLINE-HOWLAND (‘10) was interested in history and politics while in high school, and a major in political science seemed like a natural fit.

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.

WENDY NETTER EPSTEIN (‘99) entered the University of Illinois intending to go the “pre-med” route.

LARRY HARRIS, JR. (‘15) has always had an interest in government and foreign affairs, and that led him to the Department of Political Science.

TERRY WELCH (’76) grew up in Springfield with a Republican father and a Democratic mother who enjoyed engaging the family in political debate.

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 wit

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 st

CATHERINE TOPOLINSKI (’13) enjoyed study abroad in both India and Belgium while she was in college.