Student Hosts

Student hosts are student leaders selected by members of the Hall of Fame review and selection committee to represent current students to our nominees. Each comes from a unique background and with varied interests and involvement experience. Hosts provide a chance for our inductees to learn more about today's Illinois State community as well as student involvement and leadership opportunities. Many of these opportunities are similar to those experienced by our inductees as Student Affairs has continued to play an integral part in student development since the University's founding. In fact, student hosts recognize that honorees in many ways have paved the way for the opportunities they experience today. Through the leadership and vision of our former students, student affairs staff, and campus leaders, students have myriad experiences that provide a foundation for their future and a distinct college experience that defines Redbird life.

2021 Student Hosts

• Karin Burwell – Host, Kathy Magana

  Kathy is a junior from Midlothian. She is a special education major, with a learning behavior minor. Kathy serves as a Resident Assistant in Hewett Hall and is also a Service Area Manager. She is an English Scholar and an active member of the Student Education Association. Kathy enjoys reading to kids, and loves soccer, swimming, and crafts.

• Eric Burwell – Host, Jacob Rottinghaus

  Jackie is a junior, athletic training major from Bartlett, IL. She serves as President of the Campus Recreation Student Leadership Council and Treasurer of the Redbird Officials Association. Jackie is also a Campus Recreation supervisor, an Intramural Sports Official, and an Intramural Sports evaluator. Over the summer, she will be interning with the Major League Soccer Team, FC Dallas in Frisco, TX. Jackie plans to obtain her master’s degree in athletic training and work with a Division I or professional soccer team.

• Karyn Aguirre – Host, Chania Dobson

  Chania is a senior, social work major from Chicago. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority and serves as Treasurer of the National Pan-Hellenic Council. She is also an Ex-Officio member of Student Government and enjoys helping her fellow Redbirds as a Peer Mentor.

• Linda Kingman – Host, Chloe Clark

  Chloe is a senior from Decatur with a major in organizational and leadership communication. She is a Resident Assistant in Watterson Towers and served as a Preview Guide over the summer. Chloe has worked as a student employee in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs since she was a freshman, even serving as a student representative on our Assistant Vice President search committee last year.

2019 Student Hosts

• Dr. Diane Wolf – Host, Madison Ballard

  Madison is a senior from Monmouth, IL. She is an agriculture communications and leadership major, with a minor in mass media. Madison is an active member of the Chi Omega sorority and served as the President of the College Panhellenic Council in 2018. She also served on the Student Leader Council and as the Vice President of the Agriculture Ambassadors and Agriculture Communicators of Tomorrow. Madison is currently searching for a job as a recruiter or communication specialist in a corporate agriculture company.

• Stan Shingles – Host, Jackie DeLaMora

  Jackie is a junior, athletic training major from Bartlett, IL. She serves as President of the Campus Recreation Student Leadership Council and Treasurer of the Redbird Officials Association. Jackie is also a Campus Recreation supervisor, an Intramural Sports Official, and an Intramural Sports evaluator. Over the summer, she will be interning with the Major League Soccer Team, FC Dallas in Frisco, TX. Jackie plans to obtain her master’s degree in athletic training and work with a Division I or professional soccer team.

• Camille Taylor – Host, Hannah Costa

  Hannah is a senior, elementary education major from Schaumburg, IL. She currently works as a student manager in the catering area of Event Management, Dining, and Hospitality. Hannah will complete her student teaching in the fall semester in both Illinois and Eastbourne, England. Upon her graduation in December, she plans to intern in the Science Education Center at a camp she attended as a child and worked for three years as a counselor. hopes to teach low-income students. Hannah’s future career goals are to obtain a job teaching elementary students.

2018 Student Hosts

• Rachel Spangler – Host, Cassie Winters

  Cassie is a sophomore, engineering technology major from Lansing, IL. They also have a Women’s and Gender Studies minor with a concentration on Queer Studies. Cassie serves as the President of Pride, a student employee in Diversity Advocacy, and a member of FLAME, the Feminist Led Activist Movement to Empwer. They look forward to helping make the male-dominated field of engineering more inclusive and aware of underrepresented identities.

• Daniel Wagner – Host, Lindsey Brown

  Lindsey is a junior form Kewanee, IL. She is a communications studies major, focusing on organizational leadership and communication. Lindsey serves as the programming chair of the Association of Residence Halls and the parliamentarian of Epsilon Sigma Alpha service sorority. She is also a member of Best Buddies, Redbird Redcross, and Students Today Leaders Forever. Upon graduation, Lindsey plans on attending graduate school and pursuing a career in Student Affairs.

• Craig Gilmore – Host, Christian Johnson

  Christian is a junior, history social-science teacher education major from Peoria, IL. He serves as the special events coordinator of the Black Student Union, and is also involved in the Interdenominational Youth Choir and the ISULeads Leadership Certificate Program. After graduation, Christian hopes to teach low-income students. Eventually, he plans to obtain his master’s degree in education in order to pursue a career in administration.

2017 Student Hosts

• Michael Schermer – Host, Andrew Jacobs

  Andrew is a junior from Lexington, IL, studying Arts Technology. His involvement on campus includes: Co-President of Pride, Intern for Diversity Advocacy, Welcome Week Intern and Student Specialist at Leadership and Community Connections just to name a few. He is looking forward to attending graduate school and employment after graduation.

• Michael Donahue – Host, Caitlin O’Donovan

  Caitlin is a senior from Lake Zurich, IL, studying Public Relations. As a Redbird Caitlin has been heavily involved in the University Program Board as Director of Marketing and Communication as well as the Captain for the ISU Bowling Team. She is looking forward to working in her field of study after graduation.

• Robinzina "Zina" Bryant – Host, Jaylon Joyner

  Jaylon is a senior from Decatur, IL, studying Athletic Training and Physical Education. As a Redbird, Jaylon is heavily involved. He is the President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., a Spiritual Leader of the Impact Movement, Resident Assistant and a Shaping the Future Mentor Program Mentor, just to name a few. He looks forward to pursuing a Master’s in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Physical Education after graduation.

• Twanna Hines – Host, Maya Ishihara

  Maya is a senior from Grayslake, IL, studying Community Health Promotion. As A Redbird, Maya has been involved with Up Late at State and a member of the Student Wellness Ambassador Team (SWAT). She will be finishing her internship with Health Promotion and Wellness and graduate this May. She is currently searching for jobs and opportunities in health education and promotion.

• Adam Ghrist – Host Hannah Picciola

  Hannah is a sophomore from Arlington Heights, IL, studying Elementary Education. Her Redbird life has included being involved in Student Government Association, Academic Senate, Educating Illinois Committee, just to highlight a few. She is looking forward to becoming a teacher and pursuing her Master’s degree in school administration.

2016 Student Hosts

• Nicole Bianchi hosting James E. Ford

  

  Nicole is a junior from Lake Zurich, IL, studying elementary education. As a Redbird, Nicole has been involved with the Honors Program, is a Mary F. English Scholar, a Welcome Week Intern, and a Thomas Metcalf Elementary School Music Academy Tutor. She serves as a member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development - ISU Student Chapter (Co-Founder and Director of Membership), and is the current president of the University Program Board (former Spirit and Traditions Chairperson). Nicole's future plans include returning to the northwest suburbs of Chicago during the 2016-17 academic year as a participant of the year-long student teaching internship known as PDS (Professional Development School) in Palatine, IL. Nicole is looking forward to this amazing opportunity for professional growth and networking and is hoping it leads to a career as an educator in the area.

• Connor Bowman hosting Steve Smith

  

  A senior from Salem, IL, Connor is a music education major. Connor has served as the Student Coordinator for the Preview Program, an Admissions Ambassador, President of the Illinois State Chapter of the National Association for Music Education, and Drum Major for the Big Red Marching Machine. Connor's future plans include either teaching music at the elementary level or attending graduate school for Musicology.

• Patrick Kelly hosting Heidi Voorhees

  

  Patrick is a junior special education major from Cary, IL, and has been involved as Student Body Vice President, a member of the Honors Program, and with Best Buddies. After college, Patrick plans to become a high school special education teacher.

• Brandon Soto hosting Andrew Purnell

  

  Brandon is a sophomore from Naperville, IL, and is majoring in Information Systems. As an ISU student, Brandon has been involved with NAACP ISU as a Vice President and served as a Welcome Week Intern. Brandon's future plans include enlisting in the Air Force, and after gaining a few years of experience, pursuing a dream job of becoming a Federal Agent.

2015 Student Hosts

• Ryan Powers

  

  Ryan Powers is host to Elgie Sims and is a junior accounting major from Mundelein, IL. Ryan is the President of the Assembly for the Student Government Association and a news and sports broadcaster for WZND. He also serves as the Treasurer for the Criminal Justice Association and the Secretary of Delta Chi Fraternity.

• Matt Rillie

  

  Matt Rillie is host to Jim Bennett and is from Aledo, IL. He is a senior sociology major with a minor in women's and gender studies. Matt is involved with Pride, Lambda Psi Omega, Leaders of Social Change, Students Today Leaders Forever, and United Campus Christian Foundation.

• Christina Scott

  

  Christina Scott is host to Tom Ponce and is a junior human resource management major from Westmont, IL. She is the President of the Association of Residence Halls, an Emerging Leaders Program mentor, a Business Week mentor, a member of the Society for Human Resource Management, a past study abroad participant, and a 2014 Preview Guide.

2014 Student Hosts

• Mike Carlo

  

  Mike Carlo is pictured with Bob Freitag and is a sophomore, Human Resource Management Major from Orland Park, IL. Mike is involved in the Association of Residence Halls as the Sustainability Coordinator, Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity as the Recruitment Director, and is a member of the Emerging Leaders Program as a mentor.

• Robert Alberts

  

  Robert Alberts is pictured with Erik Tomlin and is a junior social work major from Gurnee, IL. Robert serves as the Director of the 2015 Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Ally College Conference (MBLGTACC), which is the largest LGBTA college conference in the nation and is scheduled to be held on the Illinois State campus in the spring of 2015. He is a Resident Assistant and is involved in Alternative Breaks.

• Clarissa Parado

  

  Clarissa Parado is pictured with Joanette McBounds and is a senior Health Information Management major from Aurora, IL. She is involved as the Asian Pacific American Coalition Committee Chair, the Student Health Information Management Association Social Chair, and is a four-year employee in University Housing Services.

• Chase Breeden

  

  Chase Breeden is pictured with Dr. Lee Noel and is a senior management / organizational leadership major from Tremont, IL. He was a member of the 2013 Homecoming Royalty, is President of the Association of Residence Halls, and was an Alternative Spring Break Bus Leader.