Elijah Jones: It takes hard work to bring people together

My name is Elijah Jones and I am a 22-year-old senior at the University of Illinois Springfield studying communication. I plan on finishing my education at UIS on Dec. 16. I am a first-generation college student and the oldest of eight siblings.

I have been in Springfield since 2016 and the growth I have experienced is like nothing I could have ever imagined. I helped establish my university’s first modeling organization which I was president of for two of the three years since its foundation. Our organization was built on uplifting and pushing college men to succeed plus offering a support system of brotherhood. After college I plan to stay in Springfield to save up some money in order to move to Nevada and begin working with Habitat for Humanity while working toward my goal of becoming an event planner.

During this fall semester, I have worked as an intern for the Faith Coalition for the Common Good. I have learned a lot about what goes into community organizing to bring about systemic change. I have also learned that organizing an event is more than just “event planning.” It takes hard work to bring people together and for them to understand why it is in their self-interest to work together to build power for change. These are skills I will be able to use in the future."

This profile was published in The State Journal-Register on December 13, 2020.

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Illinois House speaker gives student journalists rare access

House Speaker Michael Madigan doesn't make a lot of media appearances, but Monday morning, he talked with student journalists who are covering the Statehouse in a graduate school program.

In his visit with the Public Affairs Reporting program class at the University of Illinois-Springfield, Madigan, D-Chicago, said legislative committees in control of budget appropriations have taken Gov. J.B. Pritzker's proposed levels of spending in next year's budget and "ratcheted them down" in case measures supporting that spending do not pass.

Those supporting measures include legalizing recreational marijuana and sports betting, which Madigan said he's "hopeful" will pass but are "not guaranteed today," although Pritzker is relying on them for more than $400 million in new revenue.

Long-awaited language for a marijuana bill was released Saturday. Madigan said that although he was not yet familiar with it, he does know "there are some very controversial aspects to the proposal," including the expungement of criminal records and other provisions requested by caucuses representing minority interests.

On the other hand, Madigan said, passing sports betting will require the cooperation of many interests, including gaming CEOs, racetracks, video poker representatives and more. "It's always been very contentious," he said. "It's no different this time than any prior legislative session."

This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on May 7, 2019.

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Susan Koch: Public affairs internships lead to success

The following is an excerpt from a column by University of Illinois Springfield Chancellor Susan Koch. This column appeared in The State Journal-Register on January 20, 2018.

A special commitment to education in public affairs has been central to the mission and vision of the University of Illinois at Springfield since 1970 when Robert Spencer, founding president of Sangamon State University (now UIS), first defined the “professional and vocational objectives” of Illinois’s new state capital university. 

Though a member of the UIS community for just a short time, Sherrie Elzinga, Director of the Graduate Public Service Internship program, knows more about that public affairs commitment than most. 

Before assuming the GPSI Director role in August 2017, Elzinga worked for more than 26 years at the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency where, as Chief of Staff, she often observed and mentored students serving GPSI internships. “It’s imperative that we prepare the next generation of competent public servants and this ‘learn-the-ropes experience’ does exactly that,” says Elzinga. “To have the opportunity now as Director to lead and grow the program is really my dream job!” 

About 200 UIS graduate students are part of the GPSI program each year, working 20 hours per week in a state agency internship while at the same time engaging in full time graduate studies at UIS. 

The program is a partnership between the University and more than 20 state offices and agencies, with the agency providing financial support for a tuition waiver and a stipend and the GPSI program providing supervision and coordination. 

Since the program began over 40 years ago, more than 3,500 students have successfully completed the 2-3 year experience, earning a masters degree at the same time they are gaining valuable professional experience and contributing to the mission and success of the agency. 

The majority of those graduates have gone on to successful careers in public service at local, state and national levels — many in the same agencies where they interned. 

Marleigh Andrews-Conrad is one of hundreds of such success stories. After growing up in Springfield and earning an undergraduate degree from St. Louis University, Andrews-Conrad was accepted in the Masters in Public Health and Masters in Human Services dual degree program at UIS and served as a GPSI intern at the Illinois Department of Public Health.

“My GPSI internship was incredibly multifaceted, focusing on a variety of factors that can affect the successful implementation of HIV prevention and care in Illinois,” she reports. “Having the opportunity to consistently practice a variety of ‘real world’ scenarios with the support and encouragement of my GPSI mentor, Janet Nuss, was both motivating and valuable.” 

Andrews-Conrad was honored by the GPSI program in Spring 2017 as recipient of the Brian T. Milbrandt Memorial Intern Award for Excellence. Shortly after completing her internship and masters degree, Andrews-Conrad accepted a position at IDPH working for the Ryan White program, which ensures people living with HIV have access to services that promote health maintenance. 

“As a young professional,” says Andrews-Conrad, “I will always be grateful for my beginnings in public service as a GPSI intern. The experience allowed me to begin a career that aligns with my professional and personal goals and values.” 

As Director Elzinga knows from her years overseeing interns at the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the internship supervisor plays a key role in the success of the program. 

Nearly 50 years after defining that commitment to education in public affairs, I think President Spencer would be delighted to see how his vision has come to life in the UIS GPSI program.

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Teutopolis HS grad interns at White House

Lea Thoele, a 2015 Teutopolis High School graduate, recently finished an internship where she helped organize President Donald Trump's events around the country and world.

She interned in the Office of Presidential Advance, a group tasked with making the president's events run smoothly. The office decides what the press corps has access to and where they can set up cameras. Presidential Advance staff also work with employees who travel ahead of Trump to set up events.

"I learned a lot," said Thoele, 21, a student at the University of Illinois Springfield. "We did a lot of work with advanced associates. We make sure they have everything they need."

Although she didn't formally meet Trump, Thoele said she saw him a few times at events.

"I got to see how he actually is," she said, "and not how the media portrays him or how he is on tv. 

Living in Washington, D.C. and interning on the White House campus was motivating for Thoele. She worked at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, located near the West Wing, where most White House offices are.

"I would walk up the steps and look at the White House," Thoele said. "I took a picture from that angle about 40 times.

Knowing not many people get to experience that was really humbling." Thoele plans to get back to her classwork, but she also has an upcoming internship with the Illinois Senate Republicans.

This story appeared in The Effingham Daily News on December 27, 2017.

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UIS Student, Flota earns top intern award

Trevor Flota, business administration major at the University of Illinois Springfield and 2017 graduate has been awarded the Northwestern Mutual Top Financial Representative Intern Award. 

Flota finished as the first place intern in the country to receive the award, which honors his achievements as an outstanding performer for helping clients achieve financial security.

"Trevor is helping individuals and families in St. Louis and the surrounding communities build financial security plans to reach their financial goals," said Michael Van Grinsven, Northwestern Mutual internship program director.

"With the experience the internship program provides, Trevor developed a deeper understanding of the industry and is able to implement new skills that help make a difference in his clients' lives." 

Northwestern Mutual celebrates the 50th anniversary of its industry-leading financial representative internship program this year and to date, 50,000 students nationwide have participated in the program.

This story appeared in the Mt. Vernon Register-News on August 21, 2017.
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