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First-Time Orientation Leader - Class of 2012
Email Allyson!Major: Political Science
Allyson grew up in Normal, IL, where she attended University High School and Normal Community West High School. Both of her parents attended Wesleyan years ago and have been passionate alumni ever since. In Allyson's house, IWU Homecoming is the biggest event of the year; her dad’s fraternity brothers and her mom’s sorority sisters come back to campus to celebrate another year. Her parents made their best friends on this campus. Throughout the years, Allyson has come to consider them closer than family, growing up with their children. Wesleyan was a significant part of her life growing up: basketball games every season, piano lessons with Mr. Mulliken, the excitement of Homecoming every year. Transferring to IWU as a sophomore, Allyson finally felt at home again. Everything is right with the world when the trees on campus are giving in to the colors of fall and Homecoming is around the corner. She was welcomed back with outstretched arms by faculty and students alike. It’s the little things that make Wesleyan home to her - a smile from a student you don’t know, a professor asking if you’re okay. No matter where you are in the walk of life... you too will feel at home, and IWU will undoubtedly welcome you with outstretched arms.
Allyson is employed at Luther Oaks Senior Living Community in Bloomington. She is a desk concierge: she answers the phone, schedules appointments, hangs out with the residents, and even plays with their dogs! It's a wonderful job; she loves it! She is also interning with the State Attorney's office. It has been a priceless experience, and has solidified her desire to attend law school.
A member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority on campus, Allyson plans to get involved with Law Society. Lately, she has been getting involved with Fuel (a church service for 20-somethings at Eastview Christian Church) and attending a small group every Wednesday. When she has free time, she loves sitting down to read a book. She also journals every chance she gets.
Allyson's favorite memory of Turning Titan Orientation has to be the realization that she wasn't the only transfer. For some reason, she was really nervous about being the only sophomore in a group of freshmen. Not that it would be a bad thing, but she was hoping to meet new students finding themselves in the same situation as hers. Turning Titan Orientation really does a nice job of grouping transfer students together and focusing on integrating them into their class on a small scale, and the school population on a big scale.
Allyson's advice for new students:
There is so much! Most importantly, reach out to your professors. They genuinely want to know you, help you, see you off to a bright future. Go to their office hours, get to know them. IWU professors are IWU professors because they are dedicated to their study, and dedicated to teaching what they have come to know and have researched. Take advantage of the resources you have, and foster a close relationship with the professors you have each semester.