Illinois State University will celebrate the 34-year career of Julie Paska ’85, Athletics senior academic advisor, from 3–5 p.m. Wednesday, April 20, at the Aaron Leetch Stadium Club, with remarks being delivered at 4 p.m. Members of the campus community are invited to attend. A Zoom link will also be available for those who wish to attend virtually.
Paska received her bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Illinois State University. She also played on the Illinois State volleyball team from 1981–1984, where she led the Redbirds to conference titles and NCAA tournament berths all three seasons. In 1984, she was a second-team All-American selection, and she played professional volleyball for the Chicago Breeze in 1987. Paska was inducted into the Illinois State Athletics Percy Family Hall of Fame in 1992, and her Illinois State volleyball jersey was retired with a commemorative banner raised in Redbird Arena in 2012.
As an advisor, Paska works with student-athletes across all sports, primarily football and volleyball. She has been active in committees across campus, including the Academic Advising Council, the University College Training and Learning Committee, and hiring search committees for both Athletics and University College. Paska particularly enjoys helping undecided and/or undeclared first-year students discover their passion, major, and career path, and she enjoys the challenge of helping professional athletes who have returned to Illinois State to complete their degrees.
For questions about accommodations, to receive a Zoom link, or to be added to the slate of speakers, please contact UniversityCollege@IllinoisState.edu.
