Have you ever wondered how many Illinois State University alums are in the Chicagoland area? As of 2023, it’s over 75,000 out of 235,000 living alumni! While that number may be daunting, the Chicagoland Alumni Engagement team comprised of Gabriella Trevino and Jesus Magana make sure that Redbirds stay engaged and connected to their alma mater. The team plans events for the area and liaisons for the Black Colleagues Association, Latinx Alumni Network, and Chicago Suburban Alumni Network.
Tell us a little about yourself.
Treviño: My name is Gabriella Treviño, and I am the newest director of Alumni Engagement and oversee the Chicagoland area. I graduated from ISU in 2018 with a bachelor’s in recreation and park administration and a minor in psychology.
Magana: My name is Jesus Magana. I was a first-generation graduate from Illinois State University in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in public relations and political science. I was born and raised in Chicago, more specifically the Pilsen neighborhood. Being from Chicago, I am obviously a huge Cubs, Bulls, Bears, and Blackhawks fan. So much so that my first real job in high school was as an usher for the Bulls, Blackhawks, and White Sox. I was fortunate to work in politics for the last several years before joining the Alumni Engagement team at ISU.
What was your experience like at the ISU?
Treviño: I loved my time at ISU! It was such a transformative time for me because ISU has so many opportunities everywhere you look. I was really involved in the University Program Board (UPB), Phi Beta Lambda Business Fraternity, Welcome Week, and the University Scholars Association. I kept busy, but I enjoyed every minute of it. I got to meet so many wonderful people and make a lot of great memories, and it all prepared me very well for what is now my career.
Magana: I had a great experience while attending ISU. Aside from receiving a good, overall education, I met some of my best friends who are still in my life today. While at ISU, I was given the opportunity to join several clubs and organizations and take leadership roles within them. This includes becoming a brother of Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity, INC. and eventually serving as president, joining the University Program Board where I served as the social and recreation chair, being a member of the Association of Latin American Students, and serving in a few different positions, Welcome Week intern, a student life senator in Student Government Association, participated in Alternative Spring Breaks, and many others. I got to experience a wide array of what ISU has to offer and enjoyed every experience I had.
What is your favorite memory of your time at Illinois State?
Treviño: I’m going to cheat a little and say that my favorite memory was being a chair for UPB. I had the best committee of all time. Everyone was super engaged and got along well. I loved our brainstorming sessions and how everyone was so eager to help and see the event through. Plus, we put on some fun and unique events together. In fact, our last event, “Hump Day,” is a more specific favorite memory of mine. We accidentally let goats loose on the Quad. Watching in horror as goats run towards DeGarmo is something you never forget.
Magana: There are so many that it is honestly very difficult to select one or two of my favorites. I was blessed during my time at ISU. Every time I get together with my ISU friends, we reminisce about the great times we had. Aside from being a first-generation graduate, I would say joining my fraternity and being on campus to celebrate the Chicago Cubs World Series win are two memories I don’t think I’ll ever forget. Celebrating with hundreds of students on the Quad after an awesome game seven is something I think no one can forget. Also, I planned and executed (with the help and guidance of UPB and Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity, INC, respectively) two of the biggest events I have ever led in Disney After Dark and Latino Fest.
What made you want to continue your career journey at Illinois State?
Treviño: It was a no-brainer for me. The opportunity just kind of happened. I get to work with events and Redbird volunteers, for a university that I love while still living in the suburbs. This is the dream job that I didn’t know I had.
Magana: Honestly, I have never really left! I really enjoyed my time at ISU and still rave about it to anyone willing to listen. I’m constantly recommending ISU to any student I come across and to any friends who have high school-aged children. I’ve also been lucky to still come down and visit campus during Homecoming and other events when my schedule allows it. Since I have kept my relationship with my fraternity, especially the ISU chapter, going after graduation, this has allowed me to come down and visit not just campus, but the undergraduate brothers as well. When I saw the Chicago position open, after it was posted in a UPB alumni group by my former advisor, I jumped at the opportunity. After everything that ISU did for me and the great experiences that I had while attending, I wanted the opportunity to repay that and help contribute to what others experience while at ISU or visiting ISU.
What’s the job like? What does a typical day look like for you?
Treviño: Every day is so different! I’d say it’s an even split between event preparation (phone calls, meetings, emails and sometimes shopping) and being at events and engaging with alumni. Side note: That’s my favorite part. I love how connected our alumni feel to the university, and I relate to it.
Magana: I have now been in my position for a little over three weeks. So far, so good! I’ve been fortunate and walked into a great team that made my transition as easy as possible. They have allowed me to come into the position and reach out to them if I’ve had any issues or questions over the last few weeks. Being able to hear stories of their undergrad years and the memories they’ve made, while also being able to share mine, has been one of the highlights so far.
A typical day for me involves juggling several different projects and events. This might include updating an event registration, contacting a vendor or company for a contract update or to finalize event details for an upcoming event, answering questions from event attendees or contacting them to update their alumni profile, or attending meetings with one of the many alumni affinity groups to give and receive updates regarding events or the scholarships they offer.
What’s the toughest part of the job?
Treviño: Maybe contracts. The best part of student programming was that someone else dealt with those.
Magana: I would say that one of the toughest aspects of this position when I first joined the team was juggling the various events that we planned. While some events are closer on the calendar than others, all events require constant attention and communication with the various departments, outside vendors, and alumni groups. Thankfully, I work with a great team that has been helping me transition into my role and any time I’ve had a question or issue, they have been more than happy to lend a hand. This has made the learning process easier for me and has allowed me to really hit the ground running.
Did your time at Illinois State prepare you for this role?
Treviño: Like you wouldn’t believe! I find myself almost wanting to laugh at how often I can draw a parallel between an event or problem to something I experienced as a student. It feels kind of serendipitous, and I’m so grateful.
Magana: I would say yes. Having the opportunity to experience leadership positions in various student organizations introduced me to the fundamentals of event management and overall professionalism. During my time at ISU, I was allowed to lead events from the brainstorming sessions to the completion and event feedback phase. These experiences really allowed me to get an in-depth understanding of this field. As an undergraduate, I was leading conversations with catering services, agents representing performers and artists, various food vendors, outside event planning companies, and party rental companies as well. These experiences provided me tremendous value as I worked my way through a new field and allowed me to really develop my skills.
What are your future goals in this role?
Treviño: I think my goal is to make sure that I continue to meet the needs of our alumni. I want to put together the kind of engagement opportunities that our alumni are truly interested in. What can we do that’s new and fresh, but also intentional? It’s also super important to me to support the goals of our alumni networks. Our network leaders are rockstars and a big goal of mine is to do whatever I can to be a resource to them in achieving their goals.
Magana: My goals for this role moving forward are simply to assist our alumni groups in accomplishing their goals. Aside from this, my goals are to continue the growth of the position and contribute to the amazing catalog of events to hopefully reach a new audience of alumni. Being able to reach a wider alumni audience would allow us to hopefully increase overall alumni participation.
Why do you think alums should stay connected to their alma mater?
Treviño: It can do nothing but good things! Being engaged can lead you to develop new friendships, and professional development, and provide you with a way to give back through volunteerism, giving to a scholarship, or speaking in a classroom. You can’t go wrong. Plus, Redbirds are a lot of fun.
Magana: I had such an incredible undergraduate experience during my time at ISU because of the friends made on campus, mentor relationships established on campus, and alumni connections I made through my fraternity and on-campus connections. As an alum, I wanted the chance to repay that and help make future undergrads’ experience at ISU as great as mine. This can mean something different to every alum. We offer a variety of ways for alumni to get involved. The opportunity is there, and alumni can be part of the process to make the ISU experience better for future classes.
The Chicago team is looking forward to meeting many Redbird alumni and creating opportunities for all to stay engaged. Learn how alumni can stay connected and get involved with the ISU Alumni Association at Alumni.IllinoisState.edu.
