The Illinois State University Alumni Association is honored to announce the newly established Andrew Purnell Jr. Trailblazer Alumni Award as a part of the Alumni Award program.
New alumni award to honor trailblazer Andrew Purnell Jr.
Unit: Black Colleagues Association
Deadline to nominate is July 31, 2021
Decades after education major denied a degree, granddaughter fulfills promise
You can hear the quiet resolve when Loralean Jordan ‘91 talks about Illinois State University attempting to “right a wrong” to the grandmother she never knew.
A CPS teacher reflects on Redbird lessons in a COVID environment
Read what life has been like for a young alum working as an educator during a pandemic.
Life’s work leads to hall of fame
As an undergraduate student at Illinois State University, Karyn Aguirre ’86 was already headed for fame.
Farewell notes for an inspiring Redbird
With the passing of Andrew Purnell Jr. ’57, Redbirds share the impact he made on them and the ISU campus.
Homecoming celebration events, April 5-11
Homecoming: Redbirds in Flight, April 5-11, will celebrate with virtual or socially distanced events.
Black history, culture, and literature: How one alum is using her voice as an educator to teach about Blackness
Britni Mitchell ’08 is using her voice as both an educator and a Black woman to create a Black English literature class at her high school for juniors and seniors.
Kanisha Lites: First African American feature baton twirler
Redbird Kanisha Lites ’07, a Junior Olympic (2003, 2004) baton twirler who recently learned she was the first African American feature baton twirler in the history of the Big Red Marching Machine.
Drawing on hope
Michelle (Brown) Smith ’90 recently won an international design contest sponsored by Ralph Lauren for the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic relief.
Meet the Illinois State University Black Colleagues Association (ISUBCA) communications team
Three alums make up team
