Sport management alumna explores student-athlete mental health

colorful, artistic depiction of a person's head

Jessica Brougham, M.S. ’21, came to the United States from New Zealand as a recruited international student-athlete to compete as a Division I rower for Washington State University. Initially a criminal justice and criminology major; her plan soon shifted course.

Persistence Fund grants make a difference

Illinois State University seal with a quotation mark in the foreground

The CAST Persistence Fund was created in 2019 to encourage and support deserving students in the College of Applied Science and Technology with demonstrated need and/or high academic impact. The grants awarded from this fund have been making a significant difference in the lives of CAST students

First-generation students reflect on college journeys

First-generation students, from left, Ash Ebikhumi, Makiah Watson ’22, and Christian Arceo.

Of Illinois State University’s 18,000 undergraduates, more than 3,000 students—17% —are the first in their family to attend college. Three first-generation students—Ash Ebikhumi, Christian Arceo, and Makiah Watson—share their stories of navigating college.