Unit: Graduation Services

Graduating Redbirds: Veteran and family man maintained perfect GPA at age 48

student in cap and gown

Nontraditional student. Definitions of that term vary, but most interpretations include factors like age, work and family commitments, among others. Illinois State University even offers orientation days tailored for those who fit the category. Maybe the real defining characteristic is that nontraditional students have multiple, interesting layers that add to campus life. That could be said of Walter Reeves, who is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice sciences at the age of 48.

Graduating Redbirds: Presidential Scholar finds purpose in preserving the planet

Emmi Chambers in graduation gown

In every field—be it medicine, business, sports, the arts, etc.—someone has to lead the way. Emmi Chambers, while proud of a Redbird lineage that dates back three generations, has charted her own precedent-setting path as the first Illinois State University student to commit to the curriculum of the new environmental systems science and sustainability (ESSS) major.

Spring Commencement 2021

Jenna McGill of Yorkville, an exercise science major finishing her undergraduate degree, attended the Redbird Stage Crossing with her parents.

Illinois State University will award approximately 3,400 baccalaureate degrees and more than 700 graduate degrees to spring and summer 2021 graduates.

How to make the most of your Redbird Stage Crossing experience

Two women wear commencement caps and gowns pose on the green Quad with Watterson in the distance behind them

The day you have been waiting for is quickly approaching! It’s time to make sure your Redbird Stage Crossing experience lives up to your expectations. Here are some quick tips to make your day the best it can be. Be planful about your day Although the Redbird Stage Crossing itself is brief, you may surround