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LAS Student BlogGERs

These four students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will be writing about some of their personal experiences and insights throughout the academic year of 2011-2012.

Learn a little about these LAS students and read their blogs.

Meet the Students

Josh Beckman
Hello! I am a senior at the University pursuing an Independent Program of Study in the neurological mind. Basically, that means I couldn’t find a major at U of I that included everything that I wanted to learn about, so I created my own—a complex of philosophy, psychology, chemistry, biology, and neuroscience. I am a Chancellor’s Scholar, and I have worked as a photojournalist and editor at the Daily Illini for the past three years. I also work as the house photographer for Assembly Hall and the News-Gazette, shooting performing artists and other acts, and I work for the Northwest Herald in Chicago as a freelance photographer. In addition, I have worked as an emergency medical technician for the past four years on campus and in Chicago, and I am the director of operations for Illini EMS—the campus emergency medical service. I am currently trying to find a job in photojournalism, but my unique major has also allowed me to keep other options available—I have taken all of my prerequisites for medical school and plan on taking the MCAT this year to keep the option of medical school open in the future.

Kelly Chuipek
Hello future Illini. I’m a junior majoring in creative writing and minoring in Spanish. I’m from the northwest suburbs of Chicago. I love to read, watch crazy amounts of movies with my friends, and stay active. Here on campus I’m involved in writing for the features section of the Daily Illini, which has been so much fun for me and has given me the chance to meet a lot of interesting people on campus. After I graduate, I hope to do editorial work for some sort of publishing company or a magazine, but for right now I’m happy taking classes and learning a lot here at U of I! I’m excited to give you a look into campus life, and some of the things you can expect as a student here. I hope to give you a glimpse of what it means to be an Illini!

Laura McInerney
Hey there, future Illini! My name is Laura, and I’m currently a senior majoring in psychology and sociology, with a minor in the Environmental Fellows Program. Don’t let my majors define me, though—I’m a huge advocate for dabbling in different interests and have taken courses on subjects ranging from Disney cinema to expressive painting! Outside of class, I keep myself busy and smiling by being involved in Habitat for Humanity, International Illini, and a handful of other really neat student organizations. Other things I love to do include laughing, meeting new people, learning new things, and referencing funny/strange things on the Internet. Being in the bittersweet final stage of my undergrad career here at U of I, I’m currently in the midst of applying for a position after graduation with Green Corps and AmeriCorps. After hopefully doing one of those programs, I plan to work with an environmental nonprofit agency.

James Riggins
Hi, welcome to Illinois! I’m a senior in statistics and computer science, so you can almost always find me around the Illini Union or Siebel Center. As president of LAS Council, a member of Women in Computer Science, and a coordinator in the I-Guide Program, it’s not too easy to find free time! But when I do, I enjoy playing tennis and basketball, or spending time with my friends. This past summer I had a full-time internship with Cerner, a medical software company in Kansas City, Mo., where I spent most of my time making an interactive website. Now, as graduation is just months away, I’m looking for a career in software engineering in the Silicon Valley. I’m looking forward to chatting with some of you!