I'm an AVID fan of our UIS student leaders!

I just came back from the UIS Food Emporium where I spent some time with about 40 high school students from Springfield who are on campus for the day. Hosted by UIS senior, Jinger Saunders, a Pre-Med major who has been volunteering in the Springfield public schools, these students are part of a college prep program known as AVID. AVID is dedicated to helping students achieve their dream of attending college and I was pleased to hear that many of our guests hope to attend the Springfield campus of the University of Illinois! Jinger, along with help from the UIS Volunteer & Civic Engagement Center, worked tirelessly to put this event together as part of Homecoming Week and it has been a great success. Thanks, Jinger, for your dedication to "giving back." You are a terrific role model and you are blazing a path for these future UIS students to follow. Now that’s what I call "Leadership lived!"