Trumpet Marching Section Leader

Marching Illini

The Marching Illini is a distinct, reputable ensemble known as both the Nation’s Premier College Marching Band and the Best Band in the Land. Being a part of this 375-person team has been one of the most valuable parts of my college experience.

Marching

This video shows a Marching Illini pregame performance from 2019. This historical show has been passed down for many generations and is one of the best pregame shows of college marching band. Being able to be a part of this pregame tradition is pretty special.

Leading

Being a leader in this organization has been so meaningful. As a squad leader in 2018, I was responsible for the drill execution of the members in my squad and promoting squad camaraderie. As a section leader for the past two years, I have been responsible for the teaching and establishment of visual uniformity across approximately 70 musicians as well as building and maintaining a positive culture within the trumpet section. This position has more recently involved a lot of collaboration, creativity, and difficult decision making as we adapt to a virtual season due to COVID-19. I am so happy that I’ve been able to use my skills and love for the band to give back and serve the trumpet section alongside some of my best friends.

Creating

This position involves the traditional aspects of leading the section as well as the occasional opportunity to get creative. Our community rallies around the Marching Illini and we love to give back whenever we can. This video shows a project I worked on with one of my co-section leaders for a ‘virtual instrument petting zoo.’ I was excited to get to work with my friend and create, film, and edit a video for the Marching Illini.

Philanthropy Committee Chair (2019-2020)

American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)

AIChE

The American Institute of Chemical Engineers is the primary chemical engineering RSO at the University of Illinois. In the 2018-2019 school year, I was a member of the Philanthropy Committee. In the 2019-2020 school year, I was elected to serve as the Philanthropy Committee Chair.

Philanthropy Committee

As a member and leader of AIChE’s philanthropy committee, I have been responsible for the planning and execution of our local chapter’s outreach efforts. The biggest project has been creating and adapting a water filtration demo to teach over 150 students about chemical engineering, the global water crisis, and water filtration. As the committee chair, I oversaw four committee members and communicated the philanthropy projects with the executive board of AIChE.

Lessons from leading in AIChE

In my positions in the Philanthropy committee, I grew in my organizational, communication, and leadership skills. I also learned the hard lesson of learning when to say no. Although I loved serving as the committee chair, after a semester of AIChE leadership, Marching Illini leadership, research, and 20 credit hours I realized that I wasn’t able to put as much time and energy into this position as I desired. After a difficult and busy semester, I learned that saying no is okay and allows you to invest more in the things that are important to you.