Alex Koscielski is a senior majoring in econometrics & quantitative economics, with minors in Spanish and philosophy. He is a returning LAS 122 intern with the College of LAS; the chair of the Student Org Resource Fee (SORF) Board, overseeing the allocation process of funding to Registered Student Organizations (RSOs); and a student specialist for the Department of Student Engagement. He has received the Emerging Leader Award by the Illinois Student Council, for an organization he joined his freshman year in Spring of 2023, and served as Vice President of the Student Body the following academic year.
The biggest lesson I learned from being a James Scholar is the value of putting yourself out there. The program incentivizes you to become leaders in RSOs, to volunteer in the C-U community, and to go above and beyond in your coursework throughout your time at Illinois. As an econometrics major, I'm keenly aware of incentives and how people respond to incentives; I can attest to the fact that being in the James Scholar program motivated me to realize my true potential at Illinois.
It was an LAS Honors intern–Vindhya Kalipi–who, during my freshman year, taught me about the program, about campus, and about getting involved. At the time, she served as the Vice President of the Student Body in Illinois Student Government and encouraged me to get involved in that organization. I ended up running for and became the Vice President of the Student Body with my friend Abby McGuire as the President at the end of my freshman year, thanks to Vindhya having connected us.
I then joined the Student Fee Advisory Committee (SFAC) while in that leadership position. There, I was able to assist in reviewing student fees and recommending changes that both limited the financial burden placed onto students while uplifting the quality that is expected with an education at Illinois.
Similarly, while in student governance, I was exposed to the Department of Student Engagement as a whole, including their Student Org Development & Admin (SODA) team, and the Student Org Resource Fee (SORF) Board. I am now happily working for Student Engagement to assist with RSO development & administration while also chairing the SORF Board, allocating funding for the success of RSOs on campus.
What I’ve described above have been the highlights of my time at Illinois. It doesn’t require much investigation to see that everything started with one passionate James Scholar helping out a freshman trying to find his way. Vindhya’s internship in LAS Honors was for LAS 122, a first-year-experience course for freshmen in the program. Because of her impact on my life, I became an LAS 122 intern myself. If I can do for freshmen in the James Scholar program even a fraction of what Vindhya was able to do for me, I’ll consider my time in LAS Honors to be a success.