Maura Heneghan is a recent graduate in political science (law & power concentration), with minors in informatics, psychology, and environmental economics & law. She has served as an LAS 122 intern; has interned with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, assisting with the organization and promotion of environmental and resource events; served as a pre-law volunteer intern with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office; and was a KidSpace Summer Reading Challenge intern at the Niles-Maine District Library. As a student, she served as the president of the Women’s Undergraduate Law Society (WULS) and was a member of Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity. She graduated with University Honors and as a Bronze Tablet recipient and was awarded the Edward W. Collins and Doris Strickland-Collins Intern Award for LAS 122. As of Fall 2025, he continued her studies at University of Illinois College of Law.
My time at the University of Illinois and as a James Scholar has been nothing short of amazing. The LAS Honors mission to empower, enlighten, and engage has truly defined my experience as a James Scholar. Through the various opportunities I have had at the University of Illinois and as a James Scholar, including leading a section of LAS 122 and serving in an exec role for the Women’s Undergraduate Law Society, I have empowered myself to take on more leadership responsibilities. I have been enlightened through the coursework I have completed at Illinois, including a variety of honors classes. The LAS Honors Program has given me the opportunity to engage more with the University of Illinois community as well. Through tabling and volunteering at different events, I have gotten the opportunity to speak with prospective students as well as incoming freshmen about the Honors Program and about Illinois as a whole, which has been a very rewarding experience.
My favorite experience related to being a James Scholar included serving as an LAS 122 intern my junior and senior years. I truly enjoyed teaching a section of LAS 122 and guiding freshmen Honors students in their first semester on campus and in the LAS Honors program. Working with the Honors team and with my fellow LAS 122 interns has been such a valuable experience and has allowed me to grow personally and professionally. I also loved working on developing the content and schedule for LAS 122.
Being a James Scholar has given me a better perspective and appreciation for my studies and the world as a whole. My experiences as a James Scholar have encouraged me to delve deeper into my studies by completing additional projects and papers for my honors classes. One instance that stands out in my mind is the opportunity I had to research and write about the experiences of children in the legal system for a child psychology class. I was able to work with my professor to explore my passion for the law while incorporating the focus of the class, child psychology, into my work.
As I attend law school at Illinois, I can confidently say that my experience as a James Scholar enhanced and equipped me with skills that will help me succeed. The volunteering I completed as part of my James Scholar experience increased my desire to positively impact and give back to my community. This is a value that I will continue to take with me in my future endeavors. Overall, my experience as a James Scholar at Illinois has been extremely meaningful and rewarding.