Articles tagged with 'alumni' | Governors State University

In January 2022, Destinee Ortiz (’22) was 25 years old, parenting three children, including a five-month-old baby, and taking five classes at Governors State University (GSU) when she decided to run for the Will County Board.A daunting task to which ...

Increased participation, better communication, and productive partnerships across campus: these are the goals of the Civil Service Senate under the leadership of President Brave Fung. His two-year term began in the fall of 2022.Fung completed a Bache...

At first glance, it’s easy to see why Dr. Patricia Robey, (’94, ’97, ’03), stands out as a Governors State University alumna. She's earned three degrees, as well as a full professorship and chair position to epitomize academic and career success.Robe...

GSU Alumni and Financial Aid Coordinator Francisco Serna (20’) never thought he’d see concrete plans come to pass to help eliminate student loan debt.“Every election term, candidates touted it but it's not something that ever really happened,” said S...

The first Arab-American high school principal in Illinois, Andrew High School’s Abir Othman (’96) said she never would have finished college, but for a supportive faculty and staff at Governors State University (GSU) which welcomed and guided the her...

GSU Alumna Dr. Jintong Tang’s ('03) two years at the university  were unforgettable. For one, it’s when she met her husband, who is also a GSU alum. But those two years also marked her first experiences in the U.S. after moving from China to pursue a...

When the business he owned collapsed during the Great Recession of 2008, Eric Beach (’13) fell into a dark place. The experienced purchasing agent found himself struggling to support his family, not knowing what to do next.Then a friend suggested he ...

The bachelor’s degree in business Jeremy Joyce (‘15) earned at Governors State University set him on an unexpected path, one that led to success and happiness in surprising places.The founder of immensely popular Black People Eats, an Instagram (IG) ...

Lacking the finances and focus needed for higher education after a short-lived college experience, Laurie Crosby (’19) decided to enter the workforce instead.Decades later, Crosby counts herself among the many successful graduates who completed a bac...

Joseph Waldron fondly remembers the time he nearly set Governors State University on fire.The then-GSU graduate student in Educational Administration was with a friend, Tony, inside a glassed-in vestibule area. The two were practicing a science demon...

As a student at Governors State University in the early 1980s, Carl Hoecker (’85) worked in the Alumni Association office under then-Foundation President William Dodd.Now, as Inspector General (IG) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)...

Richa Patel is methodical. She identifies her goals, then carefully researches and plans the most effective ways to achieve them. In 2015, that practice led Patel (’20) to enroll in Governors State University’s second-ever freshman class.Now, armed w...

In 2016, College of Business Advisory Board member Jacob "Jake" Lee was elected auditor of Kankakee County. In August, before the end of his first term, Lee filed suit against the county, its board, and its chairman, all in an effort to do his job.In...

As a native of Robbins, Illinois who has devoted his talents to serving the Black community, Mayor Tyrone Ward believes in the difference a strong role model can make. From his 17-year career in the schools, to serving as mayor since 2013, Ward, a Go...

Heading back to college at age 50 would be daunting for most, but for Sharmetta Wilson, enrolling at Governors State University was the step she needed to take to realize her lifelong dream to become a teacher. The skills she learned in Governors Sta...