True Life, I'm a . . . features profiles of NIU students who would like to share their story
about their experiences at NIU as commuter, non-traditional, parent, and/or military
veteran students. Their stories and advice are valuable and we want to share them with you.
True Life, I'm a Commuter and a VeteranHello, my name is Dan Beckman and I am a commuter student majoring in Chemistry. I would like to take the MCAT in the future. I played rugby last fall with the NIU Club Team and they are a great bunch of guys with the best record in our conference! As an older student it was awkward being here at NIU because I felt imtimidated thinking about returning to school after 10 years! It turns out that school is not as difficult as I anticipated. The best piece of advice I can give is to get involved in a club or a program and be sure to talk to a variety of students because it can be difficult finding students with similar interests. There is a cool place in DeKalb called the "House" and it is a fun place to hang out and meet people.
True Life, I'm a Commuter StudentMy name is Marko Bajic, and I am a commuter student from Schaumburg, IL. I am senior at NIU majoring in physical therapy. When I’m not at school, I enjoy lifting weights, playing guitar, and listening to music. I am also a body builder and consider it one of my greatest accomplishments. After graduation, I would like to practice physical therapy in a private company and eventually own and operate my own clinic. I spend a lot of time in the Off-Campus & Non-Traditional Student Services' lounge. I consider the lounge a home-away-from-home experience. It has everything a person who commutes needs… a fridge, microwave, and even couches to sleep on.
True Life, I'm a Non-Traditional Student and a VeteranMy name is Austin Quick, and I am a non-traditionally-aged student. I am also a military veteran involved in the Student Association and residing in Grant North. I am from Moline, IL and am majoring in Political Science here at Northern. Living in a residence hall gives me the opportunity to share life experiences with my fellow residents. At the same time I also grow from learning from their life experiences. As someone who always wants to serve my peers, I couldn’t think of a reason why I should not get involved on campus. I wanted to share my experiences and give a voice to a population that is often underrepresented. Non-traditional students who are wary about getting involved on campus have to remember the saying “You’re only as old as you think you are.” I strongly believe that with age comes wisdom. Non-traditional students should want to lend their knowledge and experience to better NIU.
True Life, I'm a Commuter and a MomMy name is Christina Padilla and I live in Aurora, IL and commute to NIU's campus, where I am a post-bacc majoring in Speech-Language Pathology. I really enjoy my program here at NIU and have fun playin games with my three children that incorporate the things I learn in class. When I have time, I enjoy knitting and reading, but lately I don't get much time to do those things. I would love to become an Ally (through the LGBT Resource Center) for the university as a way to show my support for the LGBT community and diversity at NIU. As a non-traditional student, my study habits are unique, as I often have to put off studying until after 9:00 p.m. when my kids are in bed. Though I have difficulty getting involved with some of the activities on campus because of my other responsibilities, the Commuter Lounge is where I live when I am here. It's a ready-made community and I really enjoy the different people I've met here.
Do you know of any student who should share their story or do you have a story you would like to share? Please email us at CommNonTrad@niu.edu with your name and contact information, the name of the person you want to nominate, and why you selected she/he to be profiled in True Life, I'm a . . .