Riley Coughlan

Riley grew up in Woodstock, IL. She graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Advertising and minors in History and Public Relations. After graduating, she worked at UIUC as an Illinois Student Representative, where she realized her passion for working with students pursuing higher education. After leaving Champaign, Riley began a position at Ellwood House Museum in DeKalb, IL working with membership, development, social media, and marketing. Living and working in DeKalb led her to attending Northern Illinois University to pursue a graduate degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs. 

During Riley’s undergraduate experience at UIUC, she joined Alpha Omicron Pi Fraternity’s Iota Chapter, where she held the positions of Director of Ritual Education, Head of Banner Committee, and Head of Food and House. During her years of involvement, she grew her leadership and communication skills both within her chapter and throughout other organizations and involvement opportunities on campus. Riley believes that Greek Life was an integral part of her development during her undergraduate experience, which encouraged her to pursue a Graduate Assistantship in Fraternity and Sorority Life at NIU. 

Riley’s goal in Fraternity and Sorority life is to ensure students have a positive experience while challenging them to build their chapters through leadership, service, and networking. She is looking forward to connecting with students and providing them with as many resources as possible to ensure their chapter and personal success. In the future, she hopes to continue working with students to develop their sense of belonging and build confidence through involvement in higher education.