William Doyle

William Doyle is a transfer public health major from Brookfield, IL

Hometown: Brookfield, IL

High School: Lyons Township High School

Class of: 2024 (December)

Transfer From: College of DuPage

Why did you choose to attend NIU?
Location, cost, good program.

What did you want to be when you were growing up? Are you pursuing that as a major, or have you taken another path?
When I was young, I wanted to become a Jedi knight, but unfortunately, I quickly learned that this was impossible. I began college with the desire to become a nurse and worked hard to get into nursing school. However, after a brief time, I realized this was not the right career path for me. I always knew that working in a field that helps others was a critical aspect of any career path I chose, but I discovered that working in a clinical atmosphere wasn't the right fit for me personally. After some self-reflection, I found a related field that really resonates with me that I am excited to pursue.

What is your major (and/or minor) and why did you decide on this course of study?
I am majoring in public health with an emphasis in health care promotion. This course of study will allow me to work in the field of medicine, with the benefit of helping others. While many aspects of medicine focus on individuals and their health care, public health allows me the opportunity to help communities. I especially appreciate the educational aspects of public health and am gaining new respect for emergency disaster response through my current internship with the American Red Cross.

Have you conducted an internship?
Yes

How did you get your internship, and where was it?
I am working with the American Red Cross, under the direction of the external relations disaster program manager. I obtained this internship based on a recommendation from a personal connection I have who works closely with the Red Cross.

How did your internship help prepare you for your career?
I am gaining experience working on emergency response actions that help community members recover from disasters. I am also involved with some community outreach programs involving blood drives, smoke detector awareness, CPR certification and fire education in schools.

What has been something you have found pleasantly surprising about your experience at NIU?
One of the best experiences I have had at NIU has been all the amazing professors. Each of my instructors has been easy to communicate with, provided a wealth of information and been incredibly inspiring to me personally. They have been great at seeing the potential in their students.

How have you connected with other students to study for classes, meet new people or form new friendships?
I have never been the most outgoing person and was initially anxious about dorm-life and meeting new people. However, my CA (community advisor) was very welcoming and created a friendly atmosphere on our floor. I had the opportunity to make some great lifelong friends.

Are you involved in any student organizations, mentoring programs or extra-curricular activities? If so, which ones? How have they added to your experience as a Huskie?
I am honored to have been selected to be the CHHS student marshal for the December 2024 commencement ceremony. This is such a special honor, and I am proud to be chosen for this acknowledgement. Additionally, I was honored to be the recipient of the 2024 Outstanding Undergraduate Health Promotion Student Award.

Are there transfer-specific resources, offices or services that you use to help you succeed at NIU?
My academic advisor, Becky Pritchard, was especially helpful in figuring out what courses I needed to take and how my transfer courses would be applied to my degree requirements.

Who has been one of your favorite instructors/professors and why? What course did they teach?
Dr. Lynn Herrmann has been one of my favorite professors. She was the instructor for three of my public health courses. She made class interesting and was easy to relate to, and I felt seen and heard in class.

How have you benefited by attending class regularly?
Attendance in class has always been very important to me. I find reading and studying on my own is much harder than having a professor explain concepts, with follow-up opportunities for discussion and learning within a group.

Where is your favorite spot on campus or in the community? Why are you drawn to it?
My dorm, Gilbert Hall, was great. It was super close to most of my classes, and the community of friends there was amazing.

What advice would you give to a student who is researching colleges to apply to?
Focus on location, size and programming. If you don't have a strong sense of your career path, seriously consider community college. It's a great way to complete your gen-ed classes, experience a variety of subjects and fine-tune your career path, while saving money. Finally, while all of that is important, some of the best learning in college comes from the life experiences you gain and not just from the courses you take.

Why is a college education important to you?
A college education is important because while it does provide that really important piece of paper that can help you obtain a lucrative job with potential for growth in managerial positions, the life experiences you gain and the ability to learn how to learn are equally as valuable.

What strategies do you use to manage your time between the responsibilities of school, work, friends and family?
Creating a color-coded to-do list was especially helpful for me to help organize my academic life. I could easily plug in any social activities around that.

How do you stay informed about events and services that are available on campus?
NIU is pretty great about sending emails. I make sure to check that several times a day.

What do you do to relax or recharge?
Balancing work, education, friends and fun is really important. I make sure to stay connected with friends who have ventured off to other colleges (often in the form of online gaming), hang out with local friends and participate in other activities that interest me. However, I make sure to get my responsibilities taken care of first.

Please tell us about your job and hobbies.
I've had the same job for four years, which I don't particularly love, but they've been great at working around my ever-changing school schedule. I love gaming, D&D and an activity called Amtgard (basically larping with foam weapons).