Aki Ito

Aki Ito is a health sciences major from Schaumburg, IL

Hometown: Schaumburg, IL

High School: Hoffman Estates High School

Year: Expected graduation: Spring 2028

Minors: deafness and family and child studies (FCS)

What scholarships did you receive and why did you receive them? How has the financial support impacted your experience at NIU?
One scholarship I have received is the NIU merit scholarship. After I was accepted into NIU, I received a letter with details of this scholarship that was offered based on what I had on my application. This scholarship reminded me of how everything I built up in my high school career can benefit my college life and was essentially the final push that got me to where I am today. Scholarships and grants have made my education here at NIU much more achievable, and I could never thank the contributors enough for their kindness.

What did you want to be when you were growing up? Are you pursuing that as a major, or have you taken another path?
I wanted to be many things when I was little, but I did not have any dream jobs when I entered high school. It was the preschool program I became involved with there that sparked my interest in careers that worked with children. Though I came to the conclusion that managing a full classroom was not exactly what I was made for, I decided I wanted a career where I could work with children individually. This, combined with my interest in the medical field, led me to my current major here at NIU.

What is your major (and/or minor) and why did you decide on this course of study?
I am currently pursuing a major in health sciences with an emphasis in pre-physical therapy and have declared minors in deafness and family and child studies (FCS). I decided on this course of study because my ultimate career goal is to become a pediatric physical therapist. As I work to gain a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree to practice physical therapy, I want to deepen my understanding of child development through my FCS minor to become a physical therapist who can understand and support the concerns of as many families as possible. I also declared a minor in deafness not only because of my deep interest in the language, but also because I believe that learning ASL will help me to provide higher quality services to larger communities.

What has been something you have found pleasantly surprising about your experience at NIU?
Before I came to NIU, I was afraid that I might not get the most out of my college experience since I am not very outgoing. But when I actually started here as a student, I was indeed pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to get myself involved in different events even if I'm not part of a particular social group.

How have you connected with other students to study for classes, meet new people or form new friendships?
I have connected with other students through having a common major. When we have the same major, we inevitably take similar classes, giving us more opportunities to bond.

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 currently involved in the Foreign Language Residence Program as a native speaker of Japanese. This has really added to my experience as a Huskie, because teaching the language and culture to others allows me to reflect back on my roots and understand them better. I also enjoy how I am able to learn about the cultures of other languages that are taught in the program through the eyes of native speakers, which is not an experience you can get anywhere.

What NIU offices, departments or resources have helped you feel safe, supported and successful? And how?
I would say that my academic advisor from the College of Health and Human Sciences has supported me in terms of understanding the path I want to take and giving me different options. If it were not for her advice, I doubt I would have challenged myself with a double minor.

What Honors Program opportunities or support have helped you get closer to your academic or career goals so far?
Through the Honors Program, I am given the opportunity to register for classes earlier than most other students. This has really helped me to get my desired classes so far, making my major and double minor seem much more achievable.

What do you enjoy the most about the Honors Program?
I enjoy the many events I learn about through the Honors Program and the events held by the program itself. When I knew nobody on campus at the beginning, those really pushed me to go out.

Who has been one of your favorite instructors/professors and why? What course did they teach?
My favorite instructor so far has been Professor Madelyn Anderson, who taught COMS 100 during my very first semester here at NIU. Public speaking is something that brings me overwhelming anxiety, and I was afraid I was going to completely flunk that class. The result turned out to be quite the opposite, because I was able to achieve an A with the support of Professor Anderson's encouraging words and positive energy.

How have you benefited by attending class regularly?
Attending class regularly has allowed me to effectively take in new information I need to learn. In addition, attending class has kept me up to date on all of my assignments and responsibilities pertaining to the class.

Where is your favorite spot on campus or in the community? Why are you drawn to it?
My favorite spot on campus is Founders Memorial Library. The environment there is really suited to helping me work on or finish the assignments I have, so I like to go there when I feel like I have a lot on my plate.

What advice would you give to a student who is researching colleges to apply to?
I would advise them to know what your priorities are. List out what you need for your college experience, whether that may be a campus close to home, affordable tuition or a comfortable community. While it is important that the college provides a good program for the major of your choosing, if the environment makes you uncomfortable, then that will take away from your experience. Once you know which colleges offer the program(s) you want to get into, look into other things outside of the program: Where is it located? Is it close to the places or people you want to be close to? Are there places you could go to relax? How close-knit is the community? Refer back to your values and priorities and choose a place that will get you your best experience.

Why is a college education important to you?
A college education is important for me, because I am a first-generation student for my family. With a good education, I hope to land my desired job and repay my family for their support.

What strategies do you use to manage your time between the responsibilities of school, work, friends and family?
In order to manage time and responsibilities, I use multiple apps on my phone, including the calendar app, notes app and a task-management app called Habitica. Since I recognize that I tend to forget about my responsibilities, especially when I have a big task coming up, I like to disperse my reminders and list of tasks depending on what they are. If they are events I need to prepare for and attend, I set up an event in my calendar app and make sure there are reminders at times when I would need them. If they are just assignments or tasks I do not feel motivated to do, I put them in my Habitica app, which gives me in-app rewards when I complete the tasks. If there are things I need to do that are more of an emergency, I open my notes app to write down the task and set it as "display on status bar" so that it stays in my notifications until I manually delete it in the app. This gives me a constant reminder as long as I have my phone on me and pushes me to attend to the task.

How do you stay informed about events and services that are available on campus?
I use the Suitable app when I want to know about events happening on campus. Events on the app are always really easy to view, and the details written for each make it easier for me to attend them. In addition, the events count toward my honors requirements or my Career Launchpad badges, so I can enjoy events while also clearing points and tasks for my needs as a student, which I really like. As for services, I try to check out the weekly announcements that are sent out every week, as they usually have good information about services offered on campus.

What do you do to relax or recharge?
To relax or recharge, I usually like to watch Japanese drama or anime. If I am too tired to look at screens, then I like to sit down with a good book or eat my favorite foods, whether that may be at a restaurant or just making it for myself at home.

Please tell us about your job and hobbies.
I currently have a job with Northwestern Medicine as a rehabilitation technician, but at this point, I have not gained enough experience to confidently declare that I work as one. Before this job, I worked at the Kumon Math and Reading Center as a teacher assistant for early learners (preschool to second grade). There, I taught a pair of students at a time, each working on personalized worksheets, in topics of math and reading. During the 30-minute to one-hour session each student had, I would work on various skills related to math and reading. In addition to the traditional tasks as a teacher assistant, I was also a translator for Japanese families who came to the center. When the families had concerns about their child's education, I would translate their concerns to my boss, who could then give adequate answers to address them. At times, I would also provide examples from my own experiences to help figure out what could enhance the student's education. For hobbies, I like to consume media such as Japanese drama, anime and books. My favorite genres are medical and Japanese folklore.