Jesika Pabello

Jesika Pabello is a computer science major, with minors in psychology and esports industry professions, from Chicago, IL

Hometown: Chicago, IL

High School: ICS Northtown Academy

Year: Expected graduation: 2025

Minor: Psychology and esports industry professions

What did you want to be when you were growing up? Are you pursuing that as a major, or have you taken another path?
Growing up, I wanted to be many different things. I wanted to be a police officer for a bit, then I wanted to be a therapist, then I wanted to be a lawyer. For a while, I was undecided, and I was still undecided coming to NIU. It wasn't until the spring semester of my freshman year that I decided to pursue a computer science degree. And just this past May, I graduated with a computer science degree with a minor in psychology, a minor in esports industry professions and a Certificate of Undergraduate Study in mobile programming. While I graduated with a computer science degree, I have decided that I no longer want to pursue computer science. I wish I could say I know what I want to do and that I have a certain path I am following, but I do not. While it's scary not knowing, I trust I will find my way and figure it out in the end.

What is your major (and/or minor) and why did you decide on this course of study?
My major is computer science with minors in psychology and esports industry professions. I decided on computer science because I took a coding class in high school and actually liked it. I also had a technology class in my middle school that taught us the basics of coding through code.org. As for my minor, I chose psychology because in high school, I wanted to be a therapist or a psychologist, but those around me discouraged it. Instead of making it my major, I decided that no matter what I majored in, I would minor in psychology. As for the esports minor, much of the esports curriculum lined up with my computer science degree. I also wanted to see what esports had to offer other than becoming a professional gamer.

What has been something you have found pleasantly surprising about your experience at NIU?
Something I found pleasantly surprising about my experience at NIU are the events I've gone to. I've gone to football games, basketball games, Night at Holmes, trivia nights, bingo nights and many other events here on campus. They're all events that happen at around 7 p.m., which is after most classes have ended, so my friends and I would end up at those events. I've won NIU merch and gift cards from those trivia and bingo nights. As for the football games, almost everyone I know goes to them, even the ones that are on Saturday. I know people who specifically call off to go to those games.

How have you connected with other students to study for classes, meet new people or form new friendships?
One of the best ways to meet new people is to just go up to them. There are people I've noticed who are in almost all the same classes as me, so I go up to them and tell them just that. I tell them I've seen them in a couple of my classes and introduce myself. I also use Discord to meet new people. There's actually a Discord for computer science majors where you can talk with people in your classes or with other computer science students.

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 also part of the University Honors Program. There are classes that are meant for honors students and opportunities that are limited to honors students. One of those opportunities was something called mental health first aid training. I was taught to put mental health first and how to help others with their mental health. I even got a certificate saying I’m certified in mental health first aid. As a college student, being certified like that is important because mental health is very important, and college can strain one's mental health.

What NIU offices, departments or resources have helped you feel safe, supported and successful? And how?
Total bias, but I absolutely love the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. For context, I work as a student coordinator for the Northern Ambassador Program. The people in the office are so welcoming and open, and they have helped me find my community. Whenever I need advice or someone to talk to, I can easily talk with someone in the office, whether it be a coworker, an admissions counselor or even our director.

What Honors Program opportunities or support have helped you get closer to your academic or career goals so far?
The Honors Program has scholarships specifically for honors students. These scholarships have helped me worry less about financial things and focus more on classes and passing them. The scholarships allow me to focus on academics and my career goals.

What do you enjoy the most about the Honors Program?
I enjoy the people I've met through the Honors Program. Everyone I've met through the program wants me to succeed. They’ll be more than happy to help you if you need help succeeding, too.

Who has been one of your favorite instructors/professors and why? What course did they teach?
One of my favorite instructors/professors is Geoffrey Decker. I took Computer Programming in Assembler Language, Android Mobile Device Programming and Advanced Android Mobile Device Programming with him. He is one of my favorite professors because he goes really into detail when teaching, especially when it comes to mainframe. He's also a really big advocate for students and tries to help them with internships and jobs. I also just love talking to him. I used to go to his office hours, and he'd help me out, then we would just sit there talking until his office hours were done or class was about to start.

How have you benefited by attending class regularly?
By attending class regularly, I’ve gained a better understanding of the material taught. There was one time I didn't go to my math class because I wasn't feeling well. I had someone send me the notes to that class, and looking at the notes that person took, I couldn't understand it. When I went to recitation for that class the next day, I was able to understand the material more. If I had gone to class that day, I know I would have understood the notes sent to me.

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, specifically the second-floor seats near the windows. I like it because it gives you a nice view of campus. You can see the big red NIU pride sign in the middle of MLK Commons, you can see people passing by and tours being given, and you can see events happening in MLK Commons. In other words, being in that spot in the library allows me to see NIU and its people.

What advice would you give to a student who is researching colleges to apply to?
Find what is right for you and what you want. People will give you advice and tell you things, and you can listen to them and take what they say into account. The big thing you want to remember is that you're the one going to college, not them. You're going to be the one experiencing all the different things college has to offer.

Why is a college education important to you?
A college education is important to me for three different reasons. First off, it's important because I am the eldest in my family. I am also the first person in my family to get a degree in the U.S. I wanted to set an example and show my siblings it's possible to get a college degree. Second, it opens a lot of doors and opportunities. I've made connections and expanded my network just being in college, and I can promise I wouldn't have made those connections if I didn't go to college. And lastly, getting a college education means experiencing college life.

What strategies do you use to manage your time between the responsibilities of school, work, friends and family?
There are a couple of different strategies I use to manage my time between the responsibilities of school, work, friends and family. First, I use Google calendar to put in the times I have class and/or work, so I know I am busy during that time. After doing that, I share it with my friends, so they know when I am busy and can't make plans. Sharing my calendar also lets them know when I am free to make plans and hang out. Second, I use a notebook to make a checklist of things to do each day. Each day, I'll sit down and go through each of my things and write down what I need to do for the day and the week. If something has a due date or has a higher priority, I'll write the due date and start date to note that it's important. Lastly, I use a lot of alarms. I have alarms for when I have class, for when I have work, even for when I can take breaks. I have those alarms to ensure I stay on time and stick to my schedule, so I don't fall behind.

How do you stay informed about events and services that are available on campus?
When it comes to staying informed about the events and services available on campus, I check the weekly email that is sent, as it shows the events for the week. I also look at the CAB Instagram page. As for the services available, as a tour guide, I must stay up to date with the things going on at NIU, as well as the services NIU has to offer.

What do you do to relax or recharge?
I like to take naps whenever I can to try and recharge. When I need to relax, I listen to music or read or both. I really like to listen to music and lose myself in a good book or re-read my favorite series.

Please tell us about your job and hobbies.
Currently, I work as a student coordinator for the Northern Ambassador Program, which works closely with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions to encourage students to go to NIU. It has been such an honor to be part of such an amazing program and office, as they have presented me with many opportunities to grow as a person, as a student and in a professional setting. They hold professional development trainings with other departments and campus partners to ensure we are up to date on everything on campus. They also host end-of-semester events where we see people from both the full-time and part-time staff. I am forever grateful to the office for the many opportunities given to us and for helping me make meaningful connections that last outside of the work setting. As for hobbies, I love to play video games and read. I switch between the two quite often, and there are some instances when I am gaming and reading at the same time. The round for a game will end or I'll get tired and take a pause to pick my book up again and read a chapter or two before going back to the game I was playing.