It was getting to be time for Jill Mazurek to start thinking about what college she’d attend, and Mom and Dad had just one question.
What do you want to do when you grow up?
“I said, ‘Run my own business.’ And from that answer, they believed I should study accounting, and since U of I had a top business school, I enrolled — and luckily got in —and got my BS in accountancy, with the required 150 hours in four years since I spent my summers on campus too,” Mazurek says from Chicago, where she’s now the head of finance for The Mom Project.
“Thinking about my time at U of I, I instantly smile because I had a blast exploring every inch of that place and meeting as many people as I could. Admittedly, the school work was school work and I crammed at the library as needed, but most of my memories are about the bar I worked at, Clybourne, and all the amazing people I met by working there.
“My best friend to this day, Suzanne, I met there as we were both applying for a job as freshmen and instantly connected. I loved being able to make money and socialize with my friends — it was the best of both worlds.
“I would rave to my twin sister, Jody, how great U of I was and after her sophomore year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she transferred to U of I and we lived together. I am so grateful she transferred and we were able to spend two years together in college.
“We made memories we will always cherish, from late nights studying at Altgeld Hall or the Undergrad library — with tons of snacks from the nearby 7-Eleven — to late nights dancing.
“My husband, Dave, also went to U of I and he was actually in my class; however, we didn’t meet until many years post college. We laugh and share stories about probably passing each other a 100 times around campus without knowing it.
“We look forward to bringing our children back for football games and showing them around once they are a little older. I am honored to have graduated from such a fine institution.”
