We say Illinois, the Class of 2015’s Larry Harris says ... Lincoln Hall.
“But let me tell you why,” the U.S. foreign service officer says from D.C. “For nearly the entirety of my time on campus, I served as an Illinois Student Admissions Representative — it’s the fancy way of saying ‘tour guide’ at U of I, or I-STAR for short.
“In this role, I had the great pleasure of meeting hundreds of prospective Illini — and their families — and introducing them to campus; to the Illinois family. My tours often ran far over the allotted time because I sat each tour group down in a classroom in Lincoln Hall and had a candid conversation about any of their concerns.
“Absolutely anything was on the table. We laughed, sometimes we had disagreements, and we shared stories.
“Attending college for the first time — especially a sprawling, vibrant and rigorous institution like Illinois — is intimidating for both students and their families. Our conversations in Lincoln Hall were meant to humanize this brand new adventure they were about to embark on, and I will be forever grateful for that experience.”
