If she had to do it all over again, Rebekah Ratliff wouldn’t change a thing about her college decision.
Car or no car.
“I smile when I think of going from dorm life to apartment life and the long walks across campus, because I didn’t have a car,” the 1988 psychology grad and Chicago native says. Seeking warmer temperatures after college, she moved south, where she's now president of Atlanta-based Capital City Mediations, LLC, a national mediation, arbitration and consulting firm.
“I have the fondest memories of my days at the U of I. From Greek experiences on the Quad to parties at the Illini Union and Garcia Brothers’ pizza, Champaign was home for four years. I built lifetime friendships that started freshman year in the dorms of PAR.
“We were broke college students, but we made it work and we stuck together. We also had great faculty partners.
“I remember how students would hang out at the Student Services Center with Deans Hogan and Jeffries. They were mentors and friends to us," says Ratliff, who in 2018 was the recipient of a U.S. Congressional Award for her work in mediation.
“It’s funny how the campus seems smaller now, when I visit. I’m very proud of Illinois — still in the top collegiate rankings.”
