Aurora University December Commencement 2020

December Commencement Saturday 12 December 2020

MISSION STATEMENT Aurora University is an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning. As a teaching-centered institution, we encourage undergraduate and graduate students to discover what it takes to build meaningful and examined lives. Our singular goal is to empower our students to achieve lasting personal and professional success.

STATEMENT OF CORE VALUES Aurora University draws upon the rich legacies of Aurora College and George Williams College to welcome learners to our campuses in Illinois and Wisconsin. Here all become members of an inclusive educational community dedicated to the development of mind, body, and spirit. Today, as in the past, we prize the twin virtues of character and scholarship and affirm our commitment to the values of integrity, citizenship, continuous learning, and excellence.

We will adhere to the highest standards of integrity in every aspect of institutional practice and operation. Through this proven dedication to honesty, respect, fairness, and ethical conduct, we will lead by example and inspire our students to do the same.

We will exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in an educational community, founded upon the principles of mutual respect and open discourse. We will live within our means and manage our resources wisely while creating an environment that fosters teamwork and promotes service to others.

We will work and live as an organization devoted to continuous learning.

We recognize that the university exists in a diverse and changing world and know that we will succeed in helping students achieve their full potential only if we realize our own. We seek a growth process that is never-ending.

We will pursue excellence by embracing quality as a way of community life. Accordingly, we will set high expectations for ourselves, our students, and our university and will work together to attain them.

The university’s core values are the foundation upon which our aspirations rest. They undergird our belief in the transformative power of learning.

As members of the Aurora University community, we enter into a voluntary compact with one another to live, learn, and work in ways consistent with these ideals.

Aurora University Commencement Ceremony Saturday 12 December 2020

Prelude Pomp and Circumstance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sir Edward Elgar The Alma Mater: Aurora . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ross K. Tilton, Class of 1917 Aurora University Chorale; Joyce Lawson, piano Conducted by Lisa Fredenburgh, DMA, Parolini Distinguished Professor of Music Words are printed on the last page of the program.

Welcome Rebecca L. Sherrick, PhD, President

Invocation Mark Woolfington ’93, DMin, University Chaplain

Greetings Hilary Brennan ’83, Chair, Board of Trustees

Reflections Rebecca L. Sherrick, PhD, President

Conferral of Degrees Frank Buscher, PhD, Vice President for Academic Affairs Rebecca L. Sherrick, PhD, President The Degrees of Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Social Work, Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction, Master of Arts in Educational Leadership, Master of Arts in Mathematics Education, Master of Arts in Special Education, Master of Business Administration, Master of Public Administration, Master of Science in Accountancy, Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis, Master of Social Work, Doctor of Education, Doctor of Social Work

President’s Charge to the Graduates

Benediction Mark Woolfington ’93, DMin, University Chaplain

Postlude How Can I Keep From Singing?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Wadsworth Lowry arr. Bradley Ellingboe Aurora University Chorale; Joyce Lawson, piano Conducted by Lisa Fredenburgh, DMA, Parolini Distinguished Professor of Music

BACHELOR OF ARTS

Karina Duran Cum Laude

Max Aiello

Casey Dycus

Leandra Anderson Summa Cum Laude

Brogan Ebel

Blake Andrew

Katelynn Ebelhack Summa Cum Laude

Teryn Griffin Gold Ivy Leaf Summa Cum Laude Phi Eta Sigma Nathaniel Gulley Drake Gutierrez Brianna Hall

Justin Arb Summa Cum Laude

Daniel J. Ellis

Jasmine Ascencio Joshua Babor

Gloria Espinoza-Bauer Cum Laude

Jacob Bachio Cum Laude

Hayley Farren Magna Cum Laude

Nathan Batterbee Cum Laude

Anthony Fauber Cum Laude

Tiffany Beckman Magna Cum Laude

Jami Feeley

Justin Jourdan Cum Laude

Melissa Renee Fidler Gold Ivy Leaf Summa Cum Laude

Kelsey Kenneally Cum Laude Omicron Delta Kappa

Isaias Flores Magna Cum Laude

Robert Kennedy Gold Ivy Leaf Magna Cum Laude Phi Eta Sigma

Brianna Beyer Magna Cum Laude Jakob Buis Antonio Caballero Miranda Marie Cada Summa Cum Laude Aracely Carrillo Adam Alexander Clark Taylor Marie Clark Cum Laude Brittany Davis Mason Kelly Davis Mireya De la Cruz Kayla Nicole DeVries Cum Laude Keri Dishroon

Emily Escobedo

Brielle Flowers Sergio Franco Cum Laude

Zeenat Shamim Haroon Peyton Hyatt Gold Ivy Leaf Magna Cum Laude Brittany Jones Magna Cum Laude

Steve Kokolias

Jasmine Freeman

Brittany Kooi

Erika Garcia Cum Laude

Nathan Krauz Summa Cum Laude

Lizbeth Garcia

Zachary E. Krugler

Samantha Joy Gewalt Cum Laude

Casey Kurinec

Anayely Castellanos Gomez Cum Laude

Michelle R. Lange Summa Cum Laude Myleena Thi Langon Summa Cum Laude

Anna Dlugosz

Carla Gonzalez Cum Laude

Peggy Duncan

Nathan Gonzalez

Emylie Jean Adele Latham Cum Laude

Kyus Emil Dungill

Gabrielle Gossman

Sarah Ledger

Carrisa Lee Kendra Lee Cum Laude Shelby Leonard Gold Ivy Leaf Magna Cum Laude Samuel Lepper Kimberly Denice Lozano Cum Laude Taylor Magdich Tessa Mahoney Summa Cum Laude Omicron Delta Kappa Maryam Hussein Malow Michael Marek Jeremy Markham Claudia Mauricio Magna Cum Laude Alondra Meraz Paige Nicole Miller Magna Cum Laude Olivia G. Monzel Gil Moran Gold Ivy Leaf Magna Cum Laude Michael Napolitano Gold Ivy Leaf Summa Cum Laude Phi Eta Sigma Naomi Narcisa Summa Cum Laude Collin Naughton Magna Cum Laude Jillian Novak Cum Laude

Kaleigh O’Brien Magna Cum Laude

Lydia Sanchez

Sharon Oh

Kylie Schimmel Gold Ivy Leaf Magna Cum Laude

Oscar Ortiz Xavier Ortiz Paige Pacioni Summa Cum Laude Rishi Patel Cum Laude Brenda Perez Jessica Peters Summa Cum Laude Andrea Petrarca Cum Laude Charlotte Piland Caleb Poffenberger Gold Ivy Leaf Magna Cum Laude Gabriel M. Polhill Cum Laude Suriel Portillo-Sanchez Riyad Qattum Summa Cum Laude Claudia Resendiz Summa Cum Laude Carly Rhodes Cum Laude Taylor Nicole Risden Raul Rodea Cum Laude Phi Eta Sigma Valentina Rubio Cum Laude Rachel A. Rush Jazmin Salgado Yasmine Salgado Alexis Salmeron

Elizabeth Schad

Ashley Sexton Summa Cum Laude Brianna Rae Sims Cum Laude Travis Smith Cum Laude Monika Solomacha Magna Cum Laude Susana Spodenkiewicz Ryan Srocki Hudson Stedman Jacqueline Renee Steffa Samantha Stewart Liam Fredrik Stirtzinger Danielle Thorne Mikaela Thorne Summa Cum Laude Alejandro Torres Julie Wareham Magna Cum Laude Jinnelle Whiting Cum Laude Russ Wilkening John Wlas Summa Cum Laude Lindsey A. Young Cum Laude Henry Zehnal Gold Ivy Leaf Summa Cum Laude

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE

Imran Esoofjee Magna Cum Laude

Patrisia Robles

Sofia Amaya Magna Cum Laude Omicron Delta Kappa

Vanessa Flores Cum Laude

Freddy Ruiz Cum Laude

Jasmine Ascencio KJ Banks Lizet Bazan Jose Bermudez Rebecca Binder Gold Ivy Leaf Summa Cum Laude Daniel Breen Summa Cum Laude Xavier Brown Dean Burnidge Anthony Byrne Gold Ivy Leaf Magna Cum Laude Juan Ariel Dominguez Carreno

Brenna Leanne Hannon Cum Laude Nabaa Hussaini Gold Ivy Leaf Magna Cum Laude Phi Eta Sigma

Faith Ross

Zachary Stanczyk Jacqueline Renee Steffa Alejandro Torres Andrew Francis Waterstraat

Kylie Kaylor Gold Ivy Leaf Summa Cum Laude Omicron Delta Kappa

Lorenzo WatsonLemarche Gold Ivy Leaf Magna Cum Laude

Alexandra Leonhard Summa Cum Laude Omicron Delta Kappa

Justin Weisner Cum Laude

Kyle Loewecke Summa Cum Laude Rachel Elaine Maxson Summa Cum Laude Rebecca Mercado

Lindsey A. Young Cum Laude Greg Zdanowski Summa Cum Laude Henry Zehnal Gold Ivy Leaf Summa Cum Laude

Kerewyn Cass Summa Cum Laude

Hana Mirza

Clementine Couvat Gold Ivy Leaf Magna Cum Laude

Gil Moran Gold Ivy Leaf Magna Cum Laude

Kevin Cunz

Candelaria Moreno

Gianna Datoli

Michael Napolitano Gold Ivy Leaf Summa Cum Laude Phi Eta Sigma

Araceli Moctezuma Aguilar

Felipe Nino

Gabrielle L. Antczak Cum Laude

Jessica DeVries Gold Ivy Leaf Summa Cum Laude Anthony Divito Gold Ivy Leaf Summa Cum Laude Phi Eta Sigma

Yaritza Ramirez Cum Laude

Casey Dycus

Jason Recchia

Brett Pyburn

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING

Jose Almanza

Stacie Arias Ileana Ascencio Cum Laude Phi Eta Sigma

Connor Baker Hirije Berisha Lindsay Bleifield Anna Buban Jocelyne Calderon Angelica Cervera Jennifer Che Alexander Clark Kelly Ann Conlon Valeria Coretchi Alexander Crowe Alissa Danosky

Vivian Hinostroza Summa Cum Laude

Ashley Shapiro

Alexis Hodges

Kyle Patrick Tayag

Megan Hoffman Jasmyne Ivy-Domain Breanne Kloiber

Amie Triplitt

Katie Kosarko

Zach Zakaras

Emily Kunzendorf

Brianna Zenk

Andrew Le

Kelly Delott Magna Cum Laude

Joshua Michelson

Sabrina Drankhan Alexa Marie Enriquez

Danielle Vazzano

Sara Lascola

Carlyn DeBaillie

Milagros Dominguez

Vivian Tran Cum Laude Phi Eta Sigma

Morgan Amelia Knoblauch

Andriy Matvyeyev Cum Laude

Megan Kathleen DiClementi

Kayleigh Stewart

Amy Minarcik Christina Morales Dusan Nikolic Cum Laude Stephanie Nino Jessica O’Neal

BACHELOR OF SOCIAL WORK Melanie Daniela Bourgoine Ashley Burks Sydney Charles Victoria Combs Kimberly S. Hall Summa Cum Laude

Angela Palafox

Sarah Hamlet Cum Laude

Alyssa Garcia

Rachel Pangelinan Cum Laude

Taryn Hancock

Shannon M. Gerard

Naisargi Patel

Amanda Glavach

Sarah Rose Ramirez

Naomi Gomez Cum Laude Phi Eta Sigma

Rebecca Shreya Reddy Magna Cum Laude

Ruben Franco Rodney Frias

Brianna Guzolek Vincent Hanak Danielle Hankes Rebecca Hasemann Morgan Hesenflow Shawndrea Hill

Lauren Larson Judy Martinez Amanda McGarvey Cum Laude

Devonique Ringo

Joslin Morquecho Summa Cum Laude

Leslie Rodriguez

Emily F. Newbold

Laureen Rutherford Warda Salmi

Michael Pesmenski Cum Laude

Kailee Sampson

Amanda Picatto

Zachary Michael Sanchez

Kelcie Cheyenne Pomaranski

Amanda Reiter Gold Ivy Leaf Magna Cum Laude Jessica Rickman Diandra Romero Brandy Spear Magna Cum Laude Hannah Elizabeth Vargo Magna Cum Laude Joseph Wilson

MASTER OF ARTS IN CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION

Hailey Gordon Mary Kathryn Grecu Samantha Hagedorn Ashley Rose Hamilton Bridget Hankes-Ixpata Miguel Hernandez Rachel Lebensorger Kathryn Lippelt Brad Lofgren Francine M. Maciejewski J. Scott Morrison Brooke Pawlak Michael Rakas

Alexander Dean Furr

Lauren Ralph

Joshua Gyovai

Robert Reder

E. Denise Halleran

Brian Nicholas Smith

Diane Johnson

Morgan Jane Lanahan Smith

Tiffany Miller Natasha Morgan Cory Nelson Jessica Swierczewski Mark Anthony Williams

MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP David Aguilar

MASTER OF ARTS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION Alise Belton Charles Brown Andrew DeBolt Michael G. Flowers Emily Goodfellow Meaghan Grap Taylor Grisson Octavio Ocampo Ramirez Megan Scott Jessica Shroka Archana Shukla Saul Torres Emily Tsai Christina Lynne Whitaker

Katherine Surjan Jennifer Walker Monique Zofia Wodzinski

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Kesha Ainsworth

MASTER OF ARTS IN MATHEMATICS EDUCATION Bryer Lehr Nikki Winburn

Yahayra ArguetaMorales Nikisha V. Black Kaitlin Browning Ariana Bustamante Jamie Crose

Ann Marie Campbell

Fatoumata Diallo

Reynaldo Cervantes

Karin Dietz

Maya Xochitl Chavez

Adrianna Domanico

Blake Thomas Cline

Daniel Doremus

Fernando Duran Taylor Lee Ford Jordan Charles Funk Beaux Godfrey

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ACCOUNTANCY Alonzo Martinez

Kaitlyn Gradert Justin Greenberg April Hix Vlora Ibishi Katie Krueger Quinn Lefeber

Baiba Davydenkovas Taylor Disantis Adrianna Domanico Treasure Douglass

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS Melanie Saunders

Kelsey Licul Kristina Martinez

Bonn Christian Cruz

Zachary Draves Courtney Duran Jared Elwart Jeremiah Fitzpatrick Alejandra Flores Hannah Marie Foltz Taylor Lee Ford

Cynthia McDaniel

MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK

Adriana Fuentes

Jessica Moore

Alexandra Ahlberg

Monica Garcia-Nettz

Vi Nguyen

Kesha Ainsworth

Daniel Gibadlo

Samantha Robinson

Cesar Alfaro

Kristen Godding

Abbey Rosenow

Rachel Anderson

Yessenia I. Gonzalez

Erika Sheffer

Andrew Bair

Phylicia Hampton

Kyra Erickson Tetter

Lakeisha Banks

Jenna Hansen

Keith William Zollers III

Mickayla Bedenian

Erica Harris

Dane L. Brown Laura Cadena

Vanessa Fiorella Hernandez

Theresa Camardo

Makenna Hix

Sarah Cardona

Fudia Jalloh

Teena Marie Carr

Jacquelyn Jennings

Abijah Castillo

Carrie Anne Koning

Lissa Chleboun

Katie Krueger

Sharetha Cole

Mary Rose Lampson

Wakita Coleman

Nicholas Lee

Jomarie Coloriano

Felisa Marie Lindsey

Karin Colucci

Miles Margaret Irene Ludwigs

MASTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION Andrew Bair Kristi Lee Brewer Mitchell Lee Crandall Andrew Doss Christopher Allen Harris Daniel Leahy Sara M. Sadoski

Marques Cosby Sr.

Cassey Luther

Taylor Marie Price

Beth Vroman

Alison Mackey

Brittiny L. Qualls

Erica Weinberg

Taylore Lynn Martin

Alexandra Ridel

Beth M. Weisgerber

Sheri McCue

Guadalupe Rodriguez

Tiffany Wilson

Nicole McGhee

Leeniece Rumoro

Kayla Zawislak

Suleima Moya

Elisa Salazar

Audra Murphy

Lynn Scheiblein

Melanie Ojeda

Naiha Siddiqui

Kylee Patterson

Jenna Rae Sobin

Tatiana Perkins

Eric Tessmann

Kelsey Platt

Angelina Tomow

DOCTOR OF EDUCATION Rachel Bland Leadership in Educational Administration “An Examination of Elementary Principals’ Knowledge and Skills in Evaluating Multilingual Programs and Instruction” David Carson Leadership in Educational Administration “School District Change Leadership Practices: A Case Study of Transitioning from a Traditional High School Model to a Student-Centered Learning Environment” Beau Michael Fretueg Leadership in Educational Administration “School District Consolidation and Social Capital: Bridging and Bonding Schools Together” Rebecca C. Gabrenya Leadership in Educational Administration “Emotional Intelligence and Teacher Performance: Developing Teachers EI to Increase Job Performance and Job Satisfaction” Donald T. Hantson Jr. Leadership in Educational Administration “From Exclusionary to Restorative Managment: A Case Study of Administrative Perceptions in an Era of Shifting Disciplinary Management Systems” Meredith Caroline Haugens Leadership in Educational Administration “Dual Identities: A Blessing or a Curse? The Role of School Leaders and Mothers” Lee Hoffman Leadership in Educational Administration “The Relationship Between Teacher Perception of Principal Leadership Behaviors and Middle School Student Achievement”

Kelley A. Hren Leadership in Curriculum and Instruction “Why Should I Close My Eyes to Reality?: A Qualitative Study of Controversial and Sensitive Photographs in the High School Social Studies Curriculum” Ruby (Rajwinder) Kaur Leadership in Adult Learning and Higher Education “Role of Faculty Mentorship in Exploring Students’ Perceptions of Science Identity While Pursuing STEM Courses and Programs” Lisa D. Luna Leadership in Educational Administration “The Perceptions of Academically Underachieving, Gifted, Elite Male Athletes: A Grid and Group Interpretation” Elizabeth Mary McLaughlin Leadership in Educational Administration “The Self-Efficacy of Teachers Serving Gifted Populations” Samantha Melendez Leadership in Curriculum and Instruction “Path to Eminence: A Mixed Method Study of the Implications of Expectancy-Value and Teacher Pedagogy on Student Eminence” Celestina Elizabeth Rivera Leadership in Educational Administration “Latina Administrators and Superintendents: Where Are We? A Qualitative Study on Latina Administrators” Jeremy Schaaf Leadership in Educational Administration “An Investigation of the Technology Leadership Skills of Principals in the State of Illinois” Susan Elaine Wilson Leadership in Educational Administration “Correlations Between Religious Practices, Leadership Style, and Stress Management of Superintendents”

Adam Zehr Leadership in Educational Administration “An Oral History of a School Consolidation in a Rural Community in Central Illinois” Bryan Zwemke Leadership in Educational Administration “Building Social Capital Through Social Media: Posting on the Brightside”

DOCTOR OF SOCIAL WORK Charlotte H. Burns “An Ecological Analysis of Self Injury Among Youth and the Perspective of Community Stakeholders” Jennifer Gazda “A Mixed-Methods Examination of Resilience in Parents of Adult Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder”

ACADEMIC CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS The Presidential Chain The presidential chain prominently features gold ivy leaves. Early in the 20th century, John W. Beach, professor of Greek and Latin, suggested that ivy leaves growing on the outside of Eckhart Hall could be awarded to students showing exceptional academic achievement each semester.

In 1932, Aurora College created the Gold Ivy Leaf Award. The tradition continues today as the university recognizes its most outstanding students each spring at the Honors Convocation.

Three medallions tell the story of Aurora University. One features the Aurora College seal and another the George Williams College seal. There are striking similarities to the two emblems. One features a torch and the other a lamp of learning, powerful testimony to our understanding that education is a source of illumination and truth — the transformative power of learning. The two college seals find their final expression in the new Aurora University emblem encircled with the signature AU blue. In higher education, presidential chains and medallions indicate that the wearer is the highest office holder at institutional ceremonies.

The Academic Ceremonial Mace The university mace was designed to represent the founding schools of Aurora University — Aurora College and George Williams College.

The mace, originally a weapon used in the Middle Ages, has over the centuries become a symbol of order and authority. The design of the center head of the mace links Aurora College and George Williams College to Aurora University. The center head also includes the university seal.

The mace is carried by a university official in the processions that begin and end academic exercises, such as Convocation and Commencement, and immediately precedes the president. When it is not being used in university ceremonies, the mace is displayed in the president’s office.

Regalia At Aurora University, academic regalia is worn on ceremonial occasions, in a manner consistent with a tradition that finds its origins in the Middle Ages. As early as 1321, university degree holders wore costumes

designed to reflect their particular status and roles. In addition to signaling differences in rank, the garments also served functional purposes. For example, the long gown provided necessary warmth in the drafty buildings of the time. Since each institution of higher learning was free to develop its own distinctive regalia, many different forms of academic dress are found within the European tradition.

American colleges and universities opted for a greater degree of uniformity.

Their representatives gathered at Columbia University in 1895 to devise common standards for academic regalia. In the United States, gowns distinguish the rank of the wearer. For instance, the bachelor’s gown is unadorned and is characterized by wide sleeves that are pointed at the hem. The gowns worn by master’s degree recipients also are unadorned, but have curiously elongated sleeves. Doctoral gowns are trimmed with velvet facings down the front. Their bell-shaped sleeves are trimmed with three velvet bars across the sleeves. Graduates of most American colleges and universities wear black gowns. However, some institutions provide for special variations. For example, doctoral recipients from Harvard University wear crimson gowns; those from Yale University wear blue; and individuals holding doctoral degrees from the University of Chicago and Northwestern University wear maroon and purple, respectively.

Black mortarboards are standard to most institutions of higher learning, although some feature soft velvet tams or Elizabethan caps. Traditionally, candidates for degrees wear the tassels on their mortarboards on the right, while those upon whom degrees have been conferred wear them on the left.

Recipients of doctoral degrees may wear either black or gold tassels.

Hoods provide the color in an academic procession. These garments, which today serve only ceremonial purposes, are worn fastened at the front of the collar and draped over the shoulders in such a way as to display the linings, which represent the color of the university awarding the degree.

The hoods also have velvet linings in colors that represent particular disciplines or fields of study. Those worn by graduates in arts and letters, for example, are trimmed in white velvet, while those worn by degree recipients in education are trimmed in light blue velvet.

AWARDS AND HONORS Distinguished members of the graduating class are eligible to receive a number of awards and honors. As the speaker calls the name of various graduates, please refer to the following recognitions: Graduation Honors — Undergraduate candidates who have achieved an outstanding grade-point average and completed their course of study with a minimum of 30 semester hours at Aurora University will be recognized with honors.

Honors based on grade-point average: » Summa Cum Laude: 3.90 to 4.00 » Magna Cum Laude: 3.75 to 3.899 » Cum Laude: 3.50 to 3.749 Gold Ivy Leaf Award — This award, recognized with a gold medallion, represents superior scholarship for those undergraduates who have completed a minimum of 90 semester hours for a letter grade at Aurora University and are graduating with at least Magna Cum Laude honors.

Military Recognition — This acknowledgement is given to graduation candidates who have honorably served, are serving, or are commissioned to serve in the United States military. Candidates are recognized by a red, white, and blue cord, signifying Aurora University’s appreciation for their service and dedication.

Omicron Delta Kappa — Eligibility for membership in the National Leadership Honor Society is given to undergraduates who are juniors and seniors and based on established national guidelines, which include ranking in the upper 35 percent in scholarship and showing leadership in at least one of five areas of campus life, such as scholarship, athletics, community service, journalism, and the arts.

Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society — Eligibility for membership in the Freshman Honor Society is based on first-time, full-time university attendance and a term grade-point average of 3.50 during the freshman year.

AURORA UNIVERSITY Aurora University traces its origins to the 1893 founding of a seminary in the small town of Mendota, Illinois. Though established initially to prepare graduates for ministry, the institution soon adopted a broader mission and moved to a new campus on the western edge of the nearby community of Aurora. With this change came a different name and a growing enrollment. When World War II ended, the campus population swelled again as veterans enrolled in the college’s innovative evening degree program. The 1970s and 1980s saw an expansion of curricular offerings in a number of professional fields and the awarding of advanced degrees in selected disciplines. These changes culminated in the 1985 decision to rechristen the institution Aurora University.

The roots of George Williams College run deep in the YMCA movement of the 19th century. In 1884, leaders from America’s western YMCAs gathered in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, to attend a summer training program. Two years later, the camp was incorporated and the first parcel of the current Williams Bay campus was purchased. Since that time, “college camp” has been a source of inspiration, recreation, education, and renewal for thousands of guests and students. In 1992, the Aurora University and George Williams College traditions blended when the two institutions entered into the affiliation agreement that paved the way for merger eight years later.

Today Aurora University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission to award degrees at the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral levels. The institution enrolls approximately 6,000 degree-seeking students a year on its Illinois and Wisconsin campuses and through its online program.

AU students participate in a wide range of on- and off-campus learning experiences. They can join more than 60 musical, literary, religious, social, and service organizations and play active roles in campus governance.

In addition, the university currently fields 24 NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletic teams.