Huskies United Student Spotlight: Lily Seigel
By Tony Scott
Lily Seigel received scholarships to aid her in her educational pursuits. (Photo by Lily Seigel)
Lily Seigel is working toward a bachelor’s degree in public health, aiming to graduate from NIU in December 2027, with the goal of working for a nonprofit or government agency addressing health disparities, particularly for women and families.
Her journey will be successful due to her hard work and the generosity of donors who have supported her and NIU.
A native of Rockford, Seigel’s parents encouraged her to seek a college degree after high school.
“But the question of how we would pay for it always lingered,” she said.
Seigel said a major deciding factor of choosing to attend NIU was the affordability.
“I did not have a college fund, and I knew scholarships would be my best bet for getting out with minimal debt,” she said. “The scholarships alleviated stress and that allows me to focus on my education and community involvement. Receiving scholarships helped me achieve my goals of exploring topics that I love and figuring out how I can use my knowledge to help people.”
In addition to an Advantage Grant, Seigel received an NIU merit scholarship.
Donors will have the opportunity to fund scholarships, as well as faculty and programs, during the upcoming Huskies United Day of Giving, April 1 and 2.
Seigel called NIU her perfect “Goldilocks school.”
“It’s close enough to home that I could go back on weekends if I want but far enough that I feel separate from my hometown,” she said. “I enjoy the size of the school as well; I can meet a ton of new people, but I still run into my friends around campus all the time!”
Seigel celebrated two mentors who have supported and encouraged her during her years at NIU: academic advisors Stephanie Kummerer at the Center for Nonprofit and NGO Studies and Becky Pritchard in the College of Health and Human Sciences.
“They have provided tremendous clarity for me,” Seigel said. “They are both incredibly patient and knowledgeable. I changed my major last semester from nursing, and I wasn't positive about the route I wanted to go down. After meeting with them I felt empowered to make the best decision for myself.”
Seigel is currently interning with Community Coordinated Child Care in DeKalb, helping the organization design its website and building a plan to participate in the Give DeKalb County day of giving.
“I was able to find this amazing opportunity through the Center for Nonprofit and NGO Studies,” she said. “It has taught me important skills in professionalism and connected me to brilliant minds in the nonprofit sector.”
To support students like Lily through scholarships, faculty and programs during the Huskies United Day of Giving, click here.