The past few months have seen some exciting changes and many new faces to the Metro NYC Illini board. Leading up to the Annual Scholarship dinner we will be introducing new and current members of the board with some fun facts. 

Meet Rachel Thompson! We are down to one week until our Annual Scholarship Dinner event, we would love to see you there! If you are unable to attend consider making a donation towards our scholarship goal of $5000. All proceeds will go to support 2 students from the Metro NYC area, who accept admittance to the University of Illinois with a $2500 scholarship. Donate today! 

Name:  Rachel Thompson 

Board Title/Position: Young Alumni Chair 

Graduation Year and Program: 2019, History 

Company Name: American Friends of Tel Aviv University 

Company Title: Development Associate 

How long have you lived in NYC? Just over 1 year 

Why did you decide to move to NYC? My partner, Andrew (also a UIUC alumni!), had a great job opportunity in New York, so we moved here together. 

What is your favorite part about living in NYC? I can think of a lot of "favorites," but if I have to pick one, it would be the endless supply of bagel shops. What can I say? I love a good bagel.

What is your best UIUC memory? This is also hard to choose from just one! Honestly, one of my favorite memories of being a student was one of my internships. I assisted in preparing archives and gathering stories for the opening of the new Richmond Family Welcome Gallery, which is a fantastic new museum in the Alice Campbell Alumni Center. It showcases interactive exhibits about the past, present, and future of the University. I highly encourage any alumni or prospective students visiting campus to check it out! 

Why are you on the Metro NYC Illini board? Being able to have a community in such a big place like NYC was something that was important to me when I moved here. It has been a great way for a new person in the city, like me, to meet friends and get to know fellow Illini in the area. Being the Young Alumni Chair has also given me the wonderful opportunity to  create new memories with others who have more recently graduated. I am fairly new to the Metro Illini NYC, but I am very excited for the events and all of the fun things we have in store for this year!