Q and A with student Regina Ivy
Education: Undergraduate
What is your major/minor?
I am an Education major and an English minor.
Why did you choose UIS?
It is close to home and affordable! Coming here I feel has left me enough time to figure out what
I would like to do with my life, without the stress of having to know immediately after graduation.
What do you like about being a student at UIS?
I love how supportive and passionate the faculty is about students and the UIS community, and
even the Springfield community!
What do you enjoy or appreciate about your field/major?
I love the field of Education because it allows me to make a living off of what I love to do best,
which is learn! And English is my favorite field because reading and writing have always been a
gateway for my learning. It is through these modes that I learn best!
What is your favorite class? Why?
My favorite class that I have taken so far is Professor Belsare’s topics course: Animals and
Writers of Color. It has really made me think about not only literature, but also the world in a way
that I typically would not have done before. I am glad to say that after taking this class, I’ve
applied my new mindset in my everyday life.
What are the benefits of a liberal arts degree, in your opinion?
A benefit I use constantly is the ability to be more open-minded than I feel the average person
tends to be–especially here at UIS, where the population is so drastically varied. There are
people here from many walks of life, but we are all put here to learn together, and learn from
each other. So that is one benefit I feel will take me a long way!
As a result of your UIS education, how prepared do you feel for life after college?
I feel equipped with so much experience that it is guaranteed to land me a position any place I
choose to work! Whether that’s working as a Leadership Lived employee, or having the chance
to be a part of a full production at UIS Theatre, or being the managing editor of a literary journal,
I have gotten to try on many different hats and gain so much experience in the fields I am
interested in–before I even have my degree in hand!
Regina Ivy just starred in the UIS production of On the Verge. On The Verge is an abstract
piece about three Victorian women, Mary, Alex, and Fanny, who crave adventure and discovery.
Regina played Alex, the youngest of the three who has a certain affinity for language. She is
always mixing up words, and finding new ways to play with them. She is a progressive
character, always looking toward the future and challenging traditional values, which causes her
to but heads with her fellow travelers at times, but at the end of the day, she respects their thirst
for knowledge, a quality that the women all share.
Interviewer: McKenna Vereeke