University News
125 Anniversary Celebration: Tabitha Jozwick
March 14, 2025
Editor's Note: This is a series of stories about ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½app Illinois University students, alumni and community members, highlighting their experiences during our 125th anniversary celebration. We will feature 125 individuals from August 2024 to August 2025.
MACOMB, IL - - Alumna Tabitha Jozwick describes ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½app Illinois University as a second home.
"When I think about ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½app, I think about how it becomes an alumni's second home," Jozwick said.
For Jozwick, being a Leatherneck means being committed to supporting and caring for other members of the community.
"A Leatherneck means showing support and giving a hand when someone needs help," Jozwick said.
When reflecting on her time at ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½app, Jozwick's favorite Leatherneck memory is the opportunity to present at a conference and share her valuable experience and insight.
"My favorite Leatherneck memory happened during the 2007 IRHA conference," Jozwick said. "I did a presentation called ‘Autism: The myths, realities and the autistic culture' to educate people about autism and my own experiences with autism. I received a Top 10 program award for it. I have presented the program three times since then."
Jozwick currently works at Casey's West in Macomb and credits her overall experience at ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½app with shaping her to be hardworking and dedicated.
"The hard work and dedication I learned outside of the classroom helped me with my current position," Jozwick said.
During her time on campus, Jozwick enjoyed being involved in resident hall life and volunteering.
To prospective students, Jozwick's advice is to consider ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½app as a strong option for all it has to offer.
"If you are neurodivergent and considering college, I will highly recommend ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½app," Jozwick said. "The small class sizes are beneficial, and it makes it a lot easier to get to know your classmates a lot better. My advice is to make sure your time can help you gain both hard and soft employment skills."
As we honor 125 years of educational excellence, we invite local ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½app students, alumni, faculty and staff to share their stories and be featured in our series. Contact University Communications at U-Communications@wiu.edu to participate.
Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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