Lilliana Benitez, a music education major with an instrumental emphasis in euphonium from McHenry, Illinois is the subject of an NIU Huskie Spotlight.
A proud member of the Huskie Marching Band, she appreciates the mentorship of Dr. Tom Bough both on the field and in the classroom.
“One of my favorite professors has to be Dr. Bough, director of Huskie Athletic Bands and Concert Bands here at NIU. Dr. Bough has shown never-ending support to me and has been motivating me nonstop since I started school at NIU. He is always pushing me to work harder, to get better and be the best musician I can be. I truly value and appreciate everything he has taught me and every opportunity he has given me in my time here. I will carry everything I’ve learned and my experience as a student of his forever.”
Lilliana credits the NIU CHANCE program with easing her transition from high school.
“I really appreciated having my CHANCE Program counselor alongside my academic advisor. It definitely eased my mind coming into university life to have the extra helping hand to guide me and give me the resources I needed to be successful in school. My counselor helped me enroll in the classes I needed to be in, and she would have meetings with me to check in on how I was doing in all my classes. Also, having a class with her as my teacher helped me gain a sense of familiarity that I needed at the time. It really made me feel at peace and settled in at NIU.”
Read Lilliana’s full Huskie Spotlight on the NIU Website.
