Daniel Chukwunyem enjoys being at NIU and appreciates the diversity of the campus. "I love the community. It is quite...
Huskie Spotlight Archives
Huskie Spotlight: Teddy Malamis, Music Education
Teddy Malamis, a senior music education major from Naperville, is the subject of a Huskie Spotlight. Malamis says, "I...
Huskie Spotlight: Alma Perrote, Music Education and Steelpan Performance
Alma Perotte, who is majoring in music education and steelpan performance in the School of Music is the subject of a...
Huskie Spotlight: Katelyn Ackland, Music Education, Clarinet Performance
Katelyn Ackland, a senior majoring in music education and clarinet performance in the NIU School of Music is the subject of a Huskie Spotlight. Katelyn has earned multiple scholarships at NIU, and is appreciative of the support of her professors and fellow students....
Huskie Spotlight: Jayla Herring, Recording Arts and Media Technologies
Jayla Herring, a fall 2025 graduate of the School of Music with a degree in recording arts and media technologies is the subject of a Huskie Spotlight. Jayla says this major was a perfect fit, and the pursuit of an additional certificate increased the chances of...
Huskie Spotlight Lilliana Benitez, Music Education, Euphonium
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...
Joe Beribak, ’25, Composition
Music Huskie SpotlightHuskie Spotlight: Joe Beribak, '25, CompositionWhat did you want to be when you were growing up? When I was a boy, I wanted to be a Catholic priest. When I grew a little older, I loved amusement parks and wanted to design roller-coasters. This...
Annika Roberts, ’23, Cello Performance and Psychology
Music Huskie SpotlightHuskie Spotlight: Annika Roberts, '23, Cello Performance and PsychologyWhat did you want to be when you were growing up? I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a musician because I come from a musical family. Pursing a degree in cello...
Paisley Stevens, ’24, Music Education
Music Huskie SpotlightHuskie Spotlight: Paisley Stevens, '24, Music EducationWhat did you want to be when you were growing up? When I was growing up, I wanted to be a professional ballet dancer. I pursued ballet throughout high school and did get to chance with some...
Andrea LaFranzo, ’24, Orchestra Conducting
Music Huskie SpotlightHuskie Spotlight: Andrea LaFranzo, '24, Orchestral ConductingWhat did you want to be when you were growing up? There was no doubt at the age of 13, after my first experience playing in a symphony orchestra, that I wanted to be a cellist and a...
Ethan Patterson, ’24, Recording Arts
Music Huskie SpotlightHuskie Spotlight: Ethan Patterson, '24, Recording ArtsWhat did you want to be when you were growing up? Growing up, I wanted to be a zookeeper... I always had a lot of pets and a passion for animals. In high school, I was passionate about the...
Ning Wang, ’24, Music Education, Choral
Music Huskie SpotlightHuskie Spotlight: Ning Wang, '24, Music Education, ChoralWhat did you want to be when you were growing up? I always wanted to be a musician throughout my whole life. Music is everything to me. I already had my master degree in piano performance...