If you attended University of Illinois, this campus will always hold special memories for you. As a young graduate, I would stop by campus on my way through from where my first job took me to where I was born. After marriage and babies, I would still stop, toddlers in tow, to show them the quad, Assembly Hall and Morrow Plots.

Illinois, where I got locked in the graduate library stacks one night.
Illinois, where I watched a football referee die on the field during a game my freshman year.
Illinois, where there were five times as many people in my dorm as my home town.
Illinois, where I met the woman who would become my best friend.
Illinois, where I was introduced to the band Pork and the Havana Ducks (Google it... it will be an experience).
Illinois, where I missed earning Bronze Tablet status by one spot.

I admit to being a little devastated that neither child chose my alma mater to be their alma mater. And, yet, they both carry a little bit of Illinois with them … as 4-H members. University of Illinois, as Illinois' land grant university, is home to Illinois 4-H. My job is to make sure every 4-H member knows they have a place waiting for them at Illinois. Like a parent welcoming home a child, U of I is home to every 4-H member.

Two great traditions … Illinois and 4-H.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Judy Mae Bingman, University of Illinois Extension Marketing and Communications Manager

Judy uses powerful words and photography to tell the Extension story. She is a skilled communication strategist and storyteller with demonstrated success in building teams and creating strong organizational brand identities that deepen Extension’s impact among key audiences, build brand loyalty, strengthen employee talent, and expand public engagement. She is a frequent conference presenter at the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents Conference and helps Extension staff across the nation tell compelling stories.