I am a junior in ACE with a concentration in Finance in Agribusiness. Being from the Southside of Chicago, I never thought I would end up calling the College of ACES home. I started at the University of Illinois in the Division of General Studies knowing I wanted to pursue a career in the business sector, but unaware of how to obtain such a dream. Researching this applied economics department, I applied to ACE in the spring of my freshman year. Little did I know I was on my way down a wonderful path of self-discovery.

Over the summer I was traveling in Spain, and my family and I decided to go to a bullfight in Madrid. We thought it would be a good idea to immerse ourselves into the Spanish culture. Unsuspecting of what we were about to witness we bought tickets and sat at the very last row of the stadium. At first the bullfight seemed normal and it involved everything I expected. Finally, a man on horse back in the arena started stabbing the bull with a large spear. The bull started bleeding out, but the torero, (the human baiting the bulls) continued to torture the bull.

This year's International Development and Global Nutrition students recently completed their Learning in Community course as a part of their semester abroad at Njala University. Students studying agribusiness worked with the Animal Production Division at Njala, analysing layer production in the poultry unit. The Global Health and Nutrition program conducted a survey of nutritional profile of mothers and children in the village surrounding the Njala campus.

As a junior in the College of ACES, I have had the opportunity to grow and learn within the college, and now as an ACE ambassador hope to share my positive experiences within the college with others. It has been an incredible experience so far working with such friendly, caring and committed professors and counselors. I feel as if I have joined a community with people who strive to form me into a well-developed, highly educated and passionate student.

My name is Michael Tonner. I am a Junior in ACE with a concentration in Consumer Economics and Finance, with a minor in Leadership studies. Last semester I took ACE 199 Chicago Business Immersion Program. The class was structured as a 8-week class with a immersion trip to Chicago over Christmas Break. During class time, we heard from established graduates from U of I present their career and professional experiences. It was interesting to hear about all the diverse industries that ACE students could possibly enter into. Class time was also used to prepare for the trip as well. 

The best thing, in my opinion, about the ACE Department is the fact that you get world-class faculty and staff, but it still small enough that it feels like a lot of people know you.  Your advisor and professors very often know you by name, something that does not always happen at a big ten university.  That has really made a difference with me.  When you first go off to college, so much is new.  It really helps to have friendly faces around that you know and that know you.  Pursuing your major in ACE is exciting, and I would even refer to it as comforting.  Th

Where do you even begin? At the University of Illinois there are so many opportunities, but in the College of ACES in filled with opportunities that make you feel at home.  As a junior transfer student at the University of Illinois, I wanted to immerse myself in opportunities.  What a better place than ACE! Want to study abroad? No problem let's go to China! Compete in the National Marketing competition? Took third place!

I am an ACE student in Financial Planning with a minor in Leadership Studies. Over the past year I have had a ton of experiences to help me with my future. Last summer, I interned at Beyer and Rock Investments. I had an understanding of the field because of my experiences in ACE. I have taken a couple of classes to help me with investments and I understood what investments were going in -- this will turn into a career for me in investing!

It is often said that one will change majors in college, and that was true for me as well. I started out in Civil and Environmental Engineering in the Fall of 2011, but quickly learned that I simply had no interest in pursuing a career in engineering. That is when I found ACE, particularly the concentration of Environmental Economics and Policy. This stood out to me as being something that I would be interested in, so I adjusted my schedule and worked towards its requirements. Next semester, I was in.

Growing up on farm, there was no question that I was going to major in agriculture. I attended a community college for a year, knowing I wanted to further my education at the University of Illinois through the College of ACES. It was my goal to apply and work on a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and consumer economics, focusing in marketing and management. My goal is to go back to the family soybean business, and I choose the University of Illinois to grow as a professional because of all the opportunities that are offered.