Marco Antonio Olivera ’23 honored as Student Lincoln Laureate

Aurora University senior Marco Antonio Olivera of Beloit, Wisconsin, has been recognized with the Abraham Lincoln Civic Engagement Award, representing AU as Student Laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois.

In the spirit of Abraham Lincoln, Student Laureates are honored for their “leadership and service in pursuit of the betterment of humanity and for overall excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities,” according to the Springfield, Illinois-based nonprofit organization.

Olivera has been involved with several campus organizations. He has served as president of the Latin American Student Organization and is a member of the Asian-American and Pacific Islander Association, the AU History Club, the AU Pride Alliance, the Black Student Union, Educators Rising, and the Kappa Delta Pi International Honors Society in Education. He has also served as a campus peer advisor and student orientation leader.

As an AU student, Olivera also completed an internship as a mentor in his hometown of Beloit, Wisconsin, through Beloit College’s Help Yourself Program, which helps prepare low-income, first-generation minority students to go to college.

Upon graduating from AU with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Secondary Education, Olivera will enlist in the U.S. Navy and work as a hospital corpsman. He will begin his teaching career after his five-year military commitment.

“Aurora University faculty and staff have helped shape my perspective on what teaching is and should be,” said Olivera. “AU has housed and guided my education for the past four years, and I am forever grateful.”

Each fall, The Lincoln Academy awards the Abraham Lincoln Civic Engagement Award to one outstanding senior from each of the participating colleges and universities in Illinois. The Student Laureates receive a letter and certificate of merit signed by Governor J.B. Pritzker, a Lincoln medallion, a challenge coin, and a $500 check.