AU Today - Student Stories

Student stories
Giselle Martinez '28
February 16, 2026

Giselle Martinez ’28 envisions a more accessible and inclusive future for underrepresented populations — and is already building her life around doing something about it. A Political Science and Public Policy and Business Administration double major, Martinez is involved in...

student interns at oaken acres wildlife rehabilitation center
February 11, 2026

Every summer, Oaken Acres Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Sycamore, Illinois, welcomes student interns for a behind-the-scenes look at the demanding and rewarding work of wildlife rehabilitation. Through this immersive internship, Aurora University students step into the high-volume care...

Alayna Nosalik smiles at the camera in front of a Mickey Mouse shaped floral display in Epcot.
July 7, 2025

Alayna Nosalik ’26 is charting her own path — literally and figuratively. A double major in marketing and communication, Nosalik became the first AU student to earn an FAA Drone Pilot License after completing the university’s new exam preparation course. She also...

Kate Herrera and Zeb Koran
October 15, 2024

There are many reasons to want to change careers and become a nurse. For Kate Herrera, it was the call to make a difference, to travel to parts of the world in need of better health care, and to follow in the footsteps of her grandmother, who worked as a nurse in Mexico. “I wanted more...

Joseph Dadara ’18
March 22, 2024

The sport of soccer has always provided a refuge for Joseph Dadara ’18. When he was in middle school, his family emigrated from Tanzania to the U.S. and settled in Aurora. Soccer was a way to fit in and stay out of trouble. But it was expensive—the uniforms, the dues, the...