Member Spotlight: Carrie Willis ’15

Posted on Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Carrie Willis ’15 felt the first stirrings of Purple Pride when she participated in her high school’s US Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) program. A native of Chicago Heights, Illinois, Carrie often volunteered around Chicagoland through JROTC—including serving as a ticket taker during Northwestern football games. Before one game, a Northwestern staff member spoke to all the volunteers, thanking them for their help and welcoming them to the Northwestern family. “I’m not sure why that meant so much to me,” Carrie says now, “but it did. Suddenly, I felt part of something bigger.” She started looking into the kind of community and education the University offered its students, and Northwestern quickly became her first choice for college.

After joining the Northwestern Class of 2015, Carrie found a home base and community at Willard Hall. She remains best friends with many people she met during her two years there, and she fondly remembers sunny spring barbeques and long, meaningful conversations in the hallways until 3 a.m. In addition to friendships, she notes that Northwestern broadened her understanding of the world and, through her work-study job and anthropology major, she developed professional skills and new perspectives that have continued to serve her well since graduation. Scholarship aid enabled her to attend the University, and Northwestern’s many student resources supported her through both happy and challenging times.

Carrie has made a gift to the University every year since graduation, making her a bronze-level member of NU Loyal. Through her giving, Carrie supports areas like Northwestern Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) that were personally meaningful to her as a student. She also supports student groups that help empower traditionally underserved communities.

Today, Carrie is a systems analyst associate for Northwestern Information Technology—a job she loves thanks to her team and because each day brings new puzzles to solve. Since the beginning of her Northwestern journey, her Purple Pride has continued to grow. “I have even more school spirit as a staff member,” she says. “I get to see the bigger picture, which you can miss as a student because you’re so focused on your own classes and life. Now, I just want to do what I can to thank Northwestern for how much it’s given me.”