Leadership lived: Business Administration major wins award for overall excellence

As Regina Bolin puts it, “you don’t always have to be the loudest person in the room” to be a leader. Bolin, a senior business administration major at the University of Illinois Springfield, has often played the role of a behind the scenes leader, however now she’s in the spotlight.

Bolin was recently honored for her overall excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities when she was presented with the Student Laureate Award from the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. She was the only student at UIS who received the award, which was presented by Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner during a ceremony at the Old State Capitol.

“It’s really cool to be here and be able to get this award because there are so many people who could have gotten it at the University of Illinois Springfield,” she said. “I just feel so honored that my achievements have been recognized. It’s awesome.”

Bolin is vice president of the Alternative Spring Break student organization, a member of the Capital Scholars Honors Program, Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She is also on a marketing committee that gives UIS student feedback about social media and advertising.

However, she’s spent most of her time on campus as a student-athlete. Bolin played for the UIS Prairie Stars Women’s Soccer team for four years, being named to the Athletics Academic Honor Roll three times.

“I loved everyone that I got to play with and just being able to have a role on a team and getting to continue playing the sport that I loved is awesome,” she said.

Bolin, a Kansas City, Missouri native, has participating in the past three Alternative Spring Break trips, starting with New York City in 2016 where she helped feed the homeless. This year, she’s planning to go to Texas with the group to help with Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

“Leadership is what you make out of it,” she said. “There’s always opportunities to be a leader and I think anyone could be a leader and it just depends how much effort you put into it.”

Following graduation, Bolin plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career in the business marketing field. She looks back at her experience at UIS with fond memories.

“I’ve met a lot of great people, I’ve been able to learn a lot while I’ve been there too,” she said. “There’s just a lot of opportunities at UIS that I’ve been glad to be a part of and I think the school has been a really good fit for me.”