Leadership lived: Transfer student finds her voice through leadership roles at UIS

Before transferring to the University of Illinois Springfield, Molly Looby says she felt “lost” and “very small”. However, she’s now found her voice as a student worker for the UIS Women’s Center and president of the UIS College Democrats.

Looby, a communication and political science double major, recently helped to plan Chancellor’s Women’s Leadership Luncheon, which featured five accomplished women from the Springfield community who spoke about their success.

“Even today, it’s really hard to be a woman and a leader,” she said. “There’s a lot of obstacles in the way, so I think it’s very important to ask questions and learn about what we can do.”

As the president of UIS College Democrats, she often helps bring candidates to campus who are running for political office, so they have an opportunity to speak with students.

“I think it’s really important because they need to hear from students, they need to realize that students have a voice and we have things to say and we have something that we want from them and they need to listen,” she said.

Looby says she feels she made the right decision in choosing UIS and feels fortunate for all of the opportunities she’s had on campus.

“I have no idea how it happened, I was given so many opportunities,” she said. “I never thought that any of this would happen.”

Looby, who grew up in Springfield, says she “loves it here” at UIS. She enjoys the community, the diverse people and the diverse opinions on campus.

“I think that there’s a lot of passion for such a small place,” she said. “If you want the small class size, but you want to have a loud voice on campus, I think that this place is absolutely for you.”

Following graduation from UIS, Looby plans to work as an organizer for a labor union.