Leadership lived: Freshman becomes a leader in student government and his fraternity

Luigi Cabantog came to the University of Illinois Springfield knowing he wanted to make a difference. As a freshman, he was elected a Student Government Association senator and joined the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity on campus.

“As a freshman, getting this much leadership experience was unexpected, but I've always been up for taking advantage,” he said. “UIS offers great opportunities and beyond.”

As the philanthropy and service chair for Delta Kappa Epsilon, he is in charge of planning volunteer activities. He recently helped to organize a street cleanup along 11th Street where members picked up litter in an effort to make campus more beautiful.

“This is so important because we want to build sustainability and we want to keep our campus clean,” he said. “We've adopted the street from the Springfield Public Works, so we do this cleanup on a regular basis.”

As part of Delta Kappa Epsilon, he’s also helped to plan fundraisers and other service activities.

“Community service is so important because you meet a lot of people and you make connections and network and you give back to your community,” he said. “That's the biggest thing that is a takeaway for me. Giving back to your community is so important.”

On campus, Cabantog works for UIS Student Life and the Office of New Student Orientation and Parent Relations. Off campus, he manages social media and is a board member for Illinois Students Against Destructive Decisions.

The Westchester, Illinois native says he chose the University of Illinois Springfield because of its location in the state capital and right-sized supportive community.

“After UIS, I plan on working for a non-profit first and eventually hopefully get elected to office of some sort,” he said.

Cabantog feels he made the right decision in choosing UIS.

“I'm glad I came to UIS because it opened a lot of doors for me, not just for my major, for my academics, but also for my extracurricular life,” he said.