Leadership lived: Brother and sister showcase talents at UIS

Alex and Brooke Ginglen have a lot in common. The brother and sister duo both love to sing and perform. At the University of Illinois Springfield, they’re getting an opportunity to showcase their talents as Camerata music scholars.

The pair regularly performs at UIS Music concerts and were recently asked to sing the state song, “Illinois, Illinois”, at the beginning of a University of Illinois Board of Trustees meeting on campus. They’ve been singing together since high school.

“It was a great opportunity because I got to interact with university leaders,” said Alex, a senior computer science major. “My sister and I got to showcase our musical skills that we’ve been working on all semester.”

Alex also plays the trombone in the UIS Concert Band and drums in the UIS Pep Band. He’s a member of the Capital Scholars Honors Program, president of the Computer Science Club and runs on the UIS Prairie Stars men’s cross country team.

Brooke is just beginning her sophomore year as a pre-nursing major at UIS. She hopes to become a nurse practitioner. She chose UIS because of the new nursing program.

“I really love UIS because of the well-rounded opportunities that I have with small class sizes. I have a lot of learning opportunities and the music program,” she said.

The two didn’t plan on going to college together, however they admit it’s nice to be living on the same campus.

“My sister and I went to elementary, middle and high school together,” said Alex. “It just seems somewhat fitting that we go to the same college together.”

Following graduation, Alex wants to become a software engineer. He’s interning at State Farm Insurance this summer and hopes that will lead to a full-time job.

“All my leadership opportunities at UIS have taught me that leadership is like anything else in life. It takes practice and it takes work and dedication to be a good leader,” he said.