Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism Student Awards

Samuel Tinaglia, Jr.

Sam will complete his degree in Sport Management next year. He hopes to work in the front office of a professional sports team. Last summer, he worked for the Schaumburg Boomers baseball team and will intern with the Houston Astros this summer. A Dean's List honoree, Sam is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.

Alexis Davis

Lexi will earn her degree in Sport Management in August after completing an internship with Walt Disney Company, and hopes to continue working for the company as an event planner. Lexi has worked as an athletic training aide for Fighting Illini football, a team manager for Illinois women's basketball, and a sports marketing intern for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics.

Jan Podgorni

Jan will complete a degree in Sport Management next year and hopes to be either a high school athletic director or an executive with a professional sports organization. He interned with the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics' Fighting Illini Marketing Team. He is a project manager and consultant with Illinois Sports Consulting Agency and active with the Sports Business Association.

Abraham Bakare

After completing his degree in Sport Management in August, Abraham will enroll in the University of Southern California’s master’s program in Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs. He has worked for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics as a football equipment manager, event management ambassador, and student athlete tutor. He is an assistant youth pastor at the New Generation Congregation.

Kaylee Thompson

Kaylee graduates in May with a degree in Tourism Management. She completed a community relations and marketing internship with Busey Bank and a marketing internship with The Classic T-Shirt Company. A Dean’s List honoree, she has mentored numerous students at Centennial High School in Champaign as a Young Life leader.

David Whittley

David will complete his degree in Sport Management next year. He oversees events in the Activities and Recreation Center and Campus Recreation Center East as an event manager for Campus Recreation. This semester, he also holds the Director’s Internship position. A Dean’s List honoree, David is an advancement ambassador leader in AHS.

Melani McCoy

After graduating in May with a degree in Sport Management, Melani will pursue a master’s degree in Human Resources and Industrial Relations. A licensed practical nurse in the US Army Reserves, Melani was a program assistant in Campus Recreation. She is a Dean’s List honoree and a scholar in the Mannie L. Jackson Illinois Academic Enrichment and Leadership Program.

Melani also received the 2020 Triple S Scholarship.

Ryan Harrison

Ryan plans to work as an administrator in a recreation department after completing his degree in Recreation Management next year. He worked as an umpire, referee, and equipment manager for the Mahomet Recreation Department. A James Scholar in the College of Applied Health Sciences, Ryan has been nominated for membership in the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.

Brittany Prais

Brittany will complete her degree in Recreation Management next year. She has worked as a coach and choreographer at a gymnastics facility, and a camp counselor, group services staff member, and outdoor recreation leader for the YMCA. A Dean’s List honoree and James Scholar, Brittany is a member of the Oskees Illini Dance Company.

Brendan Ross

Brendan will complete his degree in Sport Management in December. He has been a sports information student worker and event management student ambassador for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics, and completed internships with the Joliet Slammers, Chicago Bears, and NBA. A Dean’s List honoree and James Scholar, Brendan is president of the Sports Business Association.

Leslie Taylor

Leslie will stay on for graduate work in RST after completing her degree in Sport Management in August. A Dean’s List honoree and James Scholar, she has worked for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics’ Office of Sports Camps and Clinics and is an academic tutor for student-athletes. Leslie is a student member of the RST Advisory Council.

Angela Tzortzis

After completing her degree in Sport Management in August, Angela hopes to work in event management. She is an event management student ambassador for Illinois Athletics and a premier service ambassador for the Chicago Cubs. She is a James Scholar, and serves on the AHS Student Council executive board and the RST Honor and Advisory Council.

Nicholas Reeverts

Nick will complete his degree in Sport Management in 2022. He is in his first semester at Illinois, having transferred from the University of Missouri-Columbia. At Missouri, he majored in Journalism with a focus on sports reporting and was a Dean’s List honoree. He also attended the College of DuPage, where he earned academic honors.

Leslie Camarillo

Leslie hopes to join a research university after completing her PhD in 2022. Mentored by Dr. Monika Stodolska, she investigates issues related to leisure among ethnic and racial minorities. She served on the conference and student advisory committees for the annual meeting of The Academy of Leisure Sciences, from which she received a Future Scholars Award.

Wonju Lee

Wonju will complete his PhD in 2022. Mentored by Dr. Jon Welty Peachey, he is investigating the impact of sport on youth development. He presented his research on the effects of sport on intercultural adaptation among native English teachers in South Korea at the 2019 meeting of the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport.

Kelly Lewis Abell

Kelly will complete the online master’s program in August. She is a resource parent at Children’s Home of York in Pennsylvania. She plans to develop an experiential education program that assists underserved youth in building life skills, and is particularly interested in the effects of wilderness-based programs on autonomy and self-efficacy in youth.

Xingxing Wu

Xingxing will pursue an academic career after completing his PhD next year. Mentored by Dr. Kim Shinew and Dr. Laura Payne, his research addresses leisure identity, leisure behavior, and leisure opportunities among underrepresented ethnic and cultural groups. He has studies leisure-related issues among Southeast Asian immigrants and Chinese students in the United States.

Katryn Chryst

After graduating in May, Katryn plans to open a business that supports women in creating healthy leisure habits. Mentored by Dr. Toni Liechty, her research focuses on relationships among body image, exercise behavior, and social media usage. As a marketing graduate assistant for Campus Recreation, she creates and publishes social media content.

Caitlin Brooks

Caitlin hopes to join a research university after completing her PhD next year. Mentored by Dr. Carla Santos, she is studying how people use leisure to create meaningful relationships and how belonging to a subculture contributes to this creation of meaning. Her work has been published in the Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change.