Honors Student Council

Welcome to Honors Student Council!

HSC Executive Board 2024-2025 (See below for information about the 2025-2026 Board!)


The purpose of the Honors Student Council (HSC) is to provide a community where honors students can develop friendships and participate in activities that are critical to the mission of the program. The HSC is supported financially and overseen by the Campus Honors Program staff. During the spring semester, students have an opportunity to apply for leadership positions on the HSC Executive Board. Each of the Vice Presidents is responsible for chairing a committee focused on each of their respective areas of responsibility, and all students in the Campus Honors Program are encouraged to actively participate on one or more of these committees. Those selected for the 2025-26 academic year include:

  • Adele Miller, President
  • Jill Harvey, Secretary and Social Media Chair
  • Madison Fanning, CHP Connections Co-Chair
  • Serena Naji, CHP Connections Co-Chair
  • Zach Jalley, Vice President of Academic Engagement
  • Isabel Zhou, Vice President of Art Committee
  • Kelsey Bentrem, Co-Vice President of Community Engagement
  • Ellen Cockman, Co-Vice President of Community Engagement
  • Carlos Hernandez, Co-Vice President of Cultural Engagement
  • Toni Ishola, Co-Vice President of Cultural Engagement
  • Kaitlyn DeVries, Vice President of Publications

    Honors Student Council meets at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday evenings on alternating weeks throughout the semester. All students are encouraged to attend. On the alternating week when the HSC does not formally meet, it sponsors an “Honors After Dark” program that is thematically determined by students. Watch for announcements about events in Newsbytes and sign up to follow us on Social Media!

We encourage all students to become involved in the HSC this year!


Meet Your 2025-26 HSC Executive Board!

Adele Miller – President

Adele is a senior majoring in Special Education with a minor in Disability Studies. Outside of HSC, she is the President of Epsilon Delta, a professional teaching organization, and Vice President of Illini Service Dogs, an RSO and nonprofit that trains mobility service dogs and places them free of charge. She is also the primary caretaker and handler of Rory, a one-year-old black lab training through Illini Service Dogs. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the outdoors, reading, baking, and spending time with her friends, family, and dogs.  HSC has been an integral part of her college experience as she has found a dynamic, supportive community with her fellow Chancellor’s Scholars. She is very excited to assume her role as HSC President in the fall.

Jill Harvey – Secretary and Social Media Chair

Jill is a sophomore majoring in Marketing and Information Systems with minors in Spanish and International Business. When she graduates, she wants to pursue a career in digital marketing and marketing analytics, combining her passions for creative problem-solving and digital design. Outside of HSC, she is the Chairperson of Student Experience in the Illinois Student Council, the Marketing Chair for the Society of Women in Business, and a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors, reading, spending time with friends, and trying new campus coffee shops. 

Jill got involved with HSC to find a close-knit community on campus of people dedicated to learning and serving the community. CHP has always felt like home on campus, and she looks forward to sharing that feeling with others as a member of the executive board. She is very excited to enhance HSC’s unique brand and to recruit and retain members through a dynamic social media presence. 

Madison Fanning – Co-Chair, CHP Connections

Madison is a senior studying a dual degree of Bioengineering and Chemistry. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school to study higher education in order to pursue a career in student affairs. On campus, Madison works as a Program Assistant for Women In Engineering, serves as the Vice President for Professional Projects for Tau Beta Pi, the Engineering Honor Society, volunteers as a Communication Chair for Illini Pride, was a past Resident Advisor in Graduate and Upper Division Housing, and also was a past Engineering Learning Assistant for ENG 101 for Engineering Undeclared students. In her free time, Madison enjoys watching Illini sports and traveling.
Using her past experience running the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Buddies Mentorship Program, Madison is excited to run the CHP Connections with Serena. She aims to build not only mentor-mentee relationships but also connections among new Chancellor’s Scholars. Madison found her home in the Campus Honors Program and desires to help fellow Chancellor’s Scholars find their place as well.

Serena Naji – Co-Chair, CHP Connections

Serena is a junior in LAS majoring in English. Outside of HSC, she is a Student Alumni Ambassador, Membership Director for the Illinois Shotokan Karate Club, as well as an active member of both Illinois Model United Nations and Muslim Student Association. In her free time, she enjoys reading all kinds of books, listening to music, and hanging out with friends and family.

The Honors Student Council has provided Serena with a supportive community and made her feel more welcome within the CHP. The connections she has made so far have been invaluable. She looks forward to helping incoming Chancellor’s Scholars connect to the CHP community!

Zach Jalley- Vice President, Academic Engagement

Zach is a senior in Geology whose hometown is the city of Decatur, located in Central Illinois. He is currently planning to move onward to a master’s degree in pursuit of a career in the field of water resource management and is working as a part of Professor Tom Johnson’s lab. Some things Zach enjoys in his free time are hiking, Seattle Mariners baseball, collecting soda bottles, and a game series revolving around a jolly, pink puffball named Kirby.

Carlos Hernandez – Co-Vice President, Cultural Engagement

Carlos is a junior double majoring in Spanish and Political Science. Outside of HSC, Carlos is part of the Global Leaders Program (GLP) through the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. Through GLP, he became a student consultant for Ernst & Young. Carlos is the co-VP of Outreach for ICAUSE and a mentorship committee chair for La Colectiva. He is the parliamentarian for UIUC’s chapter of Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity and an ex-officio member of the executive board of the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity.

Last school year, Carlos was the Helpline Intern for the YMCA’s New American Welcome Center. He retained his position for the summer and looks forward to working with NAWC again in the fall as a Legal Services Intern.

Carlos is excited about working with Rosie to lead the Cultural Engagement Committee. Specifically, he hopes to reach out to the cultural houses to inform incoming freshmen about CHP and encourage them to apply. His favorite part of CHP last year was meeting and befriending all the talented people in the Cultural Engagement Committee, and he wishes to continue fostering the committee’s inclusive, open, and nurturing environment.

Toni Ishola – Co-Vice President, Cultural Engagement

Toni is a junior majoring in Global Studies with minors in Political Science and East Asian Languages and Cultures. Outside of HSC, she serves as the President of The Black Business Network, is the Director of Internal Engagement for the Social Justice Initiative and is a member of the Global Leaders Program (GLP), where she has consulted with Ernst & Young and collaborated with the Secretariat of Education in Baja California, Mexico. 

She has also studied abroad in Tokyo, Japan, where she participated in faculty-led research focused on promoting diversity within unique cultural contexts. Most recently, she interned at Legal Aid Chicago as a Paralegal Intern, defending clients in subsidized housing against wrongful evictions based on discrimination.

In her free time, Toni enjoys traveling, reading, and expanding her Lego collection. As a member of HSC, she looks forward to contributing to a vibrant environment and creating events that celebrate the diverse stories of CHP students! 

Isabel Zhou – Vice President, Art

Isabel is a senior studying Accountancy and Information Systems in the Gies College of Business. When she graduates, she wants to pursue a career in UX/UI design to explore the intersection between art, business, and technology. Isabel has a diverse range of artistic interests, including drawing, painting, sewing, crocheting, and jewelry-making. Outside of HSC, Isabel runs her own online clothing business and is a member of Illinois Business Consulting (IBC). 

Through CHP, Isabel has found a supportive community where she can thrive and grow alongside others. Whether she’s working on a project or organizing a social event, she has many opportunities to form meaningful connections. Isabel cherishes the friends she has made through CHP and hopes to meet even more people at the Honors House this year!

Kelsey Bentrem – Co-Vice President, Community Engagement

Kelsey is a Sophomore studying Animal Sciences with a Pre-Veterinary concentration and a minor in Chemistry. Outside of HSC, she is a Co-Fundraising Chair for Pre-Vet Club and Tech Chair for Climbing Club. She also plays the flute in the University Concert Band, volunteers at Vermillion County Animal Shelter, and volunteers at Haflinger Haven horse shelter. In her free time she loves baking, climbing, and backpacking. 

HSC has given Kelsey the chance to combine her many passions, meet new people, and connect with the CHP community. She is excited to branch out with new HSC volunteering opportunities so CHP students can step outside their major and comfort zone while helping the community.

Ellen Cockman – Co-Vice President, Community Engagement

Ellen is a sophomore planning on studying Statistics and Environmental Science. In addition to being a Chancellor’s scholar and James scholar, she is involved in the Student Success Undergraduate Advisory Board through the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion sector of the Office of the Provost. Ellen also works at the Illinois Leadership Center within the Leadership Certificate program. In her free time, she likes to go on adventures with family and friends, give her very fluffy dog lots of hugs, experience the great outdoors, and play tennis and the piano!

Ellen has found the Honors Student Council to be a “home” within the university as HSC offers a small community at a large institution. She has found the faculty and students to be a supporting, uplifting, and welcoming group of people. Ellen wants all students to feel as welcome as she has and encourages all Chancellor’s Scholars to check out the exciting events planned by HSC!

Kaitlyn DeVries – Vice President, Publications

Kaitlyn is a sophomore majoring in English and double minoring in Creative Writing and Political Science.  Outside of HSC, she is the competitive team captain of the Illinois Pickleball club, which travels out of state for frequent tournaments during the year.  In her free time, she likes to work out, play intramural volleyball, write short stories, and hang out with her friends.  

Having joined HSC in her freshman year to get more involved in CHP, Kaitlyn has found this group a great community for students of all years, majors, and backgrounds.  She is very excited to continue the legacy that the Publications committee has cultivated over the years, and seeks to encourage more people to become involved in the creative process of writing through the Publications committee, whether that be through creating characters for Murder Mystery night, or publishing a short story/poem through the literary magazine, Equinox.