Student Highlight: Cloie Widell (Army National Guard)
The Chez Veterans Center staff are proud of the work of our students. Cloie Widell was a work study, Resident Assistant, and overall leader for many of our military-connected students this Fall semester. We asked Cloie to share about herself and ways she strives to have a positive impact on her peers and community.
Cloie writes:
My name is Cloie Widell and I am a senior at UIUC studying Interdisciplinary Health Sciences with a minor in Healthcare Administration. I grew up in the city of Rockford Illinois and first decided to join the Illinois National Guard in 2018 after finishing 1 year at my junior college. I currently hold the MOS of 88M which is a Motor Transport Specialist. I chose this MOS because I wanted something with a short training time, and something no one would expect me to be doing. During my activation for the January 6th riots on the Capitol it dawned on me that after there was a big world outside of Rockford. While in Washington D.C. I started the application process and to my surprise, I was accepted into UIUC.
When I first got here I didn’t really know too much about the CVC and struggled with finding a sense of community for nearly 2 years. Once I found the CVC I felt a sense of relief at how supportive and welcoming the staff was. Everyone at the center has some type of military connected background and opened their doors to anyone who needed that community. I applied to be one of the work studies at the Chez during my senior year. Luckily enough I was accepted to be the Social Media Assistant working alongside Ingrid and the rest of the staff. One of my biggest projects I worked on through the fall semester was partnering with McKinley Health Center, by curating resources specific for military connected students that cover all 8 dimensions of health. This developed a ‘one- stop- shop’ for students who are looking for specific resources. Check out our website soon to see these wellness resources.
The staff and students at the Chez have become some of my biggest supporters and mentors through the fall semester. They allow me to use my creativity and come to them with any new idea I may have that would help better the center. All of the staff has challenged me into thinking about things that encompass more than just student veterans, but anyone who is military connected or even students who just want to get involved.
In early September I started to notice that some military connected students find themselves struggling beyond just finding that sense of community they once had. Some struggle with food insecurity, financial burdens, and even struggle to find affordable housing once their time is up at the Chez. This is why for my last semester at UIUC I started the ‘Empowering Our Student Veterans’ fundraising event that will raise money for student veterans who find themselves in dire financial circumstances. Through generous donations and sponsors for the event, we will be able to raise money that will act as an emergency fund for these veterans. The event will be held as a dinner on April 6th, 2024. If you, or someone you know would be interested in attending the event or sponsoring the event, please contact Cloie at cwidell2@illinois.edu . The CVC has acted as more than just a facility on campus to me. It has acted as a place that I can come to learn, relax, study, and advocate for other military connected students