Eureka College has a small but mighty community. Senior students, with all sorts of different stories, have had many different experiences at Eureka, which has impacted them for the rest of their lives. As graduation approaches, seniors must ask where they will go and what they will do post-grad.

Brailyn Zimmerman has been attending Eureka for four years. She is a double major in Psychology and Education, and is creating plans to get her master’s in speech-language pathology after graduating.

Zimmerman has been highly involved with campus activities since her second semester at the College. She was not only a member of the sorority Delta Delta Pi (DDP), but also managed the women’s basketball team, where they traveled to Canada during the 23’-24’ season, was an RA on campus, played on the women’s golf team for a year, and was vice president of the Greek Council her junior year. 

She explains how the community at Eureka is why she chose here. She visited her best friend during the rest of her gap year and fell in love with the small-town atmosphere.

“With it being such a small campus, we are forced into the same proximity, and it truly requires you to get to know each individual … the community at Eureka is what has kept me here the longest,” Zimmerman said. 

Zimmerman mentions her favorite memory at Eureka College was the Study Abroad program, where she went to London with Professor Harry Fisher, who specializes in the Business Department.

“That trip taught me so much not only about myself, but also about the other cultures surrounding me. It opened my eyes to the number of opportunities even a single small town college can give you,” Zimmerman said.

She briefly explains that the Eureka College Experimental Learning Grant and the Straw Scholarship paid in full for the entire study abroad trip she took. “So I didn’t have to pay anything out of pocket to go study in London, and that was the best part about the entire thing.”

Zimmerman explains, “Coming to Eureka gave me ample opportunities, and it really worries me to move on because I don’t know if I’ll be able to uphold that kind of standard for myself when I leave.” She is nervous to go home after feeling so free throughout her time at the College.

Thomas Culp, a double major in Education as well as History and Political Science, is looking to enter the teaching scene as soon as possible after completing the requirements at Eureka College. Culp highlights the struggles and successes of being a transfer student and an athlete on campus.

Culp explains his transition from his previous school, Lincoln, which had shut down during the 21-22 academic year, leaving many with questions and uncertainty about their future. Culp explained what really changed for him by stating, “I was an Exercise Science major at Lincoln College before transferring here.” 

Culp has been a wrestling coach with a decorated background that stems from his youth, all the way through his collegiate years, having been a student assistant coach for the Eureka Wrestling Program.

“I was a wrestling team captain for 3 years here, and I stepped into a student assistant coaching role for my senior year,” Culp said. 

He is highly involved with the athletics at Eureka as well as an RA on campus, giving him the role of mentoring younger students and athletes into successful positions at the college.

“My favorite overall memory is the wrestling trips…Not one specifically, but all of them. The saddest part about leaving is having to move on from the wrestling program we’ve built,” Culp said. 

Another senior, Morgan Hilliard, is a double major in Criminal Justice and Sociology, and Psychology. Hilliard, like Culp, plans to enter straight into the workforce after graduating hoping to start at a position with being a caseworker working with single moms. 

Hilliard expresses having a bumpy ride while attending Eureka. She explains, “Every good experience at Eureka is always followed up with something negative … it’s like two steps forward and one back.” 

She mentions being a part of a sorority on campus for a few semesters. She feels that in the beginning, everything was great, but as time went on, true colors started to show. Hilliard’s best advice to those planning to join a sorority is, “Choose your house correctly, and make sure it is the most suitable fit for yourself and your personality.” 

Hilliard does, however, believe that connections with other students and faculty have kept her here the longest as well.

“I have had some good relationships with people, very few, but they are all incredibly strong,” Hilliard said, emphasizing a similar tight-knit community as Zimmerman. 

She gives a layout of her next steps after graduating by stating, “The next steps for me are planning. I like to plan everything out before I try to act upon anything to ensure it’s going to work, and at the best fit for myself.” 

Joyce Kabesa is a senior at Eureka College studying Graphic Design. Kabesa has intentions of moving to Washington, D.C., and begins working with his uncle as soon as possible after graduation in May. 

Kabesa has left an impact in Eureka College athletics, by at one point being ranked in the nation for most goals scored in the NCAA Men’s soccer rankings. Kabesa transferred to Eureka after his first year at Blackburn. He has made it known that he doesn’t regret his choice to transfer.  

Kabesa has been very happy with what he had accomplished at Eureka, including not only the materialistic accomplishments, but the intangible as well. He touched further on the atmosphere of the soccer program and how its direction has gone over the three years, from seeing no success at all to having tied the best record in school history. 

Kabesa explains how the transition between schools affected him by stating, “The change was a bit difficult at first because of the differences.” He speaks on the changes affecting him not only in the classroom but also on the pitch, something he felt like others could notice.  

“The saddest part about graduating and being here is that I won’t be able to play soccer for Eureka anymore,” Kabesa said. 

The Eureka College Spring Commencement ceremony is scheduled for May 9th, 2026, from 10:30 am to 2:00 pm at the Reagan Athletic Complex. During this ceremony, students are recognized for their hard work put in to complete the requirements for a Bachelor’s degree and certificates.