Alongside 40,400 runners, five MS in Higher Education Administration and Policy (MSHE) students, alumni, and staff participated in the 39th annual Bank of America Chicago Marathon. The Chicago Marathon is one of the six World Marathon Majors alongside Berlin, Boston, London, New York, and Tokyo. The course showcases 20 of Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods, and an estimated 1.7 million spectators cheered on runners for this year’s race.
For MSHE participants, the marathon provided an outlet to prioritize work/life balance and become more involved in their community on a local and national level by registering as charity runners. MSHE alumna Andrea Abel, a current PhD student at the University of San Diego (San Diego, CA), shared, “For the past seven, I have fundraised and trained for the Chicago Marathon for the American Cancer Society. During my time in university administration, and now as a full-time doctoral student, dedicating my miles to a cause I truly believe in has provided a great source of pride and happiness.”
Current MSHE student Quinn Furness explained, “I like to think that finishing the race was proof that you can indeed work 35 hours/week, enroll in four courses, and train for and run a marathon.” Furness currently serves as an intern for Northwestern University’s Undergraduate Office of Admissions. Elyse Yarnell, a current student, ran for Imerman Angels and shared “I’m so proud that I was able to run for Team Imerman Angels and raise valuable funds so that no one has to face cancer alone. The MSHE community was also so encouraging throughout the process, which made training that much more rewarding!”
Other MSHE participants were aluma Jennie Backoff and staff member Kristin McCann. Like Abel and Yarnell, Backoff and McCann participated as charity runners with Chicago Lights, and the American Cancer Society, respectively. Together, MSHE participants raised over $6,000 for their respective charities.