Emily Martin is a fourth-generation Illini. Although she followed the footsteps of her family members, she paved her own unique path at Illinois.
Martin spent the past four years on the Fighting Illini Women’s Swimming & Diving team. She acquired many skills throughout her time on the team that go well beyond her performance in the pool.
As a student-athlete, Martin felt very supported by her teammates and coaches, the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) as well as the College of ACES. Both helped Martin and her teammates succeed academically and athletically. She really appreciated that there were so many resources available ranging from nutrition to mental health to networking opportunities.
During her time in the College of ACES, Martin was very involved despite the large time-commitment that being a student-athlete requires. She is the current secretary and treasurer for the College of ACES Student Advancement Committee, a member of the Explore ACES committee and spent three years as an ACES Ambassador.
These opportunities on campus, along with her agricultural and consumer economics and accounting coursework prepared her for the internships. Martin was a Corporate Accounting intern at Caterpillar in the summer of 2018 in Peoria, IL, and an Audit and Assurance intern at Deloitte in St. Louis, MO, in the summer of 2019. She will be returning to Deloitte this summer before spending another year at Illinois completing a master’s degree in Accounting in the Gies College of Business.
When asked about her favorite moments as an Illini, Martin shared this memory.
“When I was a freshman, I remember going to the Illinois Marathon’s Friday night mile event for kids. My roommate and I went to Memorial Stadium, which was the finish line, and it was amazing to be surrounded by the joy and sense of accomplishment around us. Everyone was smiling and high-fiving. This is one of the moments that comes to mind when I think of what being an Illini is all about.”
