Student Spotlight: Heather Zupancic

The combination of College of DuPage's excellent reputation, strong Honors program and award-winning Forensics team drew the attention of Heather Zupancic.

Homeschooled since fifth grade, Zupancic was confident in her decision to attend COD. What she gained went beyond the classroom.

"College of DuPage helped me understand what I wanted to do with the rest of my life," she said. "Lauren Morgan and Chris Miller (assistant professors of Speech) sat down with me and helped me figure out what I was good at. They helped me see how I could make a career."

A member of the College's Forensics Team, Zupancic won several prestigious awards and received silver medals in extemporaneous speaking and parliamentary debate and a gold medal in persuasive speaking at the 2009 Phi Rho Pi National Championship. She also was one of only two Illinois community college students to compete in the Interstate Oratory Competition, traditionally reserved for competitors from four-year institutions.

She also served as vice president of 1Stone Ministries on campus and was named one of two outstanding graduates in 2009.

After College of DuPage, Zupancic attended North Central College in Naperville, where she earned her bachelor's degree in Organizational Communication and Speech Communication. She is currently attending the University of Illinois, where she is pursuing a master's degree in Health Communication and working as a graduate assistant, teaching several freshman classes. Her goal is to obtain a Ph.D. and continue teaching.

"I'd like to teach communication to medical and pre-med students. I want to help them learn learn how to communicate with patients," she said. "My father is a dentist and my mother is a microbiologist, so they are happy that I'm doing something in the health field."

Zupancic thanks College of DuPage for helping her find the right career path and advises any student to take advantage of what COD offers.

"Get as involved as possible -- you'll be amazed at what you learn," she said. "I also met people at COD who I still call my best friends."

More about the Speech Communication program