Valeska Carrillo takes special pride in being the first in her family to earn a college degree. Raised in Aurora by parents who came to the U.S. from Mexico, she always dreamed of going to college.

“I’ve been looking forward to my graduation ever since I was a little girl,” Carrillo said. “My parents have always been humble, hardworking people, and I am fortunate that they always understood the value of education and encouraged me to pursue higher education.

“I remember my dad doing my hair before school and telling me how vital a college education is.”

Her parents, Alma Delia and Jose Guadalupe, will be there to share in her graduation moment. Imani Saucedo, her close friend, co-worker, and roommate—who will be accompanied by her dog QP—will also be there. Saucedo is graduating that day too.  

A music education major with a minor in Spanish, Carrillo, 23, hopes to make an impact on her future students similar to the one her professors made on her at Illinois State University. With trombone as her main instrument, one of her most influential teachers was Dr. Mark Babbitt who helped build her musicianship skills in his role as her applied professor.

“Out of all the lessons I had with different professors at different institutions, Dr. Babbitt stuck out most to me,” she said. “Oddly enough, he had the most criticism of my playing. I felt like many professors tried to sugarcoat feedback just to recruit me. But Dr. Babbitt got straight to the point, gave me practice tips, warm-up packets, and repertoire suggestions, which I really valued.”

Babbitt pushed her to do her best and believed in her when her self-confidence was low.

“If it wasn’t for him, I don’t know if I would have survived college,” Carrillo said. “He is one of my role models.”

Proud of her heritage, she grew up speaking Spanish at home, eating delicious pan dulce, and listening to cumbia and música norteña. For her recital, she chose music written by Mexican composers. Babbitt had encouraged her to seek just such a diverse repertoire.

“At my recital, I made sure to not only include the program notes about each piece, but to introduce them in Spanish,” she said. “It was important to me to provide a sense of authenticity. It was a project that required countless hours of research and ultimately took me a year to complete.

“Dr. Babbitt enjoyed one of the pieces so much, Soliloquio de un Andariego by Odin Zamorano Reyes, that he performed it for his own faculty recital in October of 2023.”

Carrillo decided on Illinois State after being selected as a high school student to participate in the Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) Band Festival. Some of the state’s most talented musicians were chosen to prepare a selection of concert band pieces. It was during the fall of 2018, and the guest conductor was Dr. Anthony Marinello, Illinois State’s director of bands. He made a lasting impression.

“I, and everyone else there, was captivated by his lively personality,” Carrillo said. “I remember we were astounded with his high singing range. He said, ‘I used to sing with my mother in church.’

“I chatted with him after the performance about my interest in pursuing music, and he encouraged me to audition for ISU’s School of Music,” she said. “That was a memorable moment for me, and Dr. Marinello never seemed to forget either. Whenever I would bump into him on the Quad, he always stopped to say hello.”

In addition, she appreciated the dedication of Dr. Shawn McNamara.

“Shout out to Dr. McNamara for being an incredibly insightful, understanding, and admirable professor,” she said. “He would go out of his way to help any student and even wrote me a few letters of recommendation. I will miss his general music class where we sang nursery rhymes and played different Orff instruments.”

Part of Carrillo’s decision to come to Illinois State was due to the tuition waiver that incoming music majors are considered for, based on their audition performances.

“I must have nailed that audition because I was fortunate enough to receive a huge tuition waiver. It covered nearly half of my tuition,” she said.

Over the years, she also received the Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore Band Award, the Charles Stokes Music Scholarship, and the Resident Assistant Academic Scholarship.

Inspired by her parents’ work ethic, Carrillo held a number of jobs to help get her through college. She was a resident assistant in Watterson; then a service area manager at Watterson, working the front desk and mailroom; and she was a service area student supervisor. She was also a Preview guide, and back home, she worked seasonal jobs at the mall.

Jacob Pourchot, a service area coordinator with University Housing Services, worked with Carrillo beginning in the fall of 2020 and was her direct supervisor for a time.

“Valeska flourished as a leader,” Pourchot said. “She was a vital part of my team, and I do not know what I would have done without her. She was never afraid to put in the extra work, and she was the voice of the student workers at Watterson Towers. Her determination, heart, and focus made her so invaluable in the workplace. I am excited to see all that she will do in her career as an educator.”

Carrillo said she’ll miss the beauty of campus, its plant life, squirrels, and bunnies. And she’ll miss skating late at night with her friends on the Quad. But she’s ready to get started and is looking forward to being in a classroom.

“I’ll be substitute teaching in the spring of 2025 while looking for a full-time position as a band director in the suburbs,” she said. “I’d also like to be involved with ILMEA—now as a music educator—and continue to inspire students like me.”

This story is one of a series of profiles featuring Redbirds who are graduating this December. For more information about how Illinois State is celebrating commencement, visit the Graduation Services website.