Paige Walker '25
Paige Walker ’25 came to Illinois College from Birmingham, Alabama, ready to blaze her own trail. With a double major in business administration and agribusiness, she merged two
worlds, corporate leadership and agriculture, to shape a career that’s uniquely her own.
worlds, corporate leadership and agriculture, to shape a career that’s uniquely her own.
After graduation, Walker is heading to Dallas to join State Farm in their Claims Team Manager Training program, a role that blends her leadership abilities with hands-on business experience.
An internship with State Farm, which began after her sophomore year, became a launching pad. She continued part-time through the academic year and returned for a second summer, working in total loss claims. But what stuck most was what State Farm taught her about corporate life and networking. “I call it 'yapping,' but really it's just being a professional networker,” she laughs. “It changed everything.”
In the classroom, Walker thrived. Her business courses adapted to current trends like AI in marketing, giving her a leg up in fast-evolving industries. Professors turned syllabi into podcasts and assignments into simulations, making each day fresh and future-focused.
When she needed help with real-life decisions, like where to live after graduation, her academic coaches were there, even reviewing apartment options with her.
“Illinois College gave me the chance to lead, to learn, and to connect the dots between my passions and my profession,” she says. “I’m walking into the next chapter fully prepared and totally myself.”