Sierra Leone — nicknamed Salone by many who live there — is one of the poorest countries in the world. But it’s rich in other ways … with love, strong faith, and hope for the future. I spent my spring break in Freetown, the city where freed slaves returned to Africa.

With five Illinois College of Media journalism students and two professors, we shot b-roll, conducted interviews, and collected audio to create a documentary on mitigating period poverty.

Since we were young, my sister and I have embraced our differences, but found joy and passion in similar things. 

One thing the College of ACES is never short on is hands-on experience. Last week, Jersey Hesse and Erica Johnson, both Agricultural Communications program students, were invited to Fort Worth, Texas, to attend AgRally 2024 -- a celebration of National Ag Day -- to participate in the launch of the new James F. Evans Global Center for Food and Agricultural Communications, live on RFD-TV.  

Gibson City native, WCIA meteorologist and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alum Jacob Dickey is bringing to life his childhood dreams and using his public platform to share more than just weather.  

The purpose of roots is to act as a foundation: holding a plant straight and stable, and absorbing water from the ground to help it grow. The world's deepest root system reaches 400 feet under the ground. The deeper and larger the root system of a tree, the more strength the tree has to grow and spread its branches.