Senior Spotlight: Noah Yeager (BA ’26, history and political science)
“My history education will always be one of the most valuable parts of who I am. Beyond just reading and writing, I have learned how to consume large amounts of information quickly and efficiently, to evaluate the truthfulness of sources, to interpret contradictory and messy narratives, and to form and pick apart arguments. These will all surely help me in my professional career as a lawyer, a field that demands strong argumentation skills and careful, but extensive, research. However, these skills are all just as important in providing a methodology for understanding the world around us and being a good citizen, especially with the rise of AI and misinformation.” - Noah Yeager
Internships & awards
During his time at Illinois, Noah worked as a political intern at the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association, a summer intern for Senator Tammy Duckworth’s Springfield Office, and a Wolff intern with the University of Illinois System’s Institute for Government and Public Affairs. He was also awarded two history department internships: the Jayne and Richard Burkhardt Scholarship for Outstanding Undergraduate Achievement and the Robert H. Bierma Scholarship for Superior Academic Merit in History.
RSOs & Research
Noah served as both president and editor-in-chief for the Illinois Undergraduate Law Review, an undergraduate-level legal publication operated by students. He was also a member of the Illinois Model United Nations. His senior thesis examines how and why different groups at the University of Illinois interacted with the military-industrial complex during the Cold War. He hopes to add a new perspective to existing “Cold War University” scholarship that focuses largely on the role of coastal universities.
Favorite memory
His favorite memory was spending time with the rest of the senior thesis group after class at Murphy’s.
Plans after college
Noah plans to attend law school in the fall.