My Alma Mater: By Design

In 1974, Steven MacGregor (seated, second from left) and a tight-knit group of Illinois architecture students had a grand, life-changing, European adventure. (Images courtesy of Steven Macgregor)

I decided to study architecture in college because I was inspired and mentored by my high school architectural drawing teacher, and I chose to attend Illinois for one main reason: the Dept. of Architecture’s senior-year, study-abroad program in Versailles, France.

To 18-year-old me, nothing sounded better than living in France and finishing my degree on a different continent, while getting to see the masterpieces of European architecture.

After three years on campus, spending late nights in the architecture design studio and even later nights having beers at KAMS, it was finally time. There were 53 seniors in my program, and all of us were going to Versailles for an intensive, year-long study-abroad experience filled with life-changing travel opportunities, indelible teaching moments and lots of fun, including an episode of streaking at the Eiffel Tower—1974 being “the year of the streak”—that was picked up by the Associated Press!

Although we attended our classes in Versailles, almost half of our time abroad was made up of travel breaks, lasting three to four weeks. For each travel break, we split into groups and chose places to visit and then wrote reports about them for our professors. Ultimately, my roommates and I
visited every country in Western Europe (except for Norway and Sweden), as well as Russia, Hungary, Turkey and Morocco.

My favorite countries, by far, were Greece and Italy: for the beauty of the countryside; fantastic art and gardens; fabulous food and wine; friendly people; and architecturally and historically significant buildings, including the ancient ruins.

But despite the wonderful time we had, our travels in Europe weren’t always easy. We all experienced culture shock, being immersed in unfamiliar places with different languages and practices than we were used to. Careful coordination was required to include sights that appealed to everyone, and that planning process provided great training on teamwork. The experience also taught us to improvise and think creatively. In the days before the internet, it was a significant challenge to get directions, choose hotels that were affordable and negotiate the best places to eat together. But all in all, finding solutions to these problems helped us to become adults and taught us skills we would use for the rest of our lives.

After returning home from France, I got married and attended grad school at Illinois, after which I became a licensed architect and enjoyed a long career with the Kirkland & Ellis law firm.

My travel experience in Europe and business management training at Illinois proved extremely beneficial over the years. They helped me to be flexible, make quick decisions and find creative solutions to unexpected issues. The U. of I. instilled in me a desire to always be the best I could be, listen and pay attention to detail, be respectful of others, and learn from my mistakes. Attending Illinois is one of the best decisions I have ever made—second only to marrying my wife of 50 years and having children.

Steven MacGregor retired in 2017 to fish and lives with his wife Mary in River Forest, Ill., and Montague, Mich.

Share your campus experience! Email: illinoisalumni@uillinois.edu