An aspiring physician who wants to do Alzheimer’s research, Vito Failla describes graduating as bittersweet.
“Being able to make my family proud by reaching this milestone in my life feels great. It does feel a little sad with this chapter closing in my life, but I am excited to see what the next chapter has in store for me,” said Failla, a chemistry major in the Class of 2026 who will continue working as a Laboratory Technician on campus this summer until he moves on to medical school.
When asked about advice for incoming students, Failla said whatever you are looking to achieve at Illinois, there is a great program that will set you on the right path to accomplish those dreams. And Failla took advantage of many opportunities in his four years on campus.
Outside the classroom, he participated in undergraduate research, was a Teaching Assistant and volunteer tutor, and he also got involved in numerous organizations.
In the lab of professor Rutilio “Rudy” Fratti, Failla got involved in biochemistry and biophysics research focusing on protein-protein and protein-lipid interactions that mediate the vesicle transport pathway, using budding yeast vacuoles as a model organism for mammalian lysosomes.
“Being a part of research allowed me to develop my laboratory techniques and etiquette and gave me an environment where I could apply what I learned in lectures to the real world,” Failla said.
Failla was the co-founder and vice-president of Musical Medics, a registered student organization (RSO) focused on performing music for residents in healthcare facilities in the Champaign-Urbana area, and he was membership director of UIUC Sibshops, a program that supports siblings of individuals with special needs or disabilities. He was also the vice-president of recruitment for the American Cancer Society, a member of Phi Delta Epsilon, a pre-medical fraternity on campus, and a Campus Ambassador for the Gift of Life Marrow Registry.
Outside of RSOs, Failla volunteered at Carle Hospital as a patient transporter/ambassador and volunteered at Crisis Nursery and as a general/organic chemistry tutor on campus.
“I also had the opportunity to donate stem cells to a 64-year-old with Leukemia through the Gift of Life Marrow Registry,” said Failla, who still managed to find free time that he enjoyed spending snowboarding, golfing, building puzzles, and hanging out with friends and family.
But a major highlight during his four years, Failla said, was his experience as Teaching Assistant for Organic Chemistry I under Jordan Axelson, director of undergraduate studies and senior lecturer in chemistry, and as a TA for General Chemistry II under Christian Ray, teaching associate professor of chemistry.
“It was a great experience building relationships with the other TAs and professors. I always looked forward to teaching and mentoring students and it was fulfilling being able to help others succeed in courses and build confidence in their own learning abilities,” said Failla, who made the list of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students.
Of all his activities, Failla said volunteering to tutor general chemistry and organic chemistry students had the most impact on his education.
“Before I taught these courses, I had a decent grasp of the material, but forcing yourself to teach the material to other students shows you where gaps in your knowledge are and helps you address those to be able to fully grasp the material. If I had any studying advice to incoming freshmen, I would say to try teaching someone else the material because that helped me,” he said.
Failla said he thanks Axelson, his CHEM 232 professor, for making the complicated material very manageable and giving him the opportunity to teach under her guidance.
“That was one of the most valuable experiences I had at Illinois,” said Failla, who also mentioned health and kinesiology professor Beth Frasca, who helped with his medical school application, and professor Fratti, who fueled his passion to discover the unknown.
Failla said reaching this milestone doesn’t feel real.
“I feel like I was just a freshman starting out, and before I knew it, I was graduating,” he said. “I will definitely miss the friends and people I have worked with throughout my years at Illinois. There is an incredible community on this campus and a lot of amazing people who will go on to do great things. Another thing I will miss dearly is the Bread Company lunch sandwiches. They are to die for!”