Kevin Daliva
Hometown: Glenview, IL
University: University of Illinois
Major: Accountancy
BIOGRAPHY
I’m Kevin and I’m a senior studying Accounting with a minor in Technology & Management. I’m from Glenview, Illinois. I went to Glenbrook South High School where I was super involved in a lot of different things: speech, yearbook, band, and academic bowl. This pattern of involvement continued right into college. On campus I helped cofound the Speech Team in order to continue one of my passions from high school. I’m also the Managing Partner for Students Consulting for Nonprofit Organizations (SCNO) which provides free consulting work to Nonprofit Organizations. Finally, I teach Business 101 for the College of Business. The class is awesome, the students are fantastic (B11 represent!) and I’ve been lucky to be able to teach with some awesome people. I love seeing my students change between the first and last weeks of their first semester in college. In terms of the “real world.” After graduation, I will be working at FTI Consulting as a Health Solutions Consultant. I’m excited to work with clients, experience the “Consultant Lifestyle,” and just get into the real world (Though I know I’m going to miss U of I!). Aside from all that, I like doing a bunch of different things. I dabble in photography. I love reading new books. I keep a slightly embarrassing personal blog. I can’t swim. I like baking. I’m obsessed with my Crockpot. My favorite meal is brunch. And I watch probably too much TV to handle (Dexter, American Horror Story, Walking Dead, So You Think You Can Dance, The Voice, etc.).
PERSONAL STATEMENT
"I'm lucky in that cancer hasn't had an impact on my immediate family. That said, when I was younger, one of my aunts was diagnosed with cancer. At the time, I only understood cancer on a superficial level, just like kids understand any kind of illness. Kind of like, “Oh she’s sick, well if she drinks more orange juice, she’ll get better, right?” But then I started seeing physical change: getting weaker, losing her hair to chemotherapy, etc. And that’s when I understood the true gravity of the situation. Luckily, we were able to see her make a full recovery and for that, I consider my family blessed. Although cancer hasn’t played a huge role in my life, this past year I lost two individuals: My Uncle Bob and my cousin Lester. Neither of them lost a battle with cancer, but due to other health complications. My family has a history of heart disease and diabetes, and I know the impact these diseases can have on an individual’s daily life and also the impact it can have on their families’ lives. I understand that I4K is dedicated to Cancer research, however I think that anything we can do to eradicate any of these life-altering illnesses is worthwhile. I'm excited to do I4K before starting my full-time job next fall. Last Spring, I ran the Illinois Half-Marathon which was just a week after the tragedy at the Boston Marathon. At one point in the race, a woman who was running at my pace said, ""We have our legs. We have our bodies. We are blessed to be able to run today."" I used this as motivation to finish that race strong, and it continues to motivate me to take advantage of what I have today to make life better for myself and those around me. I'm extremely excited for Illini 4000, and I can't wait for this amazing experience."