GradBird Appreciation Events

Sunday, September 28

GradBird Mario Kart Tournament, Illinois State University Bowling & Billiards Center

Start your engines for an exciting evening of racing for the first GradBird Appreciation event of the year! Join in and compete for the gold, or cheer on your friends as they put the pedal to the metal. Free pizza will be provided thanks to our co-sponsors, the Graduate Student Association, and snacks and drinks will be provided by the Graduate School! The grand prize, including exclusive Graduate School apparel, will be given to the winner as well as raffled as a door prize. RSVPs are highly encouraged to order enough food for everyone, so make sure to secure your spot for this fun event!

Register here

5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Friday, October 24

Grad Goals & Glue Sticks, Milner Library Room 213C

Set your sights on success at Grad Goals & Glue Sticks, the second GradBird Appreciation event of the year! Join us on Friday, October 24 from 3:00–5:00 p.m. for an afternoon of creativity and reflection as we make vision boards to inspire your academic and personal journey.

All materials will be provided—just bring your ideas and enthusiasm! Learn what a vision board is, explore ways to set meaningful goals, and let your inner artist shine as you craft a visual reminder of your aspirations. This event is open to all graduate students.

Find more information on RedBird Life

3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Sunday, November 16

Global Gatherings: A Friendsgiving Celebration

Around the world, sharing food is one of the biggest ways for people to connect with each other. This holiday season, celebrate cultures around the globe by joining the Office of International Engagement and the Graduate School for Global Gatherings: A Friendsgiving Celebration! Bring a dish that represents your home to share with others as you learn about their traditions and show your own. This is a wonderful opportunity to bring a taste of home and celebrate with old and new friends.

As part of the GradBird Appreciation event series, we invite all international and domestic graduate students to take part in this celebration. We will provide plates, silverware, and some platters of food, while we also ask that attendees bring a sharable dish. We also ask that attendees email a recipe of any homemade dishes to Alek McMath, akmcmat@ilstu.edu, which we will print copies of to give to others who want to make your dish at home. 

Find more information and RSVP on Redbird Life

5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

•  Spring 2026 Events

Virtual 5k Race

We love giving our GradBirds the chance to stretch their legs and get some fresh air, that's why the Graduate School will be hosting a week-long 5k race where everyone is a winner! We understand schedules can be hectic, so you can do this race at any time that works for YOU. Each participant that completes a 5k on a route of their choosing will win a Grad School t-shirt as a prize and get a shout-out on our social media.

Prize Giveaways, Bone Student Center Concourse

If you've had your eye on any of the hottest Graduate School swag items, such as water bottles, t-shirts, notepads, stress balls, and more, this is your chance to win big! Stop by our table by the Redbird Spirit Store in the Bone Student Center to spin our prize wheel and earn yourself a new item to show off your GradBird pride. 

Please bring your Redbird ID card to be eligible to spin the prize wheel.

More events will be added soon, check back for updates!