About Mindy
Mindy Spencer is the Director of Alumni Relations for the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She is also one of the founders of the Mahomet Seymour Equity Alliance. Mindy is a Mahomet-Seymour High School alumna. She has a BS in Environmental Economics and an MBA in Marketing from the University of Illinois. She lives in Mahomet with her husband John and kids Natalie, Jacob, and Johnathon.
Do you have any nicknames? How did you get them?
Mindy is actually my nickname! However, unlike most Mindys, my real name is not Melinda. My real name is Miranda.
What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
I would hike the Appalachian Trail. I really enjoy hiking in the Smoky Mountain National Park, and I think I’d enjoy hiking the Appalachian Trail. However, then I think about having to haul all of that gear, the length of time it takes to hike the full trail, and the snakes and bugs and bears (oh my!)–it would take a lot planning to do it right, as failure could be dangerous.
What advice would you give your 16-year old self?
I would tell my 16-year-old self that life plans are not set in stone. I had planned for years to be a veterinarian–I was dead set on it. I then got to college and discovered that I really did not enjoy chemistry (and would have to take 6 semesters of it to become a vet) but really loved economics, so my plans had to change. Adaptability and following your interests is so much more important than locking yourself into set plans.
Do you have a favorite line from a movie?
I do, and it is probably from a scene many people missed! In the movie “My Best Friend’s Wedding” in one of his first roles, Paul Giamatti played the Bellhop. In a hallway scene with Julia Roberts while she is mid-crisis, he says, “My grandmother always said, ‘This too shall pass.'” I had never heard that phrase before. When I’m feeling especially anxious or stressed or worried about things that are outside of my control, “This too shall pass.” serves as a quick and short reminder that really everything will be okay.
Would you rather go 30 days without your phone or your entire life without dessert?
This is a tough one, as I do have a sweet tooth. But I think I would need to go without dessert and keep my phone. My phone keeps everything running in our house–banking, shopping, calendars, and more. I don’t think I could operate without my phone.
When was the last time you did something for the first time? What did you do?
I had to reenvision how to do my job as a result of COVID-19–in-person events weren’t going to be an option this year! I organized a week of virtual events for the College of LAS at the end of October called LAS Impact. I had organized webinars in the past, but I’d never organized a full week of virtual events. We ended up with 16 events over the course of the week with a wide-variety of content and even format. It was exhausting but a lot of fun!
Would you rather be a fish in a tank or in the open water?
Oh, definitely a fish in the open water. Honestly, if living life in the water with a snorkel so that I could just stare into the depths of the ocean was a valid life choice, that’s how I’d be living.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A veterinarian as referenced in question 3. However, that’s what I wanted to be for most of my childhood. My first response to that question apparently was “furniture salesman,” which is probably more in-line with the marketing career I ended up in!
Where is your favorite place to get takeout in Champaign County?
I love Kohinoor, which is an Indian restaurant located in downtown Champaign. It’s so good.
What’s the milestone you’re working towards right now in your personal and professional life?
In my professional life, I’m continuing to work on innovating due to changes brought about by COVID-19. I’ve really enjoyed making the most of virtual events, and I look forward to continuing to engage with alumni through that medium. Personally, I’m looking forward to slowing down over the holidays and spending time with my kids, baking cookies, reading etc. It doesn’t sound like much of a milestone, but I feel like I’ve been going non-stop since March–I’m very much looking forward to a break!
