DECATUR, Ill. – When Millikin University celebrates its graduating seniors at two Commencement ceremonies on Sunday, May 18, 2025, it will be the conclusion of the undergraduate chapter for more than 270 graduates and the beginning of another one as they begin the next phase of their lives.
For some, the relief of graduation can also be tied with anxiousness about where those post-Millikin days will lead them, while for others, taking those steps across the Kirkland Fine Arts stage is an exciting beginning to use the experiences that Millikin has prepared them for.
“I’m excited for graduation and not nervous at all. I'm going off to work and I'm going to get to do some traveling before that,” said Millikin senior Katy Bearden about her feelings on her four years at Millikin coming to an end. “I’m sad to leave my friends, and I've made so many of them here at Millikin, but I'm also excited about what's next.”
What’s next for Bearden, a Chemistry and Criminal Justice double major, is a position with the Chicago area-based INX International Ink Company. Bearden landed an internship at INX last summer, which is a global manufacturer of high-performance printing inks and coatings for commercial, packaging, and digital printing, and used the experience to be hired full-time beginning this summer as a Research and Development Chemist focusing on adhesives and coatings.
During my internship, I would make ink and try to find replacements for the chemicals already in the ink. It was trial and error, so it's figuring out what works and what doesn't,” she said. “ I made a lot of connections, and I still talk to many people today from that company. I had a very good time, and it was a great experience.”
Originally from Plainfield, Ill., Bearden knew she was going to follow her interest in science after high school, deciding to focus on chemistry, but it was the opportunity to continue to play soccer that brought her to Millikin.
“I originally planned to go to a larger school and not play soccer, but a Millikin coach came to one of my tournaments, so I looked into the school. Then I came to campus, and I fell in love with the look of it. I got to know the coach and some of the girls coming in, and I loved them,” Bearden said. “I wasn't ready to have my last game, and I wanted to go on and continue to play at a higher level.”
Playing at center defender, Bearden played a crucial role in defending Millikin’s goal, and she quickly made a big impact on the team, being named team captain as a sophomore, and earning second-team all-CCIW honors this past season.
“Thinking back, I was very much a quiet person coming in. I've definitely changed a lot throughout my college career,” she said. “Starting off, I was more of the observant type of captain and was in the background. But by junior year, it was in more of a leadership role.”
After graduation, Bearden will be heading to Italy with her Big Blue Soccer teammates on a team trip to Rome, Vatican City, Florence, and Milan, playing in exhibition games along the way. After returning home and spending some time with family, Bearden will be off to the INX labs, a career opportunity that she feels Millikin was instrumental in preparing her for.
“I think Millikin prepared me very well. At INX, we did different training days where they would send me to different subgroups of the company, and everyone said I was able to catch on really quickly,” she said. “They told me I caught on with what they were doing in three months, what takes other people five years. I think Millikin has prepared me greatly.”
As she begins her career as a chemist, Bearden remembers the initial struggles she experiences during her first Inorganic Chemistry course. The personal assistance and support she received from Millikin’s faculty kept her motivated about the program and stoked her interest in the field.
“Particularly in my sophomore year, I was struggling. I was in a lot of hard classes, and Dr. Paris Barnes, who taught Inorganic Chemistry, made sure to set aside time for me twice a week to come in and learn more about it,” Katy said. “Even when you have the same question over and over, he would rephrase it a million times. My professors have gone out of their way to help, and Inorganic Chemistry ended up being one of my favorite classes.
“Graduating from Millikin is definitely bittersweet, but I’m already planning with my roommates when we're all going to come back. Two of my roommates are staying at Millikin for an MBA, and I'm definitely coming back to visit them on Homecoming and Soccer senior night. My Millikin experience has been amazing.”
