Chi Chi Wonuigwe, '04: Creating Connections, Building Traditions
By Lia Kizilbash Gillet

Chi Chi Wonuigwe, '04 (Photo: Chi Chi Wonuigwe)

When Chi Chi Wonuigwe, ’04, thinks about NIU, she remembers the place where she “lived, loved, worked and learned.”

She came to NIU from a boarding school in Nigeria, originally planning for a career in medicine before discovering her passion for public health.

As a student, she built lifelong friendships, worked in the dining hall and at the front desk of Lincoln Hall, and served as a student senator in the Student Association. She found community through the African Student Association, which strengthened her commitment to education, a turning point she said enabled her to proudly walk across the stage at graduation.

Wonuigwe went on to earn master’s degrees in project management, public administration and business administration from Keller Graduate School of Management.

Today, she serves as director of operations and logistics for Chicago Public Schools, overseeing a $146 million operating unit and directing a workforce of over 800 employees. She is also an entrepreneur, running the event planning business Events by CHI. 

In 2022, a visit to DeKalb reignited Wonuigwe's Huskie pride. 

“Deciding to volunteer was a completely organic decision,” she said. “After attending Homecoming back in 2022, the wave of nostalgia I felt was incredibly inspiring and solidified my desire to give back.”

Alongside fellow Black Alumni Council volunteers, Wonuigwe and the council’s Homecoming committee create meaningful experiences that bring alumni together. The committee also works to raise scholarship support for incoming and current students.
 

Wonuigwe's professional experiences have strengthened her volunteer impact. The same skills she uses to manage large-scale operations and events are now helping shape the Black Alumni Council's Homecoming traditions.

“Every day, I spend my time building and managing complex systems and leading large teams. It only made sense to bring those exact executive skills to the table to help propose, plan, and execute these events and traditions,” she said. 

Despite the natural fit, Wonuigwe says the work is about much more than planning events.

“When I experience a profoundly good thing, I naturally want everyone else to experience it, too,” she said. “As a proud Huskie, my ultimate goal is to create rich experiences that motivate current students to reach graduation, celebrate exactly where they come from, and build a powerful legacy for the incoming classes.”

As a volunteer, she is equally passionate about highlighting the accomplishments of NIU alumni — from all backgrounds. 

“I want to amplify the message that NIU is a highly reputable choice,” she said. “We have a network of pretty awesome alumni who are boldly breaking barriers and trendsetting across varying industries, and they deserve to be seen.”

Wonuigwe’s advice to anyone considering volunteering at NIU:

“5, 4, 3, 2, 1 — just do it!”

Stay up-to-date with the Black Alumni Council on their on their Facebook page.
Interested in other ways to get involved? Contact Director of Volunteer Engagement Taylor Curry, M.P.A. '25, at tcurry4@niu.edu.