The 6 a.m. alarm sounds for College of Education graduate student and Illinois Women’s Basketball player Kendall Bostic. She's got a big day ahead.

It’s a mid-March morning, and she’s student teaching at Dr. Howard Elementary School from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. She’ll then work on a research project, counting the number of words a student used during an intervention session. Later, she'll have to listen to some class lectures that she missed. Plus, she needs to get to the gym. Maybe, just maybe, there will be an hour at the end of the day to simply relax.

Just another day in the life of a graduate student, right?

Soon, the NCAA basketball tournament will begin and she'll lead her team onto the floor at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, as the greatest rebounder in Illinois history and an All-Big Ten First Team leader of a team that will win its first NCAA tournament game in 25 years.

Instead of shying away from balancing big-time athletics and big-time scholarship, Kendall's embraced the challenge of doing both: becoming a record-setting player while immersing herself in research, teaching, and service that furthers the field of special education.

Transferrable Skills

After starting her college career at Michigan State University in 2021, Kendall transferred to Illinois to play for coach Nancy Fahey. When Fahey stepped down one season later, Kendall had another chance to transfer—but decided to stay at Illinois. She liked the university, loved her Speech and Hearing Sciences undergraduate program, and was already familiar with incoming head coach Shauna Green, who had recruited her as a prep player.

"I wanted to do speech-language pathology practice," says Kendall. "I love communication, like how the brain and the throat work together is just really fascinating to me."

But after graduating from the College of Applied Health Sciences with her bachelor's degree in 2023, the path forward was less clear. The AHS Speech and Language Pathology graduate program didn't fit what she envisioned for her future. Her parents Kevin and Angie, who both work in the field of education, suggested that a master’s degree in education might be an option. Kendall took her time making up her mind, but in the end, she chose the College of Education.

"Getting my master’s in special education allowed me the flexibility of going the higher-ed route, like my dad, or being able to do work with elementary or high school students, like my mom,” says Kendall. "Going the College of Education route was ultimately a much better fit," she says. "I'm with kids a lot more, and I'm able to teach. Being in a special education setting feels like exactly where I’m supposed to be."

Research and Rebounding

There's a reason you don't see a lot of student-athletes studying education and pursuing teaching licensure. It's a grind—the classes, the observation, and, of course, a whole semester of student teaching.

No matter the sport, today's college athletes have obligations year-round. Some can spend up to 20 hours a week on their athletics responsibilities alone. Kendall took on the challenge, just like she does against some of the top basketball players in the country.

For Coach Shauna Green, the way Kendall handled the balancing act of basketball and teaching was no surprise.

"She gets up early to get to student teaching and then comes straight to Ubben for practice. She also has to get extra shots up, recovery, rehab, lifting, etc. She carries a heavy load, and she does it with such grace,” says Green. “When you have a passion for teaching and a passion for basketball, you find a way to make it all happen. That is what KB does. It is a testament to who she is as a person. It has been an absolute honor to coach her and watch her excel on and off the floor."

Her coach isn't the only one praising Kendall’s work ethic. Amber Ray, associate professor in the Department of Special Education, worked closely with Kendall during her master’s program.

"She did an amazing job of being proactive in reaching out to faculty members, always letting us know her schedule ahead of time and finding out where she could work ahead if needed," says Ray.

Research is a key component for graduate students, and that's where Kendall and Ray began collaborating. In the summer of 2024, they met and discussed what Kendall's research project might look like. Ray wanted to bridge the gap between her advisee’s undergraduate and graduate programs and was already working in an elementary school with students who had speech and language impairments. Ray helped Kendall design a project that integrated her speech and hearing degree and her coursework in special education to investigate writing and speech sound production for young students with speech and language impairments.

The work is not just good, according to Ray. "It's going to make an important contribution to special education literature, and it'll be publishable and really exciting,” she says.

In turn, Kendall says she’s grateful to both programs—athletics and academics—for their relentless support as she chased her remarkable goals.

"I feel like most coaches would have told me no,” says Kendall. “They would have said, 'It's too much. We're not going to be able to work around that. We don't want to work around that.' But Illinois was all-in on it. They said, ‘If that’s what you want to do, we will work with you on it.’”

Above and Beyond

For some student-athletes, moving on to grad school can mean an opportunity to downshift from the grind of undergraduate life and intense sports expectations.

Kendall, instead, ramped things up.

She worked with students in four different Champaign-Urbana schools during her practicum and student teaching roles. She implemented positive behavior supports and integrated technology with students at Gerber School in Urbana. She's worked with students to develop social skills using evidence-based practices at Champaign Central High School. In her student teaching at Dr. Howard Elementary, she's taught specially-designed instruction in reading and math to meet the academic needs of her students.

And Kendall’s service mindset doesn't end with her work at the Ubben Basketball Facility or within the College of Education. She’s done community service projects through the ICON name, image, and likeness collective. She’s volunteered at the Stephens Family YMCA's Y on the Fly after-school program and the Champaign Public Library's teen hangout program.

She also hosts the Inspire-HER Basketball Camp in four locations across Illinois and her home state, Indiana. The camp is for young girls to learn basketball, work hard, and have fun while doing it. The camp is free, thanks to sponsorships that Kendall arranges herself.

"Kendall's really engaged in the community," says Ray, "I learned about [her basketball camp] this spring, and I thought, how amazing. How are you doing this on top of everything else?"

"But I think that shows her genuine commitment to the community and how she's passionate about sports, helping young women see themselves as athletes, and mentoring. I think it's really cool."

Kendall is also a part of the Green Bandana Project, which aims to raise mental health awareness, reduce the stigma, and connect students to mental health resources. Student members go through a short training course, carry resource cards, and tie a green bandana to their backpack or another visible location to let their peers know they are a member of the Green Bandana Project and a trusted person who knows how and where to reach out for help.

Genuine Connection

There's one thing you can count on after an Illinois win at State Farm Center: Kendall Bostic being the last one off the floor.

In a tradition that started when Green began coaching the Illini, players go into the stands after games to sign autographs and take pictures with fans after a winning game. The most in-demand autograph is always number from number 44. It's associate head coach Calamity McEntire's job to set a timer to remind Kendall that it's time to head back to the locker room and up to the press conference. And almost every time, there are still fans, primarily kids, lined up waiting to get a few seconds with her.

Professor Amber Ray noticed this at a game she attended with her children this season. "After the game, we went over to say hi to Kendall. I watched her greet kid after kid, signing autographs,” says Ray. “And then a woman with a disability came up to her. Kendall knew her by name and asked how her birthday was. How very thoughtful to not just go through the motions, but instead be engaged with people and take time to get to know them."

Before another game this season, in an area beneath State Farm Center where Illinois' basketball band gets ready, there's a table full of cookies for them. On top is a note:

"Thanks for all your support! – KB"

These are special things that you might see Kendall Bostic doing to connect with her community.

Legacy of Illinois Basketball and Big Teaching Energy

For Green, having someone like Kendall on her team is a "blessing."

"She is what we call an 'everyday woman'. She is consistent and reliable and brings a smile every single day,” says Green. “KB is someone that we all look toward for leadership and energy. Kendall has a passion for basketball, which shows every time she steps onto the floor with her energy and work ethic."

The same goes for those she encounters in Education.

"I'm trying to come up with a word that’s strong enough to describe her," says Ray. "She's a testament to how you can be a student-athlete and get your degree and become a teacher.”

For Bostic, a loss to #5 Texas in the second round of the 2025 NCAA tournament meant the end of her Illinois basketball era.

"I've been so focused on basketball and school I haven't dug much into the future," she says. "Ideally, I would want to teach right away. But I am also considering going overseas for maybe a year or two to play just to get out of the country for a little bit. Go see some places and do some things I haven't been able to do."

Kendall graduates in May with her Ed.M. in Special Education. When she does, she'll leave a legacy. The most wins in a three-year period for Illinois Women's Basketball. First-Team All-Big Ten. Third all-time in Big Ten history in rebounds. Big Ten Medal of Honor.

But you can tell that the biggest legacy that she wants to leave is one of kindness, support, and service.

"You want to be able to let kids know that you're there for them and that you're going to support them, but you're also there to help them learn," says Bostic. “Being a supportive teacher is something I think I've been able to explore within basketball and really develop during my program in the College of Education."