Kaplan Family Writer‑in‑Residence Series
February 13, 2025 02:15 PM
It was a love of reading that led Jean Sklansky (BA, ’72, teaching of English) to English. For Steve Kaplan (BS, ’72, business), it was his interest in Jean.
The two students from Chicago, who met at a mixer between the men’s and women’s residence halls the first Sunday of new student orientation, would go on to date for all four years at Illinois. Despite being in a different college, Steve claims to have taken nearly as many English electives as commerce classes, in part because they were interesting but also because they offered a chance for the two to spend time together.
As their relationship blossomed, a love of literature had already taken root.
“I’ve always felt that reading and the love of reading opens the entire world to learn things. Everything that you read transports you to another place,” Jean said.
That love of reading is why Jean and Steve, who got married after their senior year, decided to give back to the Department of English at Illinois.
Read More: https://english.illinois.edu/news/2025‑02‑04t173732/last‑lifetime‑love‑reading‑and‑giving‑back‑leads‑campus‑couple‑support‑next
