91心頭利嫋

Junior Madi Russ makes her mark through leadership, service and school spirit

Junior Madi Russ with her book, "How to Write Your Story: A Book about Life & Learning"

Junior Madi Russ has kept a busy schedule during her time at IU: studying elementary education, competing as an athlete with IU Rowing, and even starting new student organizations, all part of how she’s making the most of her time on campus.

Russ chose to pursue a major in elementary education because she’s always been passionate about teaching young kids new subjects and life skills that they will use for the rest of their lives, saying teaching kids how to be critical thinkers, creative collaborators, and kind humans are her primary goals as a pre-service teacher. 

As a member of IU Rowing during the 2025-2026 school year, she admits that balancing being a student-athlete while working and running a student organization was not easy: “Staying organized was a must for staying sane during my busy days, so I always had my Google Calendar and planner filled out with all of my events and assignments written down. Additionally, I have amazing friends, teammates, and classmates that I can lean on for moral support that were crucial to maintaining my health and happiness last year,” she added.

I chose IU because I fell in love with the education program and the campus in general. It seemed like a place where I could learn and grow as a teacher and student, and I am grateful for that decision every day.

Madi Russ

In her free time at IU, Russ has achieved many lofty goals - writing a children's book, running a marathon, and joining a variety of organizations such as Women Empowering Women and Kappa Delta Pi. 

“IU has empowered me to become the best version of myself, and I cannot wait to see what else I can achieve with the remainder of my time here!” Russ said. 

Last year, Russ started Crafts for a Cause, an organization with the goal of making the world a better place by making crafts. 

“To achieve this goal, we spend our meetings learning about various causes and conditions, making a craft, and selling the craft in order to donate the profits to charitable organizations. We are dedicated to creating a positive, welcoming community at IU for all students to feel empowered to do good and make a difference,” Russ explained. 

“I chose IU because I fell in love with the education program and the campus in general,” she added. “It seemed like a place where I could learn and grow as a teacher and student, and I am grateful for that decision every day.”