Editors Note: Administration Editor Sarah Ruholl shadowed Eric Wilber during the college student Lobby Day on April 22.

Just before 8 a.m., he walks onto the bus, a stack of papers and folders in hand.

He does not look out of place in his suit and tie.

His blonde hair is combed back, as usual.

Turning to face the group, he says, “Welcome to Lobby Day. If you don’t know me, my name’s Eric Wilber.”

Wilber is comfortable in his leadership role, largely because of his eagerness to constantly improve and willingness to work hard for it.

Wilber has never shied away from helping his fellow students improve, too.

“Can somebody show me how to tie this?” Pat Lindstrom, a sociology student, asked others on the bus.

“You want to go into politics and you can’t tie a tie?!” Wilber asked in humored disbelief.

“Here,” Rob Kennedy, a geography student, interjected.

“You take the tie and put it around your neck like this,” Kennedy said, his own unknotted tie slung around his neck.

“And you wrap it like this and then go over here, then under,” Kennedy instructed, as he effortlessly knotted his tie and Lindstrom struggled.

“You’re doing this wrong,” Kennedy, unknotting his tie to start over.

“OK! You take the tie, put it around your neck like this and wrap it around like this, no, with that part on top,” Kennedy said. “I think you need a clip-on.”

Wilber took the tie from Lindstrom and tied it, loosely, around his own neck, making sure the knot is straight, before handing it back.

Whether it’s leading students through government-relations tactics or representing student concerns as the official student voice, Wilber is prepared and articulate.

He has served as Eastern’s student trustee, a voting member of the Board of Trustees, and student body executive vice president for two years, leading the Student Action Team is part of that role.

Wilber has also represented the student voice on the Charleston City Council for three years, is vice president of the Student Democrats and has sat on various boards and committees.

Wilber led the Student Action Team at College Student Lobby Day April 22.

When he is in the Capitol Building, Wilber’s excitement and energy level is like that of a child at Disney Land. He grins and bobs his head, taking in his surroundings.

“Politics,” he said. “I enjoy it a lot, and I just want to be there.”

Every turn reminds him of a story, and he tells them to whoever is in earshot, like the first time he visited the Capitol and he and Amanda Raz, then student executive vice president, got lost on the Mezzanine level.

“We took a staircase we probably weren’t supposed to,” Wilber said. “We ended up in the Senate president’s office. We just played it cool and walked right out.”

Wilber wants to explore the building again today, but first, he has to get the action team ready to lobby and interact with legislators, something he has down to an art form. He explains the group’s talking points about the Monetary Award Program grant funding, payment of the university’s appropriated general revenue funds and concerns about future funding levels for higher education.

Wilber gives the students a lesson on how to get the attention of government officials.

“That’s being a master politician,” he said, swinging his arm determinedly forward. “You just get in there and go for it.”

This trip was the first without Jill Nilsen, now-retired vice president for external relations, to lead the group. So Wilber is in charge.

“It used to be (Nilsen) that would be doing all this, but since she’s gone, I’m taking the lead,” Wilber said.

Always prepared, Wilber has a map of the capitol building for the groups when they split up to speak with different elected officials.

Wilber doesn’t need a map to find his way around.

He leads the group to Sen. Dale Righter’s office and the House floor, remarking on how much he loves the heavy wooden doors.

He knows which elevators go to Mezzanine levels, which hold departmental offices and press rooms.

He deftly leads the group around the building, as if it were his second home.

Soon, it will be.

Wilber will be one of 14 interns in the governor’s office through the Dunn Fellowship starting Aug.2. A total of 71 applicants competed against Wilber for the position.

The nationally competitive internship program requires a bachelor’s degree, which Wilber will receive at the 9 a.m. College of Science’s graduation ceremony Saturday.

Dunn Fellows must also demonstrate excellent academic skills, leadership and community involvement.

Wilber will work in the Legislative Affairs office for a year. After that year, Wilber said he would attend law school, unless he is offered a job.

He plans to later run for office, with the end goal of being a United States Senator, or possibly the president, he admitted with a sheepish grin.

His student government cohorts named him “Most convinced he’ll actually be the president some day.”

His studied manner of speaking and ability to clearly and precisely present the views and concerns of his constituents makes the goal seem not unreasonable.

“I’m just going to see where that takes me,” he said. “So.”

‘So’ is a popular word in Wilber’s vocabulary. He says it in anticipation of the next question, which he allows, expects and tries to be prepared for.

After dividing the groups to lobby in different parts of the Capitol, he’s ready to explore.

“I was just guessing; we’re on an adventure,” he said of find the television pressroom, just down the hall from a set of offices, which will soon be a familiar site for the up-and-coming politician.

“Well, what do you know? Legislative Affairs,” Wilber said. “I know how to get to my office now.”

His work as student trustee and lobbying for the Renewable Energy Center helped him land the internship.

“I worked with the governor’s office on that, so they already knew my name,” he said.

Wilber’s professional demeanor has impressed people he has worked with in Springfield as well as Charleston.

“Eric has to be among the finest student trustees in the country,” said Dan Nadler, vice president for student affairs. “He’s impressive because of his vision and his ability to fully grasp and understand. He has an untiring willingness to jump in on any issue that we face.”

Sarah Ruholl can be reached at 581-7942 or at seruholl2@eiu.edu

Eric Wilber, a senior political science and philosophy major and student executive vice president, speaks at a budget forum April 19 in the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union. (Danny Damiani/The Daily Eastern News)

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