The European Union Center is excited to announce and welcome our new, incoming graduate students this fall. They will begin their master of arts in European Union studies this semester, with varying research interests from human rights, to education, identities and policy. Our Fall 2026 MAEUS cohort are Ella Pesch, Drake Facchinello and Maëlys Cadot.
Ella Pesch completed a bachelor of arts in Global Studies and a bachelor of science in Psychology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She is interested in European sustainability and security. In her free time, she loves to travel, hike, figure skate and be with her dogs.
Drake Facchinello received his bachelor of arts in Creative Writing (poetry) with minors in Italian and Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He is interested in Queer European identities, culture and policy. In his free time, he loves to read, write, travel, play video games and be with his cats.
Maëlys Cadot completed her bachelor of science in Psychology, with a minor in Political Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She is interested in EU and member countries’ responses to human rights violations, immigration, and protests. In her free time, she is involved in various community advocacy and mutual aid groups.
We are proud that all of this year's cohort are Illinois alum. Come meet our new MAEUS students in person and say hello to faculty and staff at our Fall Reception event in September!