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Audrey Farrell, Instructor of Personal Wellness and Yoga
Each year, Waubonsee Community College names an Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Member. This award recognizes faculty who exemplify the college’s mission by enriching lives through learning, fostering curiosity, and promoting a culture of inclusion and community engagement. This year’s Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Member is Audrey Farrell, Instructor of Personal Wellness and Yoga. Farrell has served Waubonsee as an adjunct since 2022.
“I am humbled to accept this award,” Farrell said. “I am continuously in awe of the Waubonsee community which inspires me daily and is essential to my success as an instructor.”
Farrell’s journey to Waubonsee was anything but conventional. After a decade serving in the financial sector, rising to the role of Vice President, Farrell made what she calls a courageous decision to leave the corporate world in search of deeper purpose.
“I did a little soul searching and thought to myself, in 10-15 years from now, what do I want to be known for—and how can I give back to the community?”
That reflection led her to earn a teaching certification in Yoga and later a graduate degree in Health Sciences with a focus on Health Education from Northern Illinois University. While completing her degree, Farrell began tutoring Anatomy, Physiology and Psychology at Waubonsee’s Tutoring Center, a role that became the launching point for her teaching career.
“Teaching at Waubonsee feels like coming full circle,” Farrell said. “My first yoga experience was in college, and now I have the honor of teaching yoga and wellness to students during their own undergraduate journeys. This is truly my dream job.”
Today, Farrell says her courses offer a unique environment because they bring students, faculty, staff, and community members together, where everyone learns from each other’s experiences. “We are all students,” Farrell says. “Their stories, struggles, and insights shape our classroom discussions. When they take what we’ve talked about and apply it to their lives, whether it’s returning to a passion, questioning a limiting belief, or making a healthier choice, that’s what makes me proudest.”
Students often describe Farrell as authentic, engaging, and inspiring. Through music, empathy, storytelling, and risk assessment, Farrell creates an inclusive learning experience where students find success, belonging, connection, and curate their own learning through student-centered instruction. Her courses emphasize identity, personal health barriers, and the importance of holistic self-care.
Beyond the classroom, Farrell actively serves the community. She volunteers with youth programs at the Town and Country Library, participates in multiple holiday giving initiatives, and coaches for the Kaneland United Soccer Club. This past summer, Farrell and her three young sons participated in the Waubonsee Foundation Trail Race to raise funds to support student scholarships. She is also an active member of the Yoga Alliance, continuing her own professional development. “Waubonsee has given me a sense of belonging and a community that allows me to perform at my full potential,” Farrell said. “I’m so grateful to give back and to help others find the same sense of purpose and connection.”
Farrell was recognized during Waubonsee’s Fall Faculty Development Day and honored at the August Board of Trustees meeting. Each semester Farrell concludes class with parting words from Maya Angelou, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.”
