EMILY LOUISE KOUZIOS

Emily’s Life

Her story, gathered from the public record her family has kept — then the places she saved, shared, and made.

Her story

  1. Emily Louise Kouzios

    January 23, 2001 – February 25, 2025

    Forever 24

    Emily Louise Kouzios was born on January 23, 2001, at Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove, Illinois. She died on February 25, 2025, at 6:28 PM, surrounded by the love of her family, after a relentless two-year battle with a one-of-a-kind, highly mutated Grade 3 PXA brain tumor.

    Music was woven into who she was. She graduated from Millikin University in May 2023 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music — Vocal Performance with an emphasis in Opera, continuing her studies and performances through treatment. After graduation she lived in Springfield, Illinois, with her partner Jacob and their dog Bruno, singing with the Springfield Choral Society and the choir at First Presbyterian Church of Springfield, and working as a substitute teacher at Hope Learning Academy.

    She loved nature, rescued what she could, and showed up for the people around her. In a final act of generosity, she allowed Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine to study her tumor so that others might one day have a different story.

    Sources: Legacy Remembers obituary; Progress on Purpose /emily.

  2. Prairie Ridge years

    At Prairie Ridge High School, Emily was already on stage and in the community that knew her voice.

    In October 2016 she appeared as Waitress in the school production of Almost Maine. In spring 2018 she was named to the Junior Girls Prom Court at the Spring Honors Assembly. As a Class of 2019 graduate, she told the Wolf Prints student paper that her favorite memory was her junior-year Madrigal Dinner — “a magical experience” singing with her closest friends — and that the spring musical was her favorite extracurricular because of its energy and student involvement.

    Only In Sleep · professional recording · from Prairie Ridge years · source

    Sources: Wolf Prints Almost Maine; Spring Honors 2018 (Prom Court attribution lock); Best Memories; Favorite Extracurricular; Only In Sleep.

  3. Millikin and the stage

    At Millikin University, Emily trained as a classical singer and kept performing.

    As a freshman Music Intern at Macon Resources (MRI), she and classmates brought music to the people MRI serves. Her Chicago Summer Opera biography records her as Serse Cover in Handel’s Serse, notes her workshop role as Mick Kelly in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, and thanks her voice teacher Rebecca Vonkamp and her family.

    In 2020, Emily received an honorable mention in the Lower College Classical Treble (7-3) category at the Central Region NATS Online Student Auditions. She also appears in that category’s semifinalists list.

    Her junior recital (March 21, 2023) and senior recital (May 5, 2023) are preserved on video. She finished college, performed her senior recital, and graduated — determined, still in treatment.

    Junior Recital · March 21, 2023 · from Millikin and the stage · source
    Senior Recital · May 5, 2023 · from Millikin and the stage · source

    Sources: Macon Wayback; CSO Serse; YouTube recital titles; Legacy / POP for graduation under treatment; Central Region NATS 2020 semifinalists and results.

  4. Friends who showed up (Kappa Hoops for Hope)

    In spring 2023, Kappa Kappa Gamma’s Gamma Zeta chapter (University of Arizona) held its annual philanthropy basketball tournament, Hoops for Hope, raising more than $30,000 — the chapter’s most successful spring philanthropy that year. The chapter voted to direct the proceeds to Emily Kouzios, a friend of one sister, who was battling a rare brain cancer, with fundraising assistance from Wight Horse.

    Source: Gamma Zeta Summer 2023 newsletter page captures.

  5. Remembrance

    Camp Mak-A-Dream lists Emily among campers remembered: Emily Kouzios – Crystal Lake, IL – Heads Up Conference – February 25, 2025.

    Her public obituary lives on Legacy Remembers. Her family tells her story with care at Progress on Purpose — For Emily. Those who wish to support brain tumor research in her memory may use the Northwestern Medicine fund linked below.

    Sources: Camp Dream Campers Remembered; Legacy; POP /emily.

Preserved sources

Local records preserve what each source establishes about Emily, so her story does not depend on another website staying online.

Emily Louise Kouzios

  • Emily Kouzios ObituaryLegacy Remembers · preserved 2026-09-25

    Legacy published Emily Louise Kouzios’s obituary on March 3, 2025. It records her birth on January 23, 2001, her death on February 25, 2025 at 6:28 PM, and her two-year battle with a one-of-a-kind, highly mutated Grade 3 PXA brain tumor.

    The obituary records her May 2023 Millikin University degree in Music — Vocal Performance with an emphasis in Opera, her life in Springfield with Jacob and Bruno, her work as a substitute teacher at Hope Learning Academy, and her performances with the Springfield Choral Society and First Presbyterian Church of Springfield.

    It also records Emily’s final decision to allow Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine to study her tumor and links to the Northwestern Medicine Brain Tumor Research Fund.

    Open original source
  • For EmilyProgress on Purpose · preserved 2026-09-26

    Progress on Purpose preserves a family-authored remembrance of Emily, including her love of music, the stage, nature, family and friends, and the way she continued building a life while undergoing treatment.

    This source is family-controlled and is used as supporting context rather than an independent source.

    Open original source

Prairie Ridge years

  • Almost Maine is Almost HerePrairie Ridge Wolf Prints · preserved 2026-09-25

    Prairie Ridge High School’s Wolf Prints previewed the October 2016 production of Almost, Maine and lists Emily Kouzios in the cast as Waitress.

    The record preserves one of Emily’s early stage appearances during her Prairie Ridge years.

    Open original source
  • Spring Honors Assembly Includes Celebrations and VolleyballPrairie Ridge Wolf Prints · preserved 2026-09-25

    Prairie Ridge Wolf Prints recorded Emily Kouzios among the Junior Girls Prom Court recognized during the 2018 Spring Honors Assembly.

    This source is the basis for the memorial’s Prom Court reference.

    Open original source
  • Best Memories — Class of 2019Prairie Ridge Wolf Prints · preserved 2026-09-25

    In Wolf Prints’ Class of 2019 memories feature, Emily chose her junior-year Madrigal Dinner as her favorite memory.

    She described wearing medieval clothing and singing choral pieces with her best friends as a magical experience she would never forget.

    Open original source
  • Class of 2019 — Favorite ExtracurricularPrairie Ridge Wolf Prints · preserved 2026-09-25

    In Wolf Prints’ Class of 2019 feature, Emily identified the spring musical as her favorite extracurricular activity.

    Her answer emphasized the energy of the production and the level of student involvement.

    Open original source
  • Only In SleepYouTube · preserved 2026-09-25

    This public recording preserves Emily performing Only In Sleep.

    The memorial preserves the identifying record locally; playback remains linked to the original YouTube video.

    Open original source

Millikin and the stage

  • Meet MRI’s Fall Music InternsMacon Resources · preserved 2026-09-25

    Macon Resources introduced Emily as one of its Millikin University music interns during her freshman year.

    The internship brought Millikin music students into MRI programming to share music with the people the organization serves.

    The live Macon Resources page later disappeared, so the memorial preserves the record from the archived Wayback copy.

    Open original source
  • SerseChicago Summer Opera · preserved 2026-09-25

    Chicago Summer Opera’s Serse company biography records Emily as Serse Cover in Handel’s Serse.

    Her biography also notes her workshop role as Mick Kelly in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter and thanks her voice teacher Rebecca Vonkamp and her family.

    Open original source
  • Junior Recital — March 21, 2023YouTube · preserved 2026-09-25

    This public video preserves Emily’s junior recital from March 21, 2023.

    The memorial preserves the identifying record locally; playback remains linked to the original YouTube video.

    Open original source
  • Senior Recital — May 5, 2023YouTube · preserved 2026-09-25

    This public video preserves Emily’s senior recital from May 5, 2023, shortly before her Millikin graduation.

    The memorial preserves the identifying record locally; playback remains linked to the original YouTube video.

    Open original source
  • 2020 Central Region NATS Online Student Auditions — SemifinalistsCentral Region NATS · preserved 2026-10-07

    Page 3 lists Emily Kouzios among the semifinalists in category 7-3, Lower College Classical Treble.

    Open original source
  • 2020 Central Region NATS Online Student Auditions — ResultsCentral Region NATS · preserved 2026-10-07

    Page 2 records Emily Kouzios among the honorable mentions in category 7-3, Lower College Classical Treble. The teacher credit is Rebecca von Kamp.

    Open original source

Friends who showed up (Kappa Hoops for Hope)

  • Gamma Zeta Summer 2023 Newsletter — Hoops for HopeKappa Kappa Gamma — Gamma Zeta Chapter · preserved 2026-09-26

    Gamma Zeta’s Summer 2023 newsletter records the chapter’s Hoops for Hope philanthropy basketball tournament.

    The newsletter says the event raised more than $30,000 and that the chapter voted to direct the proceeds to Emily Kouzios, a friend of one of the sisters who was battling a rare brain cancer.

    The memorial’s local record is based on preserved page captures rather than relying only on the external flipbook shell.

    Open original source

Remembrance

  • Campers RememberedCamp Mak-A-Dream · preserved 2026-09-25

    Camp Mak-A-Dream’s Campers Remembered page lists Emily Kouzios of Crystal Lake, Illinois, and identifies her with the Heads Up Conference.

    The page records February 25, 2025 beside Emily’s name and explains that remembered campers are honored in the Granader Gardens at Camp Mak-A-Dream.

    Open original source
  • Brain Tumor Research Fund — In Memory of EmilyNorthwestern Medicine · preserved 2026-09-25

    Emily’s obituary directs memorial gifts to Northwestern Medicine’s Brain Tumor Research Fund in connection with the research of her tumor.

    This local record preserves what the link is for even if the giving URL changes later.

    Open original source

What she saved and shared

Emily’s digital footprint across social media — what she posted, saved, shared, and made. More is added as her accounts are gathered.

Opening…