Laker Nation News

Lake Land College will offer select dual credit courses at zero cost to students within the Effingham Regional Career Academy (ERCA) during the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 semesters.

This fall, several select Lake Land College dual credit courses will be offered at zero cost. All of these classes will be taught by Lake Land College instructors at the Kluthe Center through ERCA. The courses offer students opportunities to explore careers in the high-demand fields of commercial driver’s license (CDL), agriculture, healthcare, networking and geospatial technology (GIS).

The courses available for the Fall 2024 semester are:

Schedules for Spring 2025 are currently in development, and classes will be announced soon.

All Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 classes are available to students from the 14 schools within ERCA: Altamont High School, Beecher City High School, Brownstown High School, Cowden-Herrick High School, Cumberland High School, Dieterich High School, Effingham High School, Neoga High School, Newton (Jasper County) High School, North Clay (Louisville) High School, St. Anthony High School, St. Elmo High School, Stewardson-Strasburg High School and Teutopolis High School. Students should hold sophomore or junior status at the start of the 2024-2025 school year to be eligible.

To take advantage of this opportunity, interested students should connect with their high school guidance counselor. To learn more about the available courses and to register, contact Jerome Tkachuk, Director of Effingham Education and Regional Extension Centers, at 217-540-3500 or jtkachuk@lakelandcollege.edu.

To learn more about the many additional dual credit opportunities through Lake Land College, contact Tessa Wiles, Director of Dual Credit and Honors Experience, at 217-234-5044 or twiles@lakelandcollege.edu.

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The Lake Land College Business Division and Club IT recently hosted 14 local high schools for the annual Business and Computer Contest.

During the event, participating students from local high schools competed in the following categories: Accounting, General Business and Current Events, MOS Word, MOS PowerPoint and MOS Excel. Depending on the category, students either completed a written test or a hands-on test on the computer. First place winners of each contest received a 3-credit-hour tuition waiver from Lake Land College.

Flora High School placed first in the team event. The other high schools that participated in the event were Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond High School, Centralia High School, Champaign Centennial High School, Champaign Central High School, Charleston High School, Dieterich High School, Monticello High School, Mt. Zion High School, Neoga High School, Oblong High School, Paris High School, Shelbyville High School and Shiloh High School.

“It was incredible to have high school students participating in individual and team events,” said Tynia Kessler, business division chair. “We enjoy seeing and visiting with area business teachers and interacting with talented students. It’s a great opportunity for students to showcase their business and computer skills.”

The individual winners are as follows:

For more information, contact Kessler at 217-234-5348 or by email at tkessler@lakelandcollege.edu.

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Lake Land College recognized employees who will be retiring, those who have achieved years of service milestones, faculty award winners and peer-nominated Shine award recipients at an employee recognition event in March.

Lake Land College congratulated the 2024 retirees: Chemistry Instructor Iffat Ali with 27 years of service; Art Instructor Jodi Birdwell with 25 years of service; Kluthe Site Technician Gary Branson with 19 years of service; Academic Counselor Emily Hartke with 28 years of service; Division Chair Humanities & Communication/Communication Studies/English Instructor Salisa Hortenstine Olmsted with 31 years of service; Electronics Engineering Technology Instructor/Program Coordinator Gary Lindley with 24 years of service; Director of Fitness Center/Softball Head Coach Nic Nelson with 10 years of service; IT Instructor/Program Coordinator, IT-Network Administration Scott Rhine with 27 years of service; Police Sergeant Chad Smith with 26 years of service and Dean of Admission Services Jon Van Dyke with 30 years of service.

At the event, Lake Land College President Josh Bullock recognized college employees who met years of service milestones.

Academic Counselor Bryan Burrell and Dean of Admissions Services Jon Van Dyke were recognized for 30 years of service.

Those honored for 25 years of service included Director of Marketing & Public Relations Kelly Allee; Art Instructor Jodi Birdwell; Business Instructor Angela Davison; Administrative Assistant to the Vice President Becky Earp; Accounting & Payroll Specialist Michelle Gill; History Instructor Matthew Greider; Institutional Equipment Technician II Eric Hamilton; Business Instructor Jonathan Lebold; Economics Instructor Brian Lynch; English Instructor Bob Newell and Application Engineer Brenda Venatta Catey.

Honored for 20 years of service was Online Support & Instructional Specialist Sue Nugent.

Those honored for 15 years of service include Developmental Reading and Writing Instructor Judy Bennett; Chair of the Lake Land College Board of Trustees Gary Cadwell; Application Engineer Matthew Gillenwater; Academic Counselor Jennifer Melton; Groundskeeper Jimmie Shoot and Allied Health Dental Clinical Instructor Sheila Wilson.

Those honored for 10 years of service include Human Service Clinical Supervisor Christa Borries; Print Shop Technician Assistant Peggy Campbell; Psychology Instructor Andy Gaines; DOC Special Projects Manager Harvey Groennert; Associate Dean of Enrollment Management Pam Hartke; Chief of Staff Jean Anne Highland; Director of Athletics Bill Jackson; WIOA Operations Coordinator Tony Logue; Chemistry Instructor Claire Miller; Adult Education Instructor Aleyda Munoz; Director of Fitness Center/Softball Head Coach Nic Nelson; Psychology Instructor Amber Niebrugge; Ag Power Technology Instructor Woody Reinhart; Assistant Baseball Coach Volunteer Zachary Stuart; Digital Media Specialist Aaron Tardy and Library Circulation Assistant Catherine Tillman.

Those honored for 5 years of service included Director of Annual Giving & Alumni Relations Amanda Allen; Emergency Services Program Coordinator Jasmine Ballard; Criminal Justice Instructor/Coordinator Criminal Justice Programs David Chambers; Alternative Education Transition Coordinator Laney Cruit; Lake Land College Trustee Kevin Curtis; Executive Director for College Advancement Christi Donsbach; Student Services Specialist III – Admissions Tanisha Fulk; Mathematics Instructor Sarah Harley; Director Student Success Services Kim Hunter; IDOC CPR Instructor Katherine Johnson; Maintenance II Bill Kearns; Print Shop Technician Amanda Latch; Application Engineer Dustin Mason; Custodian David Matherly; Custodian Scott Mummel; Assistant to Dean of Corrections Brittany Myerscough; Custodian Elizabeth Pinner; Alternative Education Instructor Michelle Redd; TRIO Student Support Services Advisor Gavin Shawver; Infrastructure Administrator/Infrastructure Team Lead Kyle Szabo; Groundskeeper Dalton Todd; WIOA Financial Operations Contractor Debbie Whitacre; Agriculture Instructor/Judging Team Coach Hayden Wilder; Nursing Instructor Bethany Workman; Lake Land College Trustee Denise Walk; Lake Land College Vice Chair Tom Wright and Technical Support Specialist II Phillip Zike.

Adjunct faculty members were also honored for semester milestones. For 80 semesters Carolyn Stephens was recognized. For 40 semesters Brooke Ferguson, Damon McNeill and Jodi Swann were honored. James Jarrett was honored for 30 semesters. For 20 semesters, Jesse Horton was recognized. For 10 semesters, Rachel Daugherty and Traci Becker were honored.

Spanish/English Instructor and Faculty Honors Experience Advisor Casey Reynolds presented the 2024 LLCFA Outstanding Service Faculty Award to Marcy Satterwhite, Business Instructor/Program Coordinator and Desktop Publishing/Graphic Design. Vice President for Academic Services Ike Nwosu presented the 2024 ICCTA Outstanding Full-time Faculty Award to Matt Landrus, English Instructor.

President Bullock then announced the 2024 Shine Award recipients including Director Student Success Services Kimberly Hunter, Police Sergeant Chad Smith and Transportation Training Coordinator Justin Onigkeit.

All Shine nominees were recognized at the event, including Dean of Correctional Programs Jennifer Billingsley; Perkins Specialist Joy Kaurin; Coordinator of Mental Health Services Thomas Moll; Director of TRIO Programs Lori Ohnesorge; Comptroller Madge Shoot; Digital Media Specialist Aaron Tardy and Adult Education Transition Coordinator Mariah White-Landrus.

Two teams were also recognized, including the Admissions and Records department of Bailey Sigrist, Claire Carr, Faith Donaldson, Lesley Coderko and Tanisha Fulk and the Enrollment Management Project Team of Heather Nohren, Kelly Allee and Pamela Hartke.

The Lake Land College Board of Trustees expressed congratulations and gratitude to all of the employees honored at the event for the hard work and dedication the employees have shown to the college.

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The Lake Land College Center for Business and Industry welcomed 41 students from Effingham Junior High School to campus on Friday, April 26 for “Flex Tech Friday.”

During the event, students attended four sessions to explore campus, view demonstrations and participate in hands-on activities. They also met with faculty from the Lake Land College Technology Division and learned about the many opportunities available in trades, technology and manufacturing.

“It was great to be able to share our programs and resources with so many eager students,” Director of the Center for Business and Industry Bonnie Moore said. “It’s rewarding to see the students take interest in technology and learn about these high-demand careers at such a young age.”

To learn more about the trades and technology programs available at Lake Land College, contact Counseling Services at 217-234-5232 or counsel@lakelandcollege.edu.

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Lake Land College will honor graduates at the annual Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 10 at 6 p.m. in the Field House.

More than 600 students will receive degrees and certificates this spring, with more than 340 graduates expected to participate in the ceremony.

Graduating student Jackie Schertz, El Paso, will present the Student Address to her fellow graduates.

During her time at Lake Land College, Schertz was elected Student Trustee by her peers. In this role, she served as a student representative on the Lake Land College Board of Trustees from 2023-2024. She also served as a Student Ambassador, participated in the college’s award-winning livestock judging team and was an active member of the Student Government Association (SGA).

ICCTA Outstanding Full-time Faculty Member Award Recipient, Matthew Landrus, will also be recognized at the event. During his 27 years of service as an English instructor, Landrus has implemented innovative classroom activities, served on numerous committees and led the creation of the college’s online Living Archives.

On the day of commencement, the doors of the Field House will open at 5 p.m. with overflow seating available in the Luther Student Center Theater. Handicap accessible seating will be available in both locations. Parking on campus is free with parking lots A and B located closest to the Field House.

Lake Land College will stream the commencement ceremony live on Friday, May 10, 2024, at 6 p.m. (CST) on the Lake Land College website. The ceremony will also air on WEIU-TV YOUR 13 on May 18 at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., May 19 at 12 p.m., May 21 at 7 p.m. and May 27 at 7 a.m.

Photos taken by Marketing & Public Relations will be available for download on the Lake Land College website at lakelandcollege.edu.

More information is available on the Lake Land College website at lakelandcollege.edu/admissions/graduation.

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Lake Land College Honors students and members of the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honors Society were recently recognized at a banquet on campus.

During the event, Isaac Kocher, Ingraham, was named Honors Student of the Year.

The following students were also nominated for the Honors Student of the Year Award: Gwendolyn Fain, Neoga; Hali Mirocha, Sullivan; Matthias Hacker, Westfield; Michelle Hoyos, Effingham and Natashia Carter, Mattoon.

The following PTK members were recognized as Distinguished Officers: President Natashia Carter, Mattoon; Vice President Elizabeth Cable, Brownstown; Treasurer Gwen Fain, Neoga; Secretary Brianna Sexton, Trilla and Public Relations Darrius Frazier, Charleston.

The following students were recognized during the event as this year’s Honors Program graduates:

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The Lake Land College Board of Trustees nominated English Instructor Matt Landrus for the Illinois Community College Trustee Association (ICCTA) Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Award.

The Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Award is presented each year to an Illinois community college instructor who demonstrates excellence in teaching, program development, committee participation and community leadership. Each ICCTA member college is eligible to nominate one full-time faculty member each year for award consideration.

During his 27-year career, Landrus has led initiatives to reshape developmental writing and reading courses, helped create new class offerings and implemented innovative student mentor and job shadowing programs. He has served on numerous committees and task forces to help support college initiatives, including the establishment of standard syllabus guidelines and the development of incoming faculty. He also worked to create the Lake Land online Living Archive, a comprehensive collection of historic moments in the college’s history.

“Undoubtedly, Mr. Landrus is an extremely valuable asset to Lake Land College,” said Gary Cadwell, Lake Land College Board of Trustees Chair. “We want to honor his commitment to our students, faculty, staff and community.”

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Recently, the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) honored Lake Land College Nursing Instructors Katelyn Bloemer and Tarah Haskenherm with the Nurse Educator Fellowship award.

The Nurse Educator Fellowship program aims to recognize and ensure the retention of well-qualified nursing faculty with a $10,000 award. Participation in this program is open to Illinois institutions of higher learning with a nursing program approved by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Association Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

Recipients must first be nominated for the honor by the chief nursing administrator from their respective institutions. All nominations are then reviewed by the IBHE, and recipients are selected based on individual accomplishments, program improvements, research efforts and other contributions to their respective nursing programs. When nominating Bloemer and Haskenherm for the honor, Director of Nursing Programs Cassandra Porter recognized their use of advanced pediatric training and innovative testing preparation, respectively.

“The Fellowship Award is a testament to Katelyn and Tarah’s dedication, innovation and commitment to Lake Land College’s nursing programs,” Lake Land College President Josh Bullock said. “Their achievements not only reflect their individual excellence but also contribute to the overall success of our nursing programs.”

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On Monday, April 8, Lake Land College hosted “The Sun and Moon Meet in Mattoon,” a solar eclipse event for students.

Attending students received glitter tattoos, enjoyed eclipse-themed snacks, completed crafts and traced their footprints on a banner resembling the moon’s surface. The Lake Land College IT department also set up a greenscreen photobooth to project students onto a variety of interstellar backdrops.

Attendees received free glasses to view the eclipse on campus. Vision-impaired students were able to experience the eclipse with a “LightSound” device, which was assembled by Scott Rhine, IT Instructor/Program Coordinator, IT-Network Administration Program. A livestream of the eclipse from NASA was also available to watch in both Webb Hall and the Luther Student Center theater.

To learn more about the many student events and activities on campus, visit the Lake Land College Student Life webpage at LakeLandCollege.edu/student-life/.

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Lake Land College recently received a $127,500 grant from the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) to support the advancement of its dual credit programs.

With the assistance of these funds, Lake Land will provide local high schools with essential dual credit instructional materials and textbooks, cover costs for high school educators’ professional development and directly engage with students and parents with program information.

“Thanks to the ICCB grant, we’re able to extend our assistance further,” Tessa Wiles, Director of Dual Credit and Honors Experience, said. “This grant empowers us to bridge gaps and create opportunities, ensuring all students, regardless of their backgrounds, have access to quality education and a pathway to success.”

Dual credit programs have become an increasingly popular method for Illinois high school students to earn college-level credits. Cumulative dual credit enrollment in Illinois has increased by 29% over the last five years and 65% over the last 10 years.

With this new grant, the ICCB seeks to support further growth and development of dual credit programs throughout the state. Lake Land College is one of 24 Illinois community colleges to receive this grant support, which collectively totals more than $3 million.

More information about Lake Land College’s dual credit programs is available on the Lake Land College website at LakeLandCollege.edu/dual-credit/. For additional questions about the program, contact Wiles at 217-234-5044 or twiles@lakelandcollege.edu.

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