Laker Nation News

Lake Land College Foundation Scholarship applications for the 2018-2019 academic year are due Feb. 1 by 5 p.m.

Students graduating from high school, adults enrolling at Lake Land College and current students are encouraged to apply. Students who received a Lake Land College Foundation Scholarship for the 2017-2018 school year and wish to be considered for a 2018-2019 award must reapply in order to receive a scholarship again.

The online scholarship application is available at lakelandcollege.edu/scholarships/. There are four questions a student should be prepared to answer with a 100-word response for each. They are the following: 1. Describe your career aspirations and your educational plans to meet these goals; 2. Explain how you have helped your family and/or made your community a better place to live; 3. Describe your financial situation and how a Foundation Scholarship can help you achieve your educational goals; and 4. Describe a significant change or experience that has occurred in your life. How did you respond and what did you learn about yourself?

Applicants will be considered for all Foundation Scholarships for which they qualify and awards will be announced in April.

Last year, the Foundation awarded $380,000 in scholarships to deserving students.

For additional information, contact the Foundation at 217-234-5445 or prosine@lakelandcollege.edu.

Lake Land College athletes are excelling in the classroom as well as in competition. Overall, the teams had a combined GPA of 3.1 for the fall semester with 54 out of 89 with a 3.0 or better. Eight student athletes earned a perfect 4.0 GPA.

“Our athletic program develops young men and women to reach their potential both in play and in the classroom. Our focus on academics is reflected in the achievements of our current athletes and we are very proud of them,” Lake Land College Athletic Director Bill Jackson said.

The 2017 NJCAA Academic Teams were baseball, men’s basketball, softball, volleyball and women’s basketball. This year was the first year that all five teams secured All-American status, meaning the teams had a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

The softball team had the highest GPA with 3.50, followed by the volleyball team at 3.26.

Each program requires athletes to attend study tables and workout schedules throughout the entire year.

“During the school year there are many demands on our student athletes. They have to be very focused and organized to be successful as a student athlete,” Jackson said.

For more information about Laker athletics, visit lakelandcollege.edu and look for the “Athletics” menu.

“Oh Danny Boy, the pipes are calling”: calling all singers to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!  Preparation for the spring season of the Lake Land College Community Choir begins on Tuesday, Jan. 23.  Rehearsals are held on Tuesday nights in the Lake Land College Theater from 7-9:30 p.m.

All singers age 18 and older are welcome to participate, and no audition is required.  The choir includes college students as well as area residents, forming a group of approximately 45 mixed voices.

Choir members may earn one hour of college credit for singing in the choir.  Interested singers can complete a registration form at the first rehearsal, or register online for MUS-104-11565.

Registration for college credit is not required, however, and participation in the choir is free for those who do not register.

In recognition of St. Patrick’s Day, “Oh Danny Boy,” “Wild Mountain Thyme” and “Shule Aroon,” sung in Gaelic, will be featured.  Selections for the spring season also include a group of traditional black spirituals.  The choir will perform arrangements of the patriotic favorites such as “God Bless America” and “America the Beautiful.” 1970s pop hits “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen, “Take a Chance on Me” by ABBA and “Imagine” by John Lennon will round out the program.

“Singing with others is a great antidote for cabin fever.  If you are looking for something to make the cold winter months fly by, you can join the choir for smiles, laughter and great music. And you can bring a friend!” said Nancy Caldwell, director of the choir and Lake Land music instructor.

Caldwell went on to say that the community choir has brought many residents to the Lake Land campus for the first time.  “The College welcomes members of the community to campus to explore all the many opportunities offered for education and personal growth.”

The season will conclude with a concert on Sunday, March 18, at 3 p.m. in the Theater.

Contact Caldwell at 217-821-6469 with any questions.

Lake Land College Nursing Instructor Tisha Goad, Arcola, recently received a Nurse Educator Fellowship award from the Illinois Board of Higher Education. The Nurse Educator Fellowship program is designed to ensure the retention of highly qualified nursing faculty at institutions of higher learning.

Cheryl Beam, nursing instructor/director of nursing programs, nominated Goad, stating, “Tisha Goad demonstrates ongoing initiative, leadership, and dedication to her students, the college, and the nursing profession.  As an instructor, she identified gaps in lesson plans and has developed innovative ways to fill those gaps.  By developing collaborative learning activities she promotes deep learning and the ability of her students to apply nursing concepts in making sound clinical judgments.”

Beam goes on to say that Goad “is highly praised by students, fellow instructors, supervisors and by staff from the clinical sites in which she provides instruction.  She has over 20 years’ experience as a nurse, focusing the last ten years on teaching.”

This program also promotes professional development through a supplement grant to the nursing faculty selected. Goad, who teaches associate degree nursing courses at Lake Land, plans on using the award funds for furthering awareness for higher education and nursing issues. She also plans to attend conferences, purchase instructional materials specific to her teaching content and to acquire professional association memberships and journals.

“She is one of the most passionate instructors I have ever met,” Beam said. “She truly focuses on inspiring students and colleagues to grow and learn which makes her an excellent candidate for this fellowship.”

Visit Lake Land College and find out all the college offers at Laker Visit Day. The event will be held Friday, Feb. 9 in the Luther Student Center starting at 9 a.m. and will run until noon.

The event is for potential students who are interested in learning more about Lake Land College. Parents/guardians and spouses are welcome to come along and attend the Parent and Spouse Session.

Representatives from Admissions & Records, Financial Aid & Veteran Services, Counseling Services, Career Services and Student Life will provide information and answer questions. The event includes campus tours and informational sessions by Lake Land College Student Ambassadors. Participants will also meet with faculty members in their academic area of interest to learn more about program offerings at Lake Land.

“Laker Visit Day is a great way for prospective students and parents to talk to faculty and staff about academic options and programs of study, to talk to current students about student life and to learn about financial aid options and opportunities,” said Lisa Shumard-Shelton, director of new student admissions.

Additional Laker Visit Days are scheduled for March 23 and June 21.

Register online at lakelandcollege.edu/visit or call 217-234-5254.

Certified Fund Raising Executive International has named Lake Land College’s Jacqueline Joines, Brocton, as a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). Joines, executive director of college advancement for Lake Land College, joins more than 5,500 professionals from around the world who hold the CFRE designation. She is currently the only active CFRE in Coles County.

Individuals granted the CFRE credential have met a series of standards set by CFRE International which include tenure in the profession, education, demonstrated fundraising achievement and a commitment to service to not-for-profit organizations. They pass a rigorous written examination testing the knowledge, skills and abilities required of a fundraising executive. They also agree to uphold accountability standards and the Donor Bill of Rights.

“The CFRE credential was created to identify for the public and employers those individuals who possess the knowledge, skills and commitment to perform fundraising duties in an effective and ethical manner,” states Jim Caldarola, CFRE, past chair of CFRE International. “As the certification is a voluntary achievement, the CFRE credential demonstrates a high level of commitment on the part of Jacqueline Joines to herself, the fundraising profession and the donors who are served.”

CFRE recipients are awarded certification for a three-year period. In order to maintain certification status recipients must demonstrate on-going fundraising employment and fundraising results and continue with their professional education. Employers and donors who work with CFREs know they are getting a professional who is committed to the best outcomes for their organization and has the requisite knowledge and skills. In the fiscal year 2017, Joines and the Lake Land College Foundation Board of Directors celebrated a record-breaking year of $1.1 million in gifts. CFRE International is an independent organization dedicated to the certification of fundraising executives by setting standards in philanthropic practice.

The Lake Land College Foundation is a nonprofit corporation organized and operated exclusively for educational, scientific, and cultural purposes to assist in developing and fostering scholarships and charitable activities. The foundation administers general and academic scholarships, which have been made available by contributions, gifts, grants, and bequests.

Lake Land College’s Adult Education will be offering free computer classes in various locations.

Classes begin Monday, Feb. 5 for the Effingham location. Tuesday, Feb. 6 for the Mattoon location and Friday, Feb. 9 for the Pana location.

The four-week classes will include topics of Windows 7 and Word.

The schedule is as follows:

• Mattoon – Lake Land College Workforce Development Center, 305 Richmond Ave. East. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5-7 p.m.
• Effingham – Kluthe Center for Higher Education and Technology, 1204 Network Centre Blvd. Mondays and Tuesdays, 2-4 p.m.
• Pana – Lake Land College Western Region Center, 600 East 1^st. Fridays 4-8 p.m.

Registration is limited to the first 12 applicants. Enroll today!

For more information, contact Adult Education at 217-238-8292 or adulteducation@lakelandcollege.edu.

Lake Land College is offering a Grant Writing 101 course that will cover all aspects of the grant writing process. The course will be a practical and humor-filled approach to grant writing and will explain how to begin composing grants of all sizes. Participants can expect to learn proposal design, the funder search and more. The class will work through various grant documents and will have time to ask as many questions as needed. By the end of the course, participants will have a much better idea of whether grants are a good fit for their school, nonprofit or agency.

The class will be taught by Fielding Jezreel who has worked in the grants field since 2013 and has raised more than $10 million for nonprofits.

The Grant Writing 101 course will meet on Thursday, Feb. 1 from 9 a.m.—12 p.m.

Class will be held at the Workforce Development Center located at 305 Richmond Ave. East, Mattoon, Ill., 61938. The cost is $60.

Register at lakelandcollege.edu/learn.

For more information, contact Sandy Spaulding, professional development support, at 217-234-5087 or email sspaulding@lakelandcollege.edu

Members of the first graduating class of the Lake Land College licensed practical nurse to associate degree nursing cohort program received their pins during a ceremony on Dec. 11. The pinning ceremony was also a celebration of the first graduating class from this new program.

Andrea Davis, Strasburg, received the Marilyn Fuqua Thompson Nursing Award, which is given each year to a graduating student who is considered to be the all-around best student in the class and is voted on by faculty.  The student must be professionally superior and morally responsible, be capable of making wise decisions, be compassionate and caring, be dedicated and possess common sense and a strong scientific knowledge base, demonstrate superior technical skills, possess superior communication skills and composure, often in crises situations. Davis’s name will be engraved on a plaque that is located in the nursing skills lab in Neal Hall.

Debi King, Charleston, received the Associate Degree Nursing Peer Award. King was chosen because of her clinical and scholastic performance, willingness to help other students, professionalism, maturity and spirit.  The award is characterized by a true team player, who also is considered a leader. The recipient of this award was selected by fellow nursing students.

During the ceremony, the following graduates were honored:

Paula Blaine,  Cowden

Brittany Cain, Charleston

Amy Cripe, Windsor

Andrea Davis, Strasburg

Kristina Davis, Sullivan

Lindsey Dionne, Pana

Gretchen Hille, Effingham

Nicole Houseman, Pana

Cayla-Ann Hurt, Casey

Debi King, Charleston

Brennyn Kirk, Mattoon

Courtney Kuhlman, Shelbyville

Nicole Pals, Teutopolis

Lindsey Rahn, Shelbyville

Rebecca Reinstorf, Pana

Maria Strohl, Neoga

Rebecca Switzer, Brocton

Kelly Wheeler, Windsor

Taylor Wilcox, Shelbyville

Molly Williams, Shelbyville

The licensed practical nursing to associate degree nursing major cohort is a one calendar-year program offering career advancement training to nursing professionals. Offered exclusively at the Kluthe Center for Higher Education and Technology in Effingham, it is a special admission program requiring applicants to meet specific criteria.

The next group of students will begin in the spring 2018 semester.

For more information on this program contact Cheryl Beam, director of nursing programs, at 217-234-5452 or cbeam@lakelandcollege.edu.

Lake Land College student Dorothy Stuttle, who recently celebrated her 90^th birthday on Nov. 30, doesn’t need a New Year’s resolution to exercise more—she’s been living out that goal at the Lake Land Fitness Center for the past eight years and she plans to keep going.

To celebrate her dedication to physical wellness, Lake Land recently honored Stuttle with a lifetime membership to the Fitness Center. Lake Land staff presented Stuttle with the membership along with wishing her a happy birthday.

Over the years, Stuttle took advantage of the senior citizens tuition wavier to enroll in fitness courses every semester. Now, she can visit the Fitness Center freely.

“It just means so much to me that they would do something like that,” she said. “I’m a strong believer in exercise and doing the right thing. I always try to do the best I can.”

Stuttle began working out at the Fitness Center after she decided that she needed to look into different options for her exercise routine.

“I used to walk around Lake Paradise every morning, but the ground proved too hard on my knees. I looked in to the fitness center and it seemed like a good idea,” she said. “So many people retire and all they want to do is sit. I never wanted to do that. I want to stay active.”

Stuttle goes to the Fitness Center every day at 7 a.m. and peddles on one of the many recumbent exercise bikes. Through the years, Stuttle has become a familiar face to all the staff and students and serves as an inspiration to all who come into contact with her.

“Dorothy is an inspiration to us all,” said Lisa Leisch, administrative assistant to counseling services. “Her story should be an encouragement to everyone in the community to get out there and take care of their physical wellbeing.”

Stuttle enjoys watching the wildlife around her house, especially all the birds and deer that come up to her backyard. She also enjoys spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. “I try to be a great mom, grandma, and great-grandma. I love the little ones,” she said.

When asked about tips on diet, Stuttle stressed moderation. “I eat anything I want, I just try to watch the quantity. I still enjoy a bowl of ice cream before bed every now and then, though.”

The general public can sign up for a one credit hour aerobics class (PED 143) at the college and utilize the center. The center is open Monday—Thursday from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. and on Friday from 7 a.m.- 5 p.m.