Cheryl Beam, director of nursing programs/nursing instructor at Lake Land College, graduated from the practical nursing program in 1988. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s degree in nursing from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2003.
Beam started working at the college in 2001 as a nursing instructor in the practical nursing program and as a nurse practitioner in Effingham. Since assuming her position as director of nursing programs, Beam has increased the size of the nursing programs by 20%, added a track for licensed practical nurses (LPN) to earn an associate degree in nursing (ADN) at the Kluthe Center in Effingham and initiated computerized testing and remediation for nursing students.
Under her leadership, passage rates of both programs’ graduates on the state board exam exceeded state and national averages. In the fall of 2019, Lake Land College’s nursing programs were ranked three out of 63 programs in the state for NCLEX exam pass rate and affordability.
Patrick Drees graduated from Lake Land College in 1994 with an associate degree in elementary education. Since then, he went on to earn both a bachelor’s degree, a specialist degree and a master’s degree in education from Eastern Illinois University.
As principal at Teutopolis Junior High since 2010, Drees promotes an environment in which students from a variety of backgrounds and challenges can thrive and become active in the school. He knows all of the students because he interacts with them each day. He can be seen at numerous sporting events cheering on the athletes or leading cheers with the student body.
Drees said he has worked with many outstanding educators during his journey, and he loves interacting with students. He also said he encourages students coming out of high school to go to Lake Land College because he says it provides a great education at an affordable price.
Bobbi Beckman Kinkelaar graduated from Lake Land College with an associate degree in pre-nursing in 1995. Going on to receive a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s degree in nursing, Kinkelaar is now the chief nursing officer at HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital and St. Francis Hospital, Litchfield.
Through her many different roles in leadership, Kinkelaar has become an ambassador for St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital and the community. Kinkelaar is known for going out of her way to ensure students have a positive and valuable clinical experience.
Her skills, knowledge, willingness to help others and dedication to her profession exemplify the mission of Lake Land College and HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital.
Brad Tammen graduated in 1987 after a successful athletic career in baseball at Lake Land College which had earned him the Lakers’ 1987 MVP title. After spending time in the front offices of professional baseball major league affiliates in Oklahoma City, Salt Lake City and Nashville, Tammen spent four years in marketing for IMG at Middle Tennessee State University before accepting a position with the Great Lakes Loons, a Class A Affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He now does consulting work for collegiate sports.
Tammen’s success at Lake Land College continued into the rest of his life. Having carried his love for baseball into his career, Tammen’s life is an example of applying the love of something to a career and never giving up.
Clay Zwilling served as a Student Ambassador, a member of the Postsecondary Agriculture Student Organization and a member of the Livestock Judging Team during his time at Lake Land College.
After graduating, Clay went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in animal science and agricultural education from Oklahoma State University where he was named an All-American Livestock Judge and was on the 2012 National Champion Livestock Judging Team. He then earned a master’s degree from Texas A&M University.
Clay joined the National Swine Registry (NSR) in 2017 as the vice president of member outreach and youth development, providing oversight for the largest junior livestock organization in the U.S. In his role as chief executive officer for NSR since March 2019, Clay oversees the day to day operations of the Duroc, Hampshire, Landrace and Yorkshire breed registries whose membership comprise the world’s largest purebred swine organization.