Laker Nation News

Six Lake Land students officially became the inaugural members of the college’s new clay target team at a signing event on Friday, Sept. 1. The event was held at the Effingham Sportsman’s Club, where the team will compete this upcoming season.

The following students signed at the event and will form the 2023-2024 Lake Land Clay Target team:

The Lake Land Board of Trustees officially approved the new team during a regular meeting on August 14. Coaching the team is Civil Engineering Instructor and Program Coordinator Josh Fulk, Saint Elmo.

“It was great to finally have all the team in one room for the first time to make them officially part of the Lake Land College Clay Target Shooting Team,” Fulk said. “These students are very well-deserving to represent Lake Land in our first season from both a competitive and academic standpoint. I can’t wait to see what our first season will bring and what our team will grow into in future seasons.”

Now officially assembled, Fulk’s team looks forward to the start of the season. The team will compete every Friday at 7 p.m. from Sept. 22 to Oct. 27. Anyone interested in attending these events is welcome to do so for free, but the team will accept donations to help with costs throughout the season Donations can be made at https://www.lakelandcollege.edu/online-giving/.

To learn more about Lake Land’s athletic programs, visit https://lakelandlakersathletics.com/landing/index.

-30-

Lake Land College’s Adult Education program offers free GED and ESL classes with the support of funding from the ICCB Adult Education and Family Literacy grant. These classes help students age 17 or older continue their education and develop valuable employment skills. Lake Land instructors and advisors help students in these courses achieve their academic goals and prepare for successful employment by assisting with résumés and providing access to community resources.

In Lake Land’s GED courses, students receive instruction, texts, online resources and practice tests to help enhance their language arts, social studies and math and science skills in preparation for GED exams. Specialized instructors are also available to provide individualized guidance to ensure all students achieve their learning goals. Lake Land also helps eliminate barriers to completion by covering the cost of two GED exams for all students who regularly attend class. Lake Land College celebrates all who pass the GED with a graduation ceremony in May.

In Lake Land’s ESL classes, non-native speakers receive an introduction to the English language and develop the skills needed to function in American society. Students are immersed in the language via reading, writing, and conversational activities. Students are assessed upon their entrance into the program and are matched to a corresponding level of expertise to ensure a productive and beneficial learning experience.

In both the GED and ESL courses, students begin with an orientation session, where they learn about the classes and take their first assessments. Orientations for Lake Land’s GED courses are held the first week of the month in September through November and January through April. Upon completion of the orientation, students can begin attending GED classes at one of the following locations during the Fall 2023 semester:

• Charleston: Eastern Illinois University, Booth Library, Room 4450
• Effingham: Kluthe Center for Higher Education and Technology, 1204 Network Center Dr., Room 203 or 222
• Marshall: Eastern Region Center, 224 S. 6th St.
• Mattoon: Workforce Development Center, 5001 Lake Land Blvd., Room 105
• Pana: Western Region Center, 600 E. 1st St.
• Paris: Old Paris High School, Corner of South Central and West Crawford, Entrance S6
• Shelbyville: First Assembly of God, 108 S. Oak St.
• Sullivan: Sullivan High School, 725 N. Main St., Room 14

For Lake Land’s public ESL courses, orientations are held the second week of the month in September through November and January through April. Upon completion of the orientation, students can begin attending ESL classes in one of the following locations during the Fall 2023 semester:

• Arthur: Arthur Public Library, 225 S. Walnut St.
• Charleston: Newman Center, 500 Roosevelt Ave.
• Effingham: Kluthe Center for Higher Education and Technology, 1204 Network Center Dr.
• Marshall: Eastern Region Center, 224 South Sixth St.
• Mattoon: Workforce Development Center, 5001 Lake Land Blvd.

To view the full orientation and class schedules for both the GED and ESL courses, visit https://www.lakelandcollege.edu/adult-education/.

To see if these programs may be right for you or someone you know, call the Adult Education line at 217-238-8292 to speak with an Adult Education representative, or contact Shannon McGregor, director of adult and alternative education, at 217-238-8383 or at smcgregor2@lakelandcollege.edu.

-30-

Lake Land College is pleased to welcome Thomas Moll as the College’s new coordinator of mental health services. With over 20 years of behavioral health experience, Moll seeks to support the success of Lake Land students by providing wellness services throughout the college.

Moll is a Lake Land College alumnus, graduating in 1997 with an associate degree in human services. He then completed a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Illinois at Springfield in 2000 before attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and obtaining a master’s degree in social work in 2002. Recently, he served as a licensed clinical social worker for Family Care Associates in Effingham.

“The opportunity to work at Lake Land College allows me to take everything I have learned in the behavioral health field for over 20 years and bring it back home to the place my educational journey began,” Moll said.

Moll’s behavioral health services include both individual and group therapy sessions to help students navigate struggles with anxiety, depression, and many other forms of crisis. These services are available to all Lake Land students at no charge and are completely confidential. Students are welcome to access therapy services on a walk-in basis and will soon be able to schedule appointments through a student app called Navigate.

“We are fortunate to have someone of Tom’s experience at Lake Land College to serve as a resource to help students with their wellness challenges on their pathway to success,” said Vice President for Student Services Valerie Lynch.

Moll’s position is part of Lake Land’s new Student Wellness Center, which also includes nursing services, the Laker Food Pantry and the Active Minds student peer to peer club. These services help ensure that Lake Land students are safe, healthy and empowered to pursue their personal and academic goals. All health services are available in room 512 of the Luther Student Center.

Complementing these services is Lake Land’s partnership with TimelyCare, a web-based platform that offers 24/7 access to wellness resources. All Lake Land students can receive up to six free virtual treatment sessions through the TimelyCare platform. Students also have free access to a meditation and relaxation app called Calm.

To learn more about Lake Land’s Student Wellness Center and available mental health resources, contact Moll at tmoll@lakelandcollege.edu or Lake Land Counseling Services by email at counsel@lakelandcollege.edu or by phone at 217-234-5232.

-30-

Mattoon, IL – Fifty-five students have been selected to receive scholarships totaling $2,000 each through the GROWMARK Foundation. More than 500 students from across the United States and Ontario, Canada, applied for the scholarships. Students who received the scholarships will have those funds available for the fall 2023 semester.

We are pleased to announce that Kaylee Blackford, Alexanndria Osborne, and Anna Webel from Lake Land College have been chosen to receive a $2,000 scholarship.

“At GROWMARK, we recognize the value of investing in students pursuing careers in agriculture or business-related fields. By doing so, we not only assist students in achieving their academic goals but also cultivate a potential future workforce for GROWMARK and FS member cooperatives,” Mark Orr, CEO of GROWMARK, Inc.

The GROWMARK Foundation was formally incorporated in 2005 and supports 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organizations. The Foundation is focused on programs and activities which support: the vitality of the industry of agriculture; agriculture education and consumer understanding of agriculture’s contributions to society and the economy; agricultural leadership development; and education about the benefits of the cooperative way of doing business. The GROWMARK System has been involved in a variety of philanthropic efforts, including youth and young leader education and development and scholarships, for decades. More information is available at GROWMARK.com.

-30-

Lake Land College is excited to invest in the strength and development of its local communities with a rebuilt Community Education Program and new class offerings.

Lake Land Community Education offers classes in knitting and food sanitation. The knitting course is designed for beginners and will be held from 6-8 p.m. on September 13, 20 and 27. The course costs $75, which includes all three class sessions and knitting supplies. The three class sessions will all be held in room 102 of Lake Land’s Workforce Development Center.

The food sanitation class will be held on September 22 from 4-8 p.m. and September 23 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The course costs $125, which includes both class sessions and a voucher to take the Food Sanitation Exam. Only 12 total spots are available for the course, so interested students are encouraged to register early. Both class sessions will be held in room 105 of the Workforce Development Center.

Lake Land’s Community Education program also provides testing for individuals to become qualified paraprofessional teacher’s aides. Testing preparation and examinations are available year-round by appointment only. Initial exams cost $135 and retakes cost $50.

The Community Education program also offers unique opportunities for senior citizens. Through the program, Lake Land organizes monthly day trip events for seniors to visit locations such as the Shelbyville Hot Air Balloon Festival, Aikman Wildlife Park, the Effingham Performance Center and more. The first of such events will be held on August 25, with seniors visiting the Golden Nugget Casino in Danville. This event is capped at 12 seniors and will cost $35.

The program is also working to develop numerous classes in topics such as dancing, cake baking and decorating, art, community growth and much more. Individuals are also welcome to make requests and suggestions for future classes that would interest themselves and their fellow community members.

To learn more, contact Community and Professional Programs Coordinator Shelly Martin by email at smartin2@lakelandcollege.edu or by phone at 217-234-5087.

To register for any of the currently available classes, tests or events, contact Martin or visit www.lakelandcollege.edu/learn.

-30-

Lake Land College is pleased to announce the students who have graduated following completion of the Summer 2023 term. The 2023 Summer graduates are:

-30-

Lake Land College will be holding open tryout sessions for the Laker volleyball team on Wednesday, August 16 and Friday, August 25. Both sessions will be held in the Laker Field House gymnasium from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Lake Land students interested in joining the volleyball team are welcome to showcase their abilities at either tryout session. Students can register to attend the session of their choice at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScc6hyqwVtVo7NH1OiH8x8hz4Fgf0VHJdDGXzz0CYq6b4ndZA/viewform All students trying out are required to bring a current physical with them to the session they attend.

Anyone interested in trying out but unable to attend one of the scheduled sessions can contact Head Volleyball Coach Lainey Jackson by phone at 217-234-5296 or by email at ljackson7215@lakelandcollege.edu for alternate arrangements.

For more information, please contact Coach Jackson or Field House Administrative Assistant Meredith Perez by email at mperez2@lakelandcollege.edu or by phone at 217-234-5333.

-30-

The Lake Land College Foundation will host its annual Golf Classic on Friday, September 29, at the Mattoon Golf & Country Club. The golf outing will be played in the popular four-man scramble format, with registration and lunch for golfers beginning at 11 a.m. with a shotgun start at noon.

Golfers can register as a team of four or individually. Individual players are encouraged to sign up, as all players will be placed on a team. Entries for Friday’s outing are limited to the first 144 golfers.

The entry fee is $125 per golfer or $500 per team of four. Lunch, 18-holes, cart and refreshments are included.

All proceeds assist the Lake Land College Foundation in building relationships that will support and enhance the educational opportunities and services to students through financial support from alumni and friends.

The outing is made possible by the support of the event’s sponsors. Confirmed sponsors at this time are Consolidated Communications, Planning Design Studio, Martin Hood LLC, Patterson Technology, Prudential, Diamond Bros. Insurance, Heartland Dental, Sherri Branson – State Farm Insurance Agent, Grunloh Construction, Inc., IBEW 146, and SC3F Wealth Management.

Teams or individuals can sign up through the Lake Land College Foundation at lakelandcollege.edu/foundation/golf or by contacting Amanda Allen at 217-234-5376 or atucker1563@lakelandcollege.edu.

All mail entries should be sent to Lake Land College Foundation, 5001 Lake Land Blvd., Mattoon, IL 61938.

-30-

Lake Land College honored the Summer 2023 Medical Assistant Program graduates at an annual pinning ceremony.

The Clinical Excellence Award was presented to Karina Davis, Mattoon.

The award for Overall Most Improved Student was presented to Sadie Keller, Shelbyville, and Presten Lasky, Charleston.

The Outstanding Student Achievement award was presented to Sarah Springman, Bethany, and Abigale Woodall, Charleston.

The following graduates received pins at the ceremony:

-30-

Graduating nurses received their pins at the Summer 2023 Lake Land College Practical Nursing pinning ceremony.

The Practical Nursing Program Peer Awards were presented to Danielle Goldsborough, Altamont, and Stevie Lasswell, Charleston, for their excellence in helping others and demonstrating professionalism in both classroom and clinical settings.

The Clinical Excellence Award was presented to Minnie Gadison, Decatur, for displaying clinical excellence and confident professionalism throughout the Practical Nursing Program.

The Marilyn Fuqua Thompson Nursing Award was presented to Kelsey Fletcher, Montrose. Voted on by faculty, this award is presented to a graduating student who is considered to be the all-around best student in the class. The recipient of this award must demonstrate professionalism, responsibility, compassion and dedication while possessing the technical skills, knowledge base and composure to navigate the most difficult situations.

The following students received pins at the ceremony:

-30-