Laker Nation News

The Lake Land College Student Activity Board is sponsoring a Blood Stem Cell and Marrow Registry Drive on Wednesday, Oct. 2. Representatives from the Be The Match organization will be available from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. in Laker Point of the Luther Student Center to talk with students, employees and community members who are interested in registering to be a donor.

People who register to be a blood stem cell and bone marrow donor have the opportunity to save someone’s life. A peripheral blood stem cell donation is a non-surgical procedure and is only slightly more involved than giving blood. Most donors are back to their normal routine in one to two days.

According to Be The Match, 70% of patients who need a stem-cell transplant do not have a fully matched donor in their family and must rely on the generosity of a stranger.

Donors must be between the ages of 18-44. Those who are older than 44 and want to be involved can encourage others to register as a potential donor.

To pre-register, go to join.bethematch.org/lakeland.

For more information about being a donor, contact Kathy Black, division chair business/business instructor, at 217-234-5348 or kblack@lakelandcollege.edu.

For more information about Lake Land College Student Life visit lakelandcollege.edu/student-life.

The Lake Land College Plastics Manufacturing program is now offered online with an in-person, hands-on lab meeting alternating Saturdays at the VoTech Center in Paris, Illinois.

“With the revised format, students can keep their current jobs, while training for a highly specialized new career,” Michael Beavers, division chair technology/electronics engineering instructor, said.

Individuals who are interested are invited to attend an informational session on Wednesday, Sept. 18 from 3 – 6 p.m. in the West Building, room 120 to learn more about the program and opportunities for financial assistance.

Classes begin Sept. 30. The program is structured for students to complete the certificate in four semesters. It is the only plastics training program in a 180-mile radius.

In partnership with the college, The Libman Company of Arcola, will sponsor two students enrolled in the plastics program. This is a competitive opportunity and candidates will be selected through an interview process.

While students spend their time at Lake Land College, they will be learning an extensive skillset that will help them prepare for the manufacturing field. Through many labs and hands-on experiences, students will learn and grow as manufacturers, preparing for their future. Students will work with molding processes and equipment that are used in the job field to manufacture plastics.

The many opportunities students will gain with hands-on learning experiences and labs truly sets the program apart from others.

For more information about the manufacturing plastics program, visit lakelandcollege.edu or contact Beavers at 217-234-5341 or mbeavers@lakelandcollege.edu.

Lake Land College is proud to announce the 2019 summer graduates. The following students completed their degrees and certificates this summer:

The Lake Land College Library will host the National Library of Medicine’s traveling exhibit, For All the People: A Century of Citizen Action in Health Care Reform, throughout the month of October.

The exhibit will be housed on the main level of the Judge learning Resource Center on the Lake Land College campus, 5001 Lake Land Blvd., Mattoon. The public is welcome to view the exhibit.

The exhibition explores the “lesser-known story of how movements of ordinary people helped shape the changing American health care system.” According to the National Library of Medicine, health care reform in the United States is a significant political issue and has prompted citizen action for more than 100 years.

The exhibition began traveling across the United States in December of 2015 and was developed and produced by the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.

Library hours are posted on the Lake Land College website at lakelandcollege.edu/library.

For more information, contact Sarah Hill, information services librarian, at 217-234-5440 or shill@lakelandcollege.edu.

Lake Land College is inviting all former athletes to a Laker Athletic Alumni Reunion during Laker Homecoming on Friday, Sept. 27 at 5 p.m. The reunion will be held in the Field House’s Walden Room.

Attendees can visit with former teammates, coaches and fellow athletes and enjoy refreshments before cheering on the Laker Volleyball team at 6 p.m. against Vincennes. Attendees are also encouraged to go to Grimes Field at Peterson Park in Mattoon to watch the Laker Baseball program take on Eastern Illinois University at 6:30 p.m.

“We are excited to welcome back our alumni. The Laker athletic programs have a long-standing tradition of success both on the field and in the classroom,” Bill Jackson, director of athletics, said. “Our alumni are the ones who have paved the way for our current Laker student athletes and have set the standards high. We truly enjoy the opportunity to welcome our former student athletes back to campus.”

Throughout the college’s history, there have been many athletic programs. Looking back through The Anchor yearbooks from 1968-1972, Lake Land College had the following programs: golf, cross country, baseball, women’s recreation association, pom-pom girls, cheerleading, basketball and wrestling. Today, Laker athletics consists of volleyball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, softball, baseball and cheerleading.

To RSVP to the reunion contact Ashli Wicker, TRiO SSS learning skills specialist/head volleyball coach, at awicker1@lakelandcollege.edu or 217-234-5260.

Lake Land College will offer a six-hour cupping class for licensed massage therapists on Monday, Nov. 4 from 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. in room 104 at the Kluthe Center in Effingham. Six continuing education units will be offered to licensed massage therapists.

The class will be taught by licensed massage therapist, Anitta Nuzum. An Ayurveda graduate of the Chopra University in California, Anitta is a Reiki Master and owner of the Nuzum Education Center for Well-Being.

Licensed massage therapists provide cupping to help release toxins and congestion in the muscle tissue, increase blood flow to relieve muscle tension, improve circulation and to reduce inflammation. Incorporating the cupping technique increases options to clients and decreases the use of the therapist’s hands.

Cupping is great for MFR, sports injuries, detox tight muscles, relaxation techniques and perfect for clients who cannot receive deep tissue massage. This substantial hands-on course will offer licensed massage therapists the techniques and benefits of cupping with the use of bio-magnetic and silicone cups.

To register, go to www.lakelandcollege.edu/learn and click on the course.

The cost is $175. Drop date for a refund is five business days prior to the class. For more information, contact Jackie Wake, professional development support, at 217-234-5087 or email jwake@lakelandcollege.edu.

Nursing Explorer, an online nursing school search site, named Lake Land College the third best nursing school in the state of Illinois.

The site ranked Lake Land’s premier Associate Degree Nurse (ADN) and Practical Nursing (PN) programs against the 63 other programs in Illinois. Lake Land’s ADN program prepares students to become registered nurses and the PN program prepares students to become licensed practical nurses.

Nursing Explorer compares NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) board exam passage rates and the cost of tuition and fees to calculate ratings. Lake Land’s passage rates are 88.1% for ADN and 92.8% for LPN.

The college’s success rate compared with the great value of tuition and fees led to the college’s ranking at the top tier. Land College averages at a net price of approximately $4,913. Several nursing scholarships are available through the Lake Land College Foundation and financial aid is available to those who qualify.

Lake Land’s nursing programs are Special Admission and acceptance is competitive.  Students complete a rigorous program of study that provides hands-on learning in nursing labs on campus. Once students have progressed through a series of skills, they complete clinicals at area medical facilities.

Lake Land College’s nursing faculty are truly dedicated to the academic success of their students. These individuals are devoted to educating future allied health professionals and equipping them with knowledge and skillsets so they are prepared upon entering the workforce.

Students who choose Lake Land College do so because they understand how great the programs are. Not only is the staff eager to help students learn, but the college is full of opportunities for a fresh start, a new career, and to build meaningful relationships along the way.

“Lake Land’s Nursing Program isn’t just the beginning of another school program, it’s the beginning of a new life, friendships and memories that will last a lifetime. The friends you meet will stay by your side throughout life. They’re the ones that really understand how challenging school and your new career are. The instructors will treat you like their own kids and help you through every obstacles you face. Lake Land College is truly one of a kind,” said Cassi Killam, Laker Nation Class of 2019.

For more information about Nursing Explorer, visit www.nursingexplorer.com/schools/llc. For more information about Lake Land College’s nursing programs, visit www.lakelandcollege.edu and look for the Academics menu.

Lake Land College is now offering a new business development certificate program focused on entrepreneurial skills. Lake Land College has partnered with Mattoon in Motion to bring this concept to life.

Mattoon in Motion’s business committee, chaired by Rex Barnes, received two state-wide grant competition awards by the Google Impact Challenge program totaling $325,000. The award came after the committee developed the idea of creating an Innovation Center that acts as a “business incubator” for eager entrepreneurs in the Mattoon community and surrounding areas. The Innovation Center will be located in the Cross County Mall in Mattoon and is set to open in mid-October. This will allow prospective business owners to have better access to resources and a solid foundation to develop their business ideas.

Lake Land College is committed to supporting participants of the Innovation Center and encourages members to complete Lake Land’s business development certificate program tuition free.

This program will appeal to many people who have various levels of experience dealing with small business endeavors.

“The program will allow those with prior business knowledge to fill in the gaps of knowledge they might be missing,” Scott Rhine, IT instructor/program coordinator, IT-network administrator, said. “It’s a low-threshold introduction to business curriculum that students can complete at their own pace.”

All courses throughout the first semester are entirely online and interested students can begin the first semester of class on any day of their choice. However, students of the program must finish all courses by the end of semester finals.

“Students set their own pace through the semester. If a student has years of experience in accounting and no experience in marketing, that student can accelerate through the accounting courses quickly and take time through the marketing courses,” Rhine explained. “Eventually all classes will be online. As of now, the only course that is on campus is the second semester management elective, Small Business Management.”

“The collaboration that led to this certificate opportunity has allowed Lake Land College to interact more comprehensively with Mattoon in Motion and the community,” Jim Hull, vice president for workforce solutions/community education, said. “The certificate collaboration will help quality business ideas receive the foundation and support they need to get started.”

For more information about the business development certificate, contact John Carpenter, business instructor and program coordinator, at 217-234-5347 or jcarpent@lakelandcollege.edu.

For more information about the Lake Land College Business Division, go to lakelandcollege.edu/academic-divisions/business-division/.

At the 2019 Lake Land College annual pinning ceremony, 45 graduating practical nurses received their pins.

Lana Keigley, Charleston, received the Marilyn Fuqua Thompson 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, and possess superior communication skills and composure, often in crisis situations.

Keigley from the campus class and Spencer Tinder, Sullivan, from the Kluthe Center class were awarded the Peer Nursing Awards. These students are chosen because of their 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 recipients of this award were chosen by fellow nursing students.

Jessica Fisher, Mattoon, received the Clinical Excellence Award, which is given to the graduate who demonstrates excellence in skills while exhibiting compassion, respect, integrity and professionalism. This year’s recipient consistently achieved the highest level of quality patient care and promoted teamwork and collegial working relationship with peers and clinical staff.

For serving as a positive representative for the PN program student liaisons, Brett Wilhelm, Lovington, from the campus class and Kayla Jones, Charleston, from the Kluthe Center class, received Certificates of Recognition.

During the ceremony, the following were honored:

Christopher Sharp                Altamont

Carli Bridgeforth                   Ashmore

Angelica Thompson            Beecher City

Kayla Jones                           Charleston

Lana Keigley                         Charleston

Shelby Keller                         Charleston

Sherena Shepherd               Charleston

Tabitha McCoy                     Charleston

Terrence Harper                   Charleston

Ashley Sills                            Effingham

Jennifer Root                         Effingham

Klarissa Vogt                         Effingham

Mackenzie Waymoth           Effingham

Rachel Brown-Kincaid         Louisville

Brett Wilhelm                        Lovington

Morgan Maxey                     Martinsville

Destiny Knox                         Mattoon

Emily Bryant                          Mattoon

James Conroy                       Mattoon

Jessica Fisher                        Mattoon

Kayce Schilling                     Mattoon

Kristin Pearcy                        Mattoon

Rachel Reed                          Mattoon

Shelby Rich                            Mattoon

Whitney Shafer                     Mattoon

Marci Overstreet                  Oakland

Bailey Boswell                       Pana

Gretchen Gordon                 Pana

Kayla Coleman                     Pana

Brooke Crunk                        Paris

Kyler Roan                             Paris

Emily Smith                           Shelbyville

Jayme Ballinger                    Shelbyville

Logan Manship                     Shelbyville

Sandra Williams                    Shelbyville

Taylor Rhodes                       Shelbyville

Tiffany Moeller                      Shelbyville

Wyatt Steffen                        Sigel

Daniele Daily                        Sullivan

Spencer Tinder                     Sullivan

Olivia Telgmann                   Strasburg

Rachel Weber                       Teutopolis

Allyson French                      Toledo

Mindi Lane                            Tower Hill

Kacy Ross                               Windsor

Lake Land College has been approved as an entitled institution for the Gateways to Opportunity ECE Credential – Levels two, three and four. As an entitled institution, students at Lake Land College have the opportunity to qualify for state recognized credentials as they take courses or complete a degree through the Social Science and Education Division.

Lake Land College is among a select group of institutions in Illinois to be entitled for the Gateways to Opportunity Credentials. All Gateways to Opportunity Credentials have competencies that reflect multiple professional standards, including National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards. Lake Land faculty have worked diligently to align their courses with the Gateways to Opportunity competencies.

In a time when Early Childhood Education is defining itself as a field that promotes professional development, Lake Land College has become entitled to help further this goal by preparing graduates who are ready to provide quality care and education to young children in Illinois.

Gateways to Opportunity, Illinois Professional Development System, is designed to provide guidance, support and the recognition to practitioners who serve children and families in Illinois. Gateways to Opportunity is administered by the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (INCCRRA) on behalf of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHA).

Visit the Gateways to Opportunity website at ilgateways.com to learn more.

To learn more about education programs at Lake Land College, go to www.lakelandcollege.edu/high-demand-programs/teacher-education/ or contact Division Chair Social Science/Education/Psychology Instructor Charles Jarrell at 217-234-5331 or cjarrell@lakelandcollege.edu.