Laker Nation News

The Lake Land College Alumni office is now accepting nominations for the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Society award.

Last year’s inductees were Paul Crutcher, Laker Nation Class of 2016; JC (James) Fultz, Laker Nation Class of 2002; Donna Homann, Laker Nation Class of 1984; Dave Pruemer, Laker Nation Class of 1992; and Gary Sullivan, Laker Nation Class of 1988.

“We encourage you to nominate an alumnus to be recognized this year,” said Dave Cox, director of alumni relations and annual giving. “There are so many success stories of our alumni that we simply are not aware of and it’s very gratifying to hear those stories and be able to recognize those former students who have made a substantial impact in their field and/or their community.”

To submit a nomination, visit lakelandcollege.edu/alumni and look for the Award Nominations tab under Helpful Links at the bottom of the page or visit lakelandcollege.edu/alumni/laker-homecoming and look for the Alumni Recognition Luncheon information box.

Nominees must be graduates of, or have attended, Lake Land College. The deadline for submitting nominations is July 16.

The Distinguished Alumni Society induction ceremony is part of the Alumni Recognition Luncheon on Sept. 28 in conjunction with Laker Homecoming.

On Wednesday, July 24, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. the Lake Land College Kluthe Center in Effingham will host a C.E.F.S. Sign-up Day for financial assistance for Lake Land College students enrolled in Workforce Ready programs.

Students who are unsure if their program is approved through the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act (WIOA) are encouraged to visit with a representative at the event to see if they qualify.

Approved Workforce Ready programs are those that prepare a student for an immediate career upon graduation. These programs include many certificate and degree programs at Lake Land College. The major must be approved by WIOA as an Occupational Skills Training program.

“The financial assistance may include tuition, uniforms, tools, transportation, child care and more. This assistance would be in addition to any federal funding a student may already be receiving or any other financial aid,” said Karen Kull, director of the Kluthe Center.

A C.E.F.S. representative will meet with students in a one-on-one, brief meeting to determine eligibility and verify the student is enrolled in a WIOA approved program. Appointments are on a walk-in basis anytime from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Representatives from the Perkins program and TRiO Student Support Services will be available to meet with students to see if they qualify for financial support or free services from these programs. For students interested in joining Lake Land College who have not already done so, a Lake Land College academic counselor and a financial aid advisor will be available for advisement.

Lake Land students who are unable to attend this day can contact the Effingham C.E.F.S. offices at 217-342-2102, 217-240-3078 and 217-240-3079 or contact the Mattoon C.E.F.S. office by calling 217-235-2222 (extensions 8212 or 8282). Students must be registered for the fall semester at Lake Land College to receive benefits before the semester begins. Students who register after the semester begins will have to wait until the next semester to receive any benefits.

For more information on the C.E.F.S. event and the Kluthe Center, contact Kull at 217-540-3500 or email kkull@lakelandcollege.edu.

The Lake Land College Kluthe Center is located at 1204 Network Centre Drive in Effingham.

Lake Land College recently celebrated the accomplishments of the High School Equivalency program students at a graduation ceremony. Students attended High School Equivalency classes throughout the spring in several locations across the Lake Land College district.

Many adult students find that earning a high school equivalency diploma is the first step in preparation for returning to school or entering the job market. All students successfully completed the program and passed the high school equivalency test.

Graduates of the program are:

For more information about Adult Education at Lake Land College, visit lakelandcollege.edu/adult-education or call 217-238-8292.

Several Lake Land College district students recently graduated from the Pathways to the Future program offered by Lake Land College.

Pathways aims to aid students in receiving a high school equivalency diploma, high school transfer credit courses, as well as job-seeking and co-op credit opportunities. Four sites are located throughout the district including Effingham, Shelbyville, Mattoon and Casey.

Graduates of the program are:

For more information about Pathways, visit lakelandcollege.edu/pathways.

Lake Land College is pleased to announce more than 740 students graduated following completion of the spring 2019 semester. The 2019 graduates are:

The Lake Land College John Deere Tech program welcomed 22 new technicians to the field at its annual graduation recognition banquet.

The John Deere Tech program, offered jointly by John Deere Company and Lake Land College in cooperation with area John Deere dealers, offers students many unique opportunities, including earning a salary while learning through on-the-job training at a participating dealership; training on the latest John Deere tractors, combines and implements and learning the newest diagnostic and servicing procedures.

Sponsored by area John Deere dealers, students also have the opportunity to move directly into employment with their sponsoring dealership upon successful completion of this associate degree program.

Blake Petrea, Centralia, received the John Deere Tech outstanding student award and Trevor Pracht, Coatsburg, received the high GPA award.

The John Deere Tech graduates for 2019 are:

Hunter Allbaugh, Marion, Indiana, sponsored by Tri Green Tractor of Swayzee, Indiana

Kyle Beck, Lebanon, Indiana, sponsored by Reynolds Farm Equipment of Lebanon, Indiana

Jeremy Bunn, Mascoutah, Illinois, sponsored by Riechmann Bros. LLC of Okawville, Illinois

Matt Burrow, Altamont, Illinois, sponsored by Alliance Tractor LLC of Newton, Illinois

Lucas Deters, Teutopolis, Illinois, sponsored by Sloan Implement Co. of Effingham, Illinois

Eli Fink, Gilman, Illinois, sponsored by AHW LLC of Melvin, Illinois

Kyle Harrison, Paris, Illinois, sponsored by AHW LLC of Ashmore, Illinois

Lucas Haut, Momence, Illinois, sponsored by AHW LLC of Manteno, Illinois

Noah Heinemann, Waterloo, Illinois, sponsored by Wm. Nobbe & Co. of Shelbyville, Illinois

Zachary Isaacs, Findlay, Illinois, sponsored by Sloan Implement Co. of Shelbyville, Illinois

Cole Jablonski, Batchtown, Illinois, sponsored by Sloan Implement Co. of White Hall, Illinois

Andrew Merris, Mt. Zion, Illinois, sponsored by Sloan Implement Co. of Assumption, Illinois

Seth Nelson, Atkinson, Illinois, sponsored by Holland & Sons Inc. of Geneseo, Illinois

Joe Nicol, Niota, Illinois, sponsored by Martin Sullivan Inc. of Carthage, Illinois

Blake Petrea, Centralia, Illinois, sponsored by Riechmann Bros. LLC of Centralia, Illinois

Micah Pfiester, Kansas, Illinois, sponsored by Alliance Tractor LLC of Casey, Illinois

Trevor Pracht, Coatsburg, Illinois, sponsored by Martin Sullivan Inc. of Quincy, Illinois

Dalton Rutledge, Danville, Illinois, sponsored by Reynolds Farm Equipment of Lebanon, Indiana

Olivier Sherman, Breese, Illinois, sponsored by Reichmann Bros. LLC of Centralia, Illinois

Lukas Stroup, Fairmount, Indiana, sponsored by Tri Green Tractor of Swayzee, Indiana

Dalton Walk, Sigel, Illinois, sponsored by Alliance Tractor LLC of Mattoon, Illinois

Seth Wardrip, Heyworth, Illinois, sponsored by AHW LLC of Melvin, Illinois

The John Deere Tech program is a special admission program. For more information, contact Counseling Services at 217-234-5232 or counsel@lakelandcollege.edu.

Visit Lake Land College’s Flickr page for photos of this year’s 2019 John Deere graduates.

SR Education Group, a leading education research publisher, recently named Lake Land College #11 on the top 25 most affordable online colleges offering the medical billing and coding certificates.

In order for Lake Land College to be named one of the most affordable colleges offering this specific program, SR Education Group researched schools that offer at least one fully online degree and are regionally accredited. SR Education Group also examined available degrees, college tuition rates, and the programs, as well as the coursework. The collected data was from the 2018-2019 academic school year and is featured in the 2019 national college rankings.

Lake Land College offers the Medical Coding Specialist Certificate Program entirely online. The program allows students to study diagnostic and procedural aspects of medical coding. Throughout the program, students will be prepared to enter the workforce and take on jobs in hospitals, clinics, insurance companies and many other facilities. Lake Land also offers the Medical Coding & Health Information Associate Degree program entirely online. The program prepares students for management positions in Health Information.

Upon graduation, students will also be ready to take coding exams offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC).

For more information about the program, contact Kathleen Daugherty, coordinator of office professional-medical programs/business instructor, at 217-234-5355 or kdaugherty@lakelandcollege.edu.

For more information regarding Lake Land College’s online classes and programs, visit lakelandcollege.edu.

Lake Land College dental hygiene graduates received their pins at the annual pinning ceremony.

Several students received scholarships or awards during the ceremony.

Baylee Williams, Mattoon, received the Linda Lee Fletcher Scholarship earlier this year. Lizbeth Murillo, Robinson, received the Colgate Student Total Achievement Recognition (STAR) Award, which is offered to a graduating student who shows excellence and commitment to the hygiene profession by demonstrating true dedication to the profession, exhibiting extraordinary compassion in patient care, displaying enthusiasm and follow-through for community service, and demonstrating outstanding patient education and motivation skills.

Charley Lett, Springfield, received the Best Dental Hygienist Award, which was voted on by students in the program. Katie Brown, Crawfordsville, Indiana, received the Golden Scaler Award for demonstrating advanced skills in instrumentation. Brown also received the Proctor and Gamble Preventive Dentistry Award for demonstrating the best patient education along with Kayla Parrott, Charleston.

Brown and Parrott were also inducted into Sigma Phi Alpha Dental Hygiene Society.

During the ceremony the following students were honored: Katie Brown, Keisha Butler, Hannah Daugherty, Bria Frenchwood, Grace Gatons, Stephanie Jack, Victoria Koin, Charley Lett, Sarah Lilly, Raven Lockard, Lizbeth Murillo, Daniel Nunez, Jillian Oberholtzer, Taylor Oltmanns, Kayla Parrott, Mallory Scharf, Ellie Schuster, Payton Smith, Kate Spiller, Eilish Swisher, Jessica Ulloa, Stephanie Valle, Suzie West, Baylee Williams, Cierra Williams, Megan Zytka.

Dental Hygiene is a special admission program at Lake Land College. The program prepares students with specialized skills necessary for employment as a dental hygienist. Emphasis is on dental hygiene treatment and on the hygienist’s abilities as a dental health educator. The hygienist’s services are sought by dentists, schools, prisons, hospitals, departments of health and industry. The dental hygiene program is fully accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation.

The Lake Land College Board of Trustees appointed Tom Wright, Dieterich, to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Ann Deters, Effingham. The appointment followed closed session of the regularly scheduled June meeting.

Wright, Laker Nation Class of 1973, brings a multitude of experience serving on boards and leading a business to the trustee position. He has served as the president of Wright’s Furniture in Dieterich for the past 30 years and is a member of the Cross at the Crossroads Board, the Dieterich Bank Board, the Alliance Board and the Dieterich Community Development Corporation. He has served on the Lake Land College Foundation Board of Directors for twelve years, including as president from 2010-2012, and he served on the St. Anthony Hospital Board of Directors for nine years and the Effingham County 911 Board for four years.

Wright said he is honored to be appointed to the board. “Lake Land College has been very good to me and my family. I look forward to serving on the board and assisting the college in creating outstanding opportunities for students from our area.”

Wright received the Lake Land College Alumnus Achievement Award in 2009, the Lake Land College Foundation Crystal Swan Award in 2015 and was inducted into the inaugural class of the Distinguished Alumni Society in 2007. In 2018, Wright was named as one of Lake Land’s “Top 50 Most Influential People.”

Wright will take his seat at the July 15 regular board meeting. He will serve on the board until the next consolidated election in April of 2021.

Visit Lake Land College and find out all the college offers at Laker Visit Day. The event will be held Thursday, June 20 in the Field House 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. Prospective students are provided with the opportunity to tour campus, visit a class, meet current students and talk with faculty. Parents and guardians are welcome to attend and learn more about the college during a parent session.

The event will feature informational sessions by current Lake Land College Student Ambassadors and college staff. Representatives from Admissions & Records, Financial Aid, Counseling Services, Career Services, Student Life and other departments will provide information and be available to answer questions. Students will also meet with faculty members in their academic area of interest.

“Laker Visit Day is a great way for prospective students and parents to talk to faculty and staff about academic options and majors, to talk to current students about their experiences at the college and to learn about various services and opportunities we offer,” Michelle Zumbahlen, coordinator for strategic student communication and initiatives, said.

On Laker Visit Day, attendees will tour campus with Student Ambassadors; comfortable shoes are recommended. To get to the Field House, take Entrance 1 from Route 45, proceed straight after the curve and park in Lot A. The Field House will be on the west side of Parking Lot A and has a white, circular roof. Enter the lobby from the south side of the building.

Student Ambassadors will greet guests and help with directions. In case of inclement weather on the day of the event, please check the college’s homepage at lakelandcollege.edu for closures.

For more information, or to register for Laker Visit Day, go to lakelandcollege.edu/visit or call 217-234-5377.