Laker Nation News

Lake Land College will honor graduates at the annual Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 10 at 6 p.m. in the Field House.

More than 600 students will receive degrees and certificates this spring, with more than 340 graduates expected to participate in the ceremony.

Graduating student Jackie Schertz, El Paso, will present the Student Address to her fellow graduates.

During her time at Lake Land College, Schertz was elected Student Trustee by her peers. In this role, she served as a student representative on the Lake Land College Board of Trustees from 2023-2024. She also served as a Student Ambassador, participated in the college’s award-winning livestock judging team and was an active member of the Student Government Association (SGA).

ICCTA Outstanding Full-time Faculty Member Award Recipient, Matthew Landrus, will also be recognized at the event. During his 27 years of service as an English instructor, Landrus has implemented innovative classroom activities, served on numerous committees and led the creation of the college’s online Living Archives.

On the day of commencement, the doors of the Field House will open at 5 p.m. with overflow seating available in the Luther Student Center Theater. Handicap accessible seating will be available in both locations. Parking on campus is free with parking lots A and B located closest to the Field House.

Lake Land College will stream the commencement ceremony live on Friday, May 10, 2024, at 6 p.m. (CST) on the Lake Land College website. The ceremony will also air on WEIU-TV YOUR 13 on May 18 at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., May 19 at 12 p.m., May 21 at 7 p.m. and May 27 at 7 a.m.

Photos taken by Marketing & Public Relations will be available for download on the Lake Land College website at lakelandcollege.edu.

More information is available on the Lake Land College website at lakelandcollege.edu/admissions/graduation.

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Lake Land College Honors students and members of the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honors Society were recently recognized at a banquet on campus.

During the event, Isaac Kocher, Ingraham, was named Honors Student of the Year.

The following students were also nominated for the Honors Student of the Year Award: Gwendolyn Fain, Neoga; Hali Mirocha, Sullivan; Matthias Hacker, Westfield; Michelle Hoyos, Effingham and Natashia Carter, Mattoon.

The following PTK members were recognized as Distinguished Officers: President Natashia Carter, Mattoon; Vice President Elizabeth Cable, Brownstown; Treasurer Gwen Fain, Neoga; Secretary Brianna Sexton, Trilla and Public Relations Darrius Frazier, Charleston.

The following students were recognized during the event as this year’s Honors Program graduates:

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The Lake Land College Board of Trustees nominated English Instructor Matt Landrus for the Illinois Community College Trustee Association (ICCTA) Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Award.

The Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Award is presented each year to an Illinois community college instructor who demonstrates excellence in teaching, program development, committee participation and community leadership. Each ICCTA member college is eligible to nominate one full-time faculty member each year for award consideration.

During his 27-year career, Landrus has led initiatives to reshape developmental writing and reading courses, helped create new class offerings and implemented innovative student mentor and job shadowing programs. He has served on numerous committees and task forces to help support college initiatives, including the establishment of standard syllabus guidelines and the development of incoming faculty. He also worked to create the Lake Land online Living Archive, a comprehensive collection of historic moments in the college’s history.

“Undoubtedly, Mr. Landrus is an extremely valuable asset to Lake Land College,” said Gary Cadwell, Lake Land College Board of Trustees Chair. “We want to honor his commitment to our students, faculty, staff and community.”

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Recently, the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) honored Lake Land College Nursing Instructors Katelyn Bloemer and Tarah Haskenherm with the Nurse Educator Fellowship award.

The Nurse Educator Fellowship program aims to recognize and ensure the retention of well-qualified nursing faculty with a $10,000 award. Participation in this program is open to Illinois institutions of higher learning with a nursing program approved by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Association Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

Recipients must first be nominated for the honor by the chief nursing administrator from their respective institutions. All nominations are then reviewed by the IBHE, and recipients are selected based on individual accomplishments, program improvements, research efforts and other contributions to their respective nursing programs. When nominating Bloemer and Haskenherm for the honor, Director of Nursing Programs Cassandra Porter recognized their use of advanced pediatric training and innovative testing preparation, respectively.

“The Fellowship Award is a testament to Katelyn and Tarah’s dedication, innovation and commitment to Lake Land College’s nursing programs,” Lake Land College President Josh Bullock said. “Their achievements not only reflect their individual excellence but also contribute to the overall success of our nursing programs.”

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On Monday, April 8, Lake Land College hosted “The Sun and Moon Meet in Mattoon,” a solar eclipse event for students.

Attending students received glitter tattoos, enjoyed eclipse-themed snacks, completed crafts and traced their footprints on a banner resembling the moon’s surface. The Lake Land College IT department also set up a greenscreen photobooth to project students onto a variety of interstellar backdrops.

Attendees received free glasses to view the eclipse on campus. Vision-impaired students were able to experience the eclipse with a “LightSound” device, which was assembled by Scott Rhine, IT Instructor/Program Coordinator, IT-Network Administration Program. A livestream of the eclipse from NASA was also available to watch in both Webb Hall and the Luther Student Center theater.

To learn more about the many student events and activities on campus, visit the Lake Land College Student Life webpage at LakeLandCollege.edu/student-life/.

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Lake Land College recently received a $127,500 grant from the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) to support the advancement of its dual credit programs.

With the assistance of these funds, Lake Land will provide local high schools with essential dual credit instructional materials and textbooks, cover costs for high school educators’ professional development and directly engage with students and parents with program information.

“Thanks to the ICCB grant, we’re able to extend our assistance further,” Tessa Wiles, Director of Dual Credit and Honors Experience, said. “This grant empowers us to bridge gaps and create opportunities, ensuring all students, regardless of their backgrounds, have access to quality education and a pathway to success.”

Dual credit programs have become an increasingly popular method for Illinois high school students to earn college-level credits. Cumulative dual credit enrollment in Illinois has increased by 29% over the last five years and 65% over the last 10 years.

With this new grant, the ICCB seeks to support further growth and development of dual credit programs throughout the state. Lake Land College is one of 24 Illinois community colleges to receive this grant support, which collectively totals more than $3 million.

More information about Lake Land College’s dual credit programs is available on the Lake Land College website at LakeLandCollege.edu/dual-credit/. For additional questions about the program, contact Wiles at 217-234-5044 or twiles@lakelandcollege.edu.

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Lake Land College is offering up to $100 in tuition savings for all students who register for Summer or Fall 2024 classes by midnight on May 10.

Students who meet the criteria will receive a $50 tuition and fee credit for each registered semester. By registering for both summer and fall classes, students can receive the maximum incentive of $100.

To be eligible for the tuition credit, students must be enrolled in a minimum of three credit hours for summer and six credit hours for fall.

The promotion is available to all current and incoming Lake Land College students.

To get started at Lake Land College visit lakelandcollege.edu/getting-started or contact Counseling Services at 217-234-5232 or counsel@lakelandcollege.edu.

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Lake Land College will host a “Healing Hands” informational session for students interested in its Massage Therapy and Physical Therapist Assistant programs. The event will be held on Wednesday, April 17 from 5-7 p.m. at the Lake Land College Kluthe Center, located in Effingham at 1204 Network Centre Blvd.

During the event, students will learn more about Lake Land’s Massage Therapy and Physical Therapist Assistant programs, meet with faculty, tour facilities and explore relevant career opportunities. Attendees will also enjoy free pizza and pasta served throughout the evening.

Those interested in attending the event should register online by Tuesday, April 16 on the Lake Land College visit page at lakelandcollege.edu/visit. Minors should be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

To learn more about the event, contact Martha Mioux, Director of Physical Therapist Assistant & Massage Therapy Programs, at 217-540-3551 or mmioux@lakelandcollege.edu.

On Monday, the Lake Land College women’s basketball team defeated Jackson College 80-70 to advance into the second round of the NJCAA Division II National Tournament.

After trailing 45-34 at the half, the Lakers managed a late-game rally to pull off the victory, outscoring the Jets 24-7 in the final 10 minutes. Sydney Richards, Sigel, led the Lakers in scoring with 21 points.

The Lakers will face Kirkwood Community College for the second round of the tournament on March 19 at 8 p.m. CST. The game will be held at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Missouri.

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The Lake Land College women’s basketball team secured a spot in the NJCAA Division II National Tournament with an at-large bid.

The team finished the season with a 24-8 record, going 10-4 in conference play. They played nine games against ranked opponents over the course of the season and secured five wins against top-15 teams.

The Lakers will face Jackson College for the first round of tournament play. The game will be held at 3 p.m. on Monday, March 18 at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Missouri.

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