2023
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SkillsUSA Illinois names ECC’s Carriveau board chairman
Mark Carriveau, college photographer and multimedia coordinator at Elgin Community College, will serve as the 2023-24 board chair for SkillsUSA Illinois.
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ECC welcomes new District 509 trustees
The Community College District 509 Board of Trustees seated two new members alongside two reelected members at the special board meeting on Monday, May 1, 2023. Board leadership was elected at the May 9, 2023, regular meeting.
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Kira Spears: I want you to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel
During my time at ECC, I have learned a lot about my fellow Spartans. They are talented, skilled, and full of wit. They are strong, determined, and wise. Today is a day to celebrate these incredible humans.
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Sheronda Murray-Jamison: I now have options for my future
For Sheronda Murray-Jamison, her State of Illinois High School Diploma has opened the door to new career options.
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Cristina Bahena Benitez: My diploma is just the beginning of my journey
For Cristina Bahena Benitez, the Education and Work Center provided the support and guidance she needed to earn her State of Illinois High School Diploma.
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Chioma Echefu: I charge you to venture into the unknown with courage as I did
I am a foreign student from Ibadan, Nigeria, and I would never have imagined myself giving a commencement speech in a reputable college in the United States of America.
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Paulina Sequeda Malave: This is not over; life is barely beginning
You welcomed me to this country with smiles and open arms, and I will personally miss all of you. I've never been one to give good pep talks, so I'll keep it honest. This is not over; life is barely beginning, and I can say that many challenges await us in the coming months.
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Ariana Marchan: ECC helped me balance school and athletics, preparing me for my future
On my first attempt at college, I went away to school, as most 18-year-olds leaving high school wanted to do. I quickly realized it wasn’t for me, and when I moved back home, I enrolled at Elgin Community College. I was excited; I felt better being back at home with my family, and at ECC, I was awarded a scholarship to play for the women’s basketball team – a sport I absolutely love.
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Laureano Escobar: My ECC education gave me the tools to improve lives in my community
I am a first-generation college student. My parents were immigrants from central Mexico, and both came to this country at a young age but did not have the same opportunities I had. Thanks to their efforts and sacrifices, I discovered what I truly wanted to do with my life.
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Jordan Williams: My advice for future students is to never give up
My time at Elgin Community College has been quite the experience! I first enrolled in 2016 to start my journey to qualify for the nursing program.
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Dominic Di Palermo: ECC experience prepared me for my future
After deciding that I would stay home and enroll at ECC, I decided that I would make the absolute most out of the two-year associate degree I was pursuing - A goal I definitely achieved.
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Megan Petronella: From ECC employee to ECC graduate
My journey to discovering what I wanted to be when I grew up was very long and winding. I have started and stopped college multiple times. Right out of high school, I originally went to college for another science-based degree and struggled.
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Kip Kane: Though the journey was difficult, I learned I am stronger than I know
In the fall semester of my senior year of high school, I took on one of the hardest challenges of my life. My school offered a dual-credit program where I could simultaneously work on my high school diploma and an associate degree from Elgin Community College.
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Juliet Duncan: Sometimes dreams take a long time to fulfill, but it’s worth it in the end
My love for the medical profession began when I was just two. I was in a sledding accident and had to go to the ER to get eight stitches in my right eyebrow. That experience sparked something in me.
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Jocelyn Thammavongsa: I experienced a strong sense of community and belonging at ECC
My time at Elgin Community College was a life-changing experience that I will always treasure. I’d never reflected on the past two years here until I was asked to write this essay.
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Hannah Garcia: ECC gave me a platform to make an impact
I have been a student at Elgin Community College since the fall of 2021. In this short time, I had the opportunity to engage in our diverse student organizations and be involved in our theater productions. Most importantly, I have been blessed with a robust education.
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Beth Barnes: I am beyond grateful for all of the experiences ECC has provided me
My time at Elgin Community College has been the best years of my life. Since a freshman in college, even during the height of the pandemic, I was able to make new friends and get involved, whether virtual or in person.
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Education scholarship changes future for ECC student Edwina Watkins
“I still have chills because I didn’t think I would actually get it,” said Elgin Community College early childhood education student Edwina Watkins (Streamwood), recipient of the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship. The ECACE Scholarship helps educators pursue credentials to build a robust and well-prepared workforce.
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Take Five With…Kent Payne
Kent Payne, director of athletics and wellness, is embarking on his 23rd year with the Elgin Community College athletics department. Growing up in Schaumburg, Ill., his coaching career began early with his first-ever job coaching for the Schaumburg Park District.
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Take Five With…Kaile Raimondi
While you may not have ever met him in person, nearly all of us have had the opportunity to be helped by Kaile Raimondi, web technologist. Now you can finally put a face with the name! A South Korean adoptee, Raimondi grew up not too far from here in Elburn, Ill.
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Take Five With…Carrie Gorr
Carrie Gorr came to Elgin Community College as an academic advisor in 1995, but that wasn’t the start of her career in higher education. Before joining ECC, Gorr began working at Harper College, where she was also a student.
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Two from ECC’s Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society receive Coca-Cola Academic Scholarships
Elgin Community College students Elizabeth Barnes (West Dundee) and Ely Thompson (South Elgin) have been named 2023 Coca-Cola Academic Team Silver Scholars and will receive a $1,250 scholarship. The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation sponsors the Coca-Cola Academic Team program by recognizing 50 Gold, 50 Silver, and 50 Bronze Scholars with nearly $200,000 in scholarships annually.
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Elizabeth Herrera: Paying it Forward as an Academic Advisor at Elgin Community College
I am a first-generation college student. If it weren’t for being in the right place at the right time and having at least one person expect college from me, the process for me would have been different.
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Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi presents ECC with $936,000 for new program
Elgin Community College’s new manufacturing center got a boost in funding on Thursday as Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi presented the college with $936,000 in federal funding for the mechatronics and automation program, one of several new programs to be housed in the $55 million-dollar facility planned for 2024.
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Take Five With…Sarah DeLoncker
This week, take five out of your day and learn about Sarah DeLoncker, marketing operations specialist. Growing up in Streamwood, Illinois, she attended Northern Illinois University after high school.
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Take Five With…Ray Jones
One of ECC’s Academic Advisors, Ray Jones, is coming up on ten years in higher education. He has served in various roles but found his calling in academic advising while cross-training at DeVry University, where he worked as financial aid advisor.
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Set for the future, ECC student-athlete Leah Murphy fulfills dreams on and off the court
In the fall of 2022, Elgin Community College’s reverse student population — meaning students who already earned a bachelor’s degree or higher — increased by 40%. One of those new students was Leah Murphy.
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Take Five With…Victoria Turner
Take a fast five today and learn more about Victoria Turner, technical services librarian. Turner began at ECC in 2022, but her career working in libraries began as a teenager in 1999. Since then, Turner has worked in both public and community college libraries.
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Virtual exchange program brings a global perspective to ECC campus
Even before the pandemic curbed global travel, not all students had an opportunity to participate in a study abroad program. To give more Elgin Community College students a chance to experience an international education, the Global/International Studies Taskforce developed the Virtual Exchange Program.
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Take Five With…Tyler O’Donnell
Tyler O’Donnell started with ECC 2016 as an academic advisor. At the beginning of the 2023-23 academic year, he made the move to associate dean of the Sustainability, Business & Career Technologies division.
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Take Five With…Todd Anderson
Todd Anderson, director of the truck driving program, began at ECC in January 2022 and has already transformed and expanded ECC’s offerings to reflect the growing need of the truck driving industry. Anderson, a seasoned driver of 14 years, not only leads the program, but you can also find him out in the truck driving yard, helping instruct the next crop of drivers.
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Take Five With…Lauren Sullivan
If you are looking for Lauren Sullivan, the Elgin Community College Renner Academic Library is where you’ll find her. Sullivan is a reference librarian and has been with the college since 2021. An Elgin native, Sullivan’s professional life began as a theatre technician.
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Resistance Through Black Excellence: Its History, Meaning, and Leaders
Elgin Community College’s theme for Black History Month, “Resistance Through Black Excellence,” truly captures an essential ingredient to the centuries-long struggle for Black liberation, human rights, equality, and equity.
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Take Five With…Ron Two Bulls
Ron Two Bulls is only the second senior director of academic programming and public safety training in the Elgin Community College Center for Emergency Services’ seven-year history, taking over in 2022. He brings 26 years of service with the Buffalo Grove Fire Department and a passion for making ECC’s emergency services programs the premiere training in the area.
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Take Five With…Sharon Baker
Take five this week and learn more about Sharon Baker, PsyD, associate professor of psychology. Baker has been with ECC since 2002 – beginning as an administrator for seven years and then transitioning to a full-time psychology faculty member.
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Take Five With…Shelby Stanley
This week, take five minutes with Shelby Stanley, ophthalmic technician program director. Stanley joined ECC one year ago, helping to launch ECC’s newest health care program, which was developed in response to regional demand for the position from local health care providers.