CLC Connects Magazine - June 2023

CLC CONNECTS

COVER: Levi Ofsanik of Grayslake gains valuable hands-on experience setting up lights and learning about the necessary skills to be a professional live entertainment technician. See the story on page 14.

MESSAGE FROM CLC PRESIDENT DR. LORI SUDDICK

College of Lake County is committed to be a place where every student succeeds and every employee thrives so that every community and business can grow. Through strategic partnerships with school districts, colleges and universities, community organizations, local government, and businesses, CLC is creating social and economic mobility for individuals and a diverse skilled talent pipeline for Lake County.

In addition, through transformational change, a relentless commitment to advance equity in student access and success, and the implementation of innovative practices over the past few years, CLC was recently designated as a “Leader College” by Achieving the Dream, a national network of community colleges. While this recognition acknowledges data-focused improvements in student outcomes and progress toward closing racial and economic equity gaps, the honor truly celebrates the dedicated work of student-focused faculty and sta in support of e orts to launch champions—CLC students.

With every issue of CLC Connects, the team looks forward to sharing new stories that illustrate how students, alumni, faculty, sta , and community partners are leaning into progress and growth. I hope you read a story that surprises, delights, or resonates with you so much that you become inspired to make a personal connection with CLC and then share your story with others.

Ti any Peppers Named Distinguished Alumna

CLC alumna the Rev. Ti any Peppers highly values education, so much so that she’s pursuing a doctoral degree.

CLC played a major role in setting her on her path, and now the college is celebrating her success by selecting her as the 2023 Distinguished Alumna. As the recipient of this award, she was nominated for the statewide award selected by the Illinois Community College Trustees Association.

Peppers didn’t go to college immediately a er high school. Instead, she worked for a few months before enrolling at CLC in January 1999. She took classes on and o for eight years before transferring to Columbia College of Missouri to earn her bachelor’s degree in 2010.

Peppers continued her education by earning an MBA from Olivet Nazarene University, and she’s currently working toward a doctoral degree from Walden University.

Much of Peppers’ professional career is running JIC Community Development Corporation, a nonpro t dedicated to educating and empowering youth in Waukegan. She also serves as Chief of Sta for Jesus Name Apostolic Church in Waukegan. She chose the nonpro t route because she wanted her work to bene t others.

Peppers continues to be a part of CLC, serving as the chair of the CLC Foundation Board of Directors and as member of the Lakeshore Campus Advisory Committee. She is also a member of the CLC African American Outreach Community.

“I could not have succeeded at a four-year university when I rst began,” Peppers said. “I did not have the support structure, and I was not prepared for a college education. I needed a community college where the community was engaged in my education and allowed me to grow into academic independence and personal maturity. I chose to stay home and go to school because I didn’t feel ready to leave home, but CLC helped me to become ready and gave me a great education.”

Along with her work at JIC, Peppers was recently named the rst woman pastor of Jesus Name Apostolic Church in Waukegan.

“I wasn’t always the best student. Now I can help people who are in that situation,” Peppers said.

Student Center enhances Waukegan skyline

CLC celebrated the grand opening of the long-awaited Lakeshore Campus Student Center in Waukegan with a series of ribbon cuttings, featuring performances and food from local talent and vendors. Community members, students, faculty and sta , joined by state and local legislators and o cials, enjoyed a warm welcome and explored how CLC is serving students and the community with academic and community-focused programs in a building tailored for sustainability.

See these dots?

The birds do, too

Lakeshore Campus Dean Jesus Ruiz tells everyone the new Student Center has the best view in Waukegan. You can see it for yourself by gazing through an important feature of the Student Center: bird-friendly windows.

Because of the Student Center’s location along Lake Michigan, building architects had to consider the implications for wildlife. is shoreline serves as an important route for migratory birds, guiding birds north for the summers and south for the winters.

When Chris Geiselhart, secretary of the Lake County Audubon Society, heard about the building construction at the lakefront, she recommended the use of special birdfriendly glass for the windows. Using fritted glass with small white dots of ceramic material baked into it makes the building visible to birds ying nearby.

“We think the use of the fritted glass in the Student Center is a very important design feature that is not only a model for other buildings in the area, but an important way to protect local and migrating birds from mistaking expansive glass for safe passage,” said Geiselhart. “Bird glass collisions are a leading cause of bird death.”

Chris and her husband Paul Geiselhart are familiar with birds and Waukegan. ey have been active with the Audubon Society and also the Waukegan Harbor Citizens’ Advisory Group. e Lake County Audubon Society is responsible for helping Waukegan to become the rst recognized Bird City in Illinois. Partnering with CLC sta , they helped the Village of Grayslake become a Bird City last summer.

College of Lake County works with community partners to lead the way, demonstrating innovative, sustainable, building construction and operations.

If you’re interested in learning more about what you can do to help the environment, listen to Season 2 Episode 6 of CLC Connects Podcast, with Sustainability Manager David Husemoller at www.clcillinois.edu/podcast

e Student Center in Waukegan sits on a blu overlooking Lake Michigan and makes use of the view with a wall of windows and balcony vista for visitors.

CLC: Your local college, your national leader in student success

ere are many reasons why students succeed on their college journey. Learning essential skills like reading, writing and mathematics is crucial. Building students’ self-con dence, feeling supported and having basic needs met are equally important.

At CLC, faculty are dedicated to helping every student achieve their goals. CLC is also committed to improving student outcomes and addressing inequities. As a result of the work accomplished over the last three years, CLC received national recognition as an Achieving the Dream (ATD) Leader College.

English and math are two of the rst classes CLC students usually encounter. Due to the e orts of CLC math and English faculty, students taking these core classes can

have a more meaningful experience than simply learning academic content. At CLC, the goal is for students to gain knowledge and skills to succeed in college and in the future by providing the wrap-around support they need in a way that is meaningful to them.

Here are some stories of student success at CLC:

BUILDING CONFIDENCE: Kody’s story

Kody Gutierrez is a Waukegan High School graduate currently in his second year at CLC. In his journey to become a high school teacher, the rst class he took at CLC was math with instructor Natalia Casper. Gutierrez wasn’t the biggest fan of math when he started college.

“I felt nervous because math was not my strongest subject in high school,” Gutierrez said. “I didn’t really want to take a math class, but I knew it was something I had to do.”

He said having a supportive teacher helped him get through it. He described Casper as the type of teacher who would never leave someone behind. She was always there early before class so students like him could ask questions.

“We started slow at rst,” he describes. “She observed the pace we could learn at and went through things one step at a time to make sure we really understood the concept before we moved forward.”

Gutierrez took away more than a passing math grade from the class. He faced his anxieties with the help of his instructor, built con dence that he would excel at college and developed self-advocacy skills. He learned it was okay to seek support.

“Before, I was really nervous with math,” Gutierrez said. “A er the class, I had a huge increase in self-con dence when it comes to my schoolwork. I was ready to take on challenges and this experience gave me the skills I needed in later classes to not be afraid to ask for help.”

PROVIDING SUPPORT: Luzbeth’s story

Luzbeth Perez has seen a lot of growth in herself since becoming a CLC student. In the past, she was nervous to do things that weren’t familiar to her, but when she started taking classes at CLC, she had to emerge from her comfort zone.

When she began her required English class, Perez didn’t like writing.

Achieving the Dream and CLC representatives pictured during a ceremony recognizing CLC as a Leader College.

“I struggled with writing, so it was one of my least favorite things to do,” she said. “I thought I was going to fail.”

Many students might relate to feeling this way as they start their college careers with familiar but challenging classes. Nerves and anxiety can take over, but Perez said English instructor Tessa Aquino (pictured above) supported her on each step of her journey.

“ e teacher was there for me, for all her students,” said Perez, who learned it was smart to reach out when she needed something. “My professor was always willing to listen and help me push through.”

is was the rst experience Perez had working closely with a faculty member, and it changed her perspective as she continued other classes. Highly supportive faculty in students’ rst classes at CLC help set up students for long-term success.

“I accomplished goals I never thought I could in my time at CLC,” Perez said. “I earned straight A’s and became part of the honor society. I started drawing art! I didn’t think I had these things in me.”

REMAINING FLEXIBLE: Jeg’s story

Like most CLC students, Jeg Morales balances work and school. He’s studying to earn his associate degree and wants to transfer to get a bachelor’s degree. He started taking collegelevel courses a er completing his GED at CLC in 2020.

Because Morales recognized he could use extra instruction as an English-as-a-second-language student, he enrolled in an English support class alongside his college-level English class. At CLC, students needing this type of support can take it while still earning credit toward a credential in their college-level English class, saving them time and money. Morales felt more comfortable asking questions in the smaller group.

“I think students are naturally nervous to reach out. I used to be afraid to ask questions, but now I know it’s okay,” he said. “I have a full-time job so if I don’t have enough time to meet an assignment by the due date, I reach out and explain to ask for an extension. Teachers are understanding.”

Overcoming his anxiety about talking to instructors was pivotal in Morales’ success as he took the next steps toward his degree. He described his English instructor Cathy Colton as a remarkably patient person who was there to understand and help.

Although dread had built up in his mind when Morales thought about nding time to read “one of those really thick

Luzbeth Perez

Tessa Aquino

books” for class, he didn’t have anything to worry about. He did have to write a 1,600-word essay for his last assignment, but he gained the con dence he needed to overcome the language barrier he faced by taking the English support class.

He used to feel frustrated with his inability to communicate with others in English, but he now feels so con dent in his

writing that he is o en the rst to correct others. Even better, Morales found exibility at CLC that allowed him to succeed while juggling multiple responsibilities.

“ is was the best class I’ve ever had,” Morales describes. “It helped me achieve the level of reading, writing and speaking skills I need to be successful in school and my job.”

NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR STUDENT SUCCESS GROWTH

National research shows that when students are successful in their rst college-level English and math class, they are more likely to successfully complete a college credential.

From fall 2018 to fall 2021, the percentage of CLC students successfully completing college-level math and English within their rst year increased 11.8 percentage points. is, along with improvements in student persistence (which means continuously taking classes) from year to year, is why CLC was nationally recognized by ATD as a Leader College in 2023. CLC has been part of the ATD network since 2019. ATD is comprised of more than 300 colleges committed to advancing equity in student access and success at their institutions and throughout their communities.

Leader Colleges within the ATD network have demonstrated signi cant improvements in overall student outcomes and narrowing of equity gaps over multiple years. e Leader College designation is granted for three years, at which time colleges must demonstrate further progress in student success to renew their status. CLC has accomplished student success improvements that led to its Leader College recognition, an uncommon achievement in three years, through dedicated and intentional work of employees.

“I am honored that College of Lake County has achieved Leader College designation,” said CLC President Dr. Lori Suddick.

KEEP IT GOING. To sustain its Leader College status and to achieve target student outcomes CLC has set, the college must continue to improve. Student success at CLC means achieving educational attainment for every student by providing personalized, culturally relevant student learning experiences, grounded in equitable practice in an inclusive, student-ready environment. at means students from all backgrounds and life experiences succeed in pivotal classroom experiences like math and English, and throughout their educational journeys.

To continue its innovative e orts, CLC was accepted to participate in two selective ATD academies. ese academies will help the institution progress further in equity and student success. e Racial Equity Leadership Academy is a one-year intensive academy, o ered through ATD and the University of Southern California’s Race and Equity Center, designed to support teams of leaders as they develop bold, strategic racial equity plans and implement actionable change e orts at their institutions. Building Capacity for Change is an eight-month academy focused on teaching and learning excellence where colleges apply a comprehensive framework to create an action plan for high-impact professional learning for faculty.

At CLC, students bene t from the collective work of a community of faculty and sta committed to their education and success.

UPLIFTING THE COMMUNITY WITH MUSIC AND CELEBRATION

In February, community members lled the sanctuary at Jesus Name Apostolic Church in Waukegan to attend CLC’s Salute to Gospel Music Concert. Performances by Grammy-nominated artist Jekalynn Carr, CLC Gospel Music Choir and JIC Praise Team brought the audience to their feet. Community leader Angelo Kyle was honored with the Harambee Award of Excellence. Kyle serves as president of the Lake County Forest Preserves.

“Salute to Gospel celebrates the Black community of Lake County and gives people a chance to see world-class artists close to home,” said Vice President of Strategy, Planning and Support Dr. Derrick Harden. “It’s a fun, upli ing and inspirational experience. Being in the presence of a gospel artist as talented as Jekalyn is something everyone should experience.”

Wh at does Juneteenth mean to you?

We asked students, staff, faculty & community members. They said...

A start for a new tomorrow

Tradition

It’s an opportunity for people of all races and backgrounds to come together and recognize the importance of freedom, human rights, and social progress.

Juneteenth means POWER. We are strong, powerful, brilliant, and beautiful.

To me, Juneteenth is a reminder of the sacri ce many Black and African American individuals and families made here in the United States –sacri ces which bene ted many other individuals, companies and organizations as well as our country itself.

It means the College of Lake County cares about those whose histories have not been told accurately. It means CLC cares if people feel included and celebrated. It means CLC cares if people feel invisible or seen.

It's a day of great celebration and joy for the Black American community.

Juneteenth is a celebration of People of Color's willingness to persevere and overcome throughout the ages ignited by aspirations for a better tomorrow. It is an opportunity for all to reclaim their freedom.

Freedom

It nally means that People of Color have a certain amount of freedom but none of the land and mules that were promised for the atrocities experienced by "People of Color."

is is time for celebration, for community to gather and learn, and a time for one people to share culture.

Celebration of Freedom

Juneteenth is a day of re ection and remembrance of our nation’s abhorrent history of slavery, unimaginable su ering and racial injustice. Embedded in this day is yet another opportunity for me to learn, cast a lens on myself and continue to conquer my own blind spots. I know the wheels of social justice spin di erently for me as a white person compared to a Black person. And this important day is a reminder of our shared humanity and the necessity for all of us to go about our days with a constant cloak of respect, equity, kindness and compassion.

To me, Juneteenth is a day of celebration!

OUT-OFTHIS-WORLD LEARNING EXPERIENCE

At CLC, students get much more than a traditional classroom education. For example, in a partnership with the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE), CLC held a course for the Student Space ight Experiments Program (SSEP) during the fall 2022 semester. Students taking the class developed proposals for experiments to be conducted in space.

e SSEP research opportunity o ered by NCESSE was the result of a strategic partnership with Nanoracks LLC, which works in partnership with NASA under a Space Act Agreement to use the International Space Station as a National Laboratory.

Proposal writing is an important skill that many students

don’t o en get a chance to practice while in college. In CLC’s SSEP course, however, students wrote proposals and competed against each other, much like professional scientists, to have their project chosen as the winner.

“Science generally is both collaborative and competitive from the grant writing aspect,” said Biology Instructor

Cynthia Trombino. “Scientists have to really sharpen their proposal writing skills.”

Students in the class had interests in a variety of academic disciplines, including biology, chemistry, engineering, history, English and astronomy.

Students worked alone or in groups, and they were paired with a faculty mentor to help guide them through the process. ey had nine weeks to prepare their proposal a er coming up with a question they wanted to answer.

“A lot of students wanted to answer big questions,” said Biology Instructor Jeanine Seitz. “But they had to narrow it down to something really speci c that can be tested.”

e completed proposals were presented to a committee at CLC. ree proposals were selected and sent to NCESSE, and one was picked to be launched and tested in space.

Samuel Banuelos Barrios’ winning proposal was “ e E ects of Microgravity on Cholesterol Lowering Activity by Lactobacillus Acidophilus.” e idea came to him during a lecture in his chemistry course about how certain bacteria and archaea can survive in hostile environments. He is studying to earn an associate degree in biological sciences.

Banuelos Barrios’ experiment will launch into space this December, and will be conducted alongside other proposals on the International Space Station.

“Taking this class was an opportunity to grow and to learn more about the scienti c process,” said Banuelos Barrios. “ e prospect of getting the chance to design a microgravity experiment that could possibly go into space was too exciting to pass up.”

e Student Space ight Experiments Program is a program of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education in the U.S. and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education internationally. It is enabled through a strategic partnership with Nanoracks, LLC, which is working with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the utilization of the International Space Station as a National Laboratory.

Picture it: You’re backstage at an Ariana Grande concert and she’s playing your favorite song. You’ve worked a long day setting up the venue and thousands of people are having a good time. As you hear her belt out “One last time,” you feel a sense of pride that you helped make this memorable experience possible. But wait, how did you get here? You might have an advisory board to thank.

“When we’re looking at creating new academic programs, an important piece to evaluate is the job market,” said CLC Vice President of Education Dr. Kristen Jones. “And who can better help make that assessment than local employers?”

Upstaging, Inc. is the fourth largest live entertainment production company in the world, and it is located in northern Illinois. When its leaders noticed that many industry workers were aging out without a large pool of trained new talent coming up behind them, they connected with CLC to create a brand-new training program designed to give students the opportunity for exciting, high-skill, well-paying jobs right out of college.

And these jobs literally rock. Employees with great pay and bene ts travel the world with bands on tour, taking responsibility for transporting and assembling staging

equipment. Behind every concert is a symphony of lighting and video technicians, computer-aided design (CAD) and graphic arts specialists, scenic fabricators, carpenters and welders.

CLC and Upstaging co-created a curriculum that prepares students to work with high-pro le touring productions like WWE’s Wrestlemania, Coldplay and Kendrick Lamar. Tour technicians set up stages and lighting, and even do sound production. e partnership is e ective because CLC’s faculty has in-depth knowledge of the working industry, and Upstaging lives and breathes it every day.

“It’s hard to describe what you need to know for these careers as there are so many di erent elements,” said Upstaging co-founder Robin Shaw. “Our people at Upstaging got together with CLC and went over what we thought should be in the curriculum.”

With Upstaging as a partner, CLC students will have an educational opportunity that isn’t available to everyone.

eatre Instructor Tracie Folger said, “We’re one of the few

colleges in the country o ering a ordable and accessible training programs, allowing students to practice with the staging equipment before getting into the working world.”

Internships are crucial learning experiences for students, and Upstaging will be a site where students can nd handson learning. Intern hosts, like Upstaging, are eager to hire graduates as they nish the program.

eatre tech student Levi Ofsanik described how “having this certi cate will put a stamp on my resume indicating that I have done everything I can to be where I am, and I can prove it.” He’ll be one of the rst students to enroll in the certi cate program next year and hopes to score an internship with Upstaging.

e partnership doesn’t end with co-creating a curriculum. An advisory board is being formed to ensure the program remains agile so that as technology advances, so does the program. Graduates will be trained to use cutting-edge live entertainment equipment and stay informed about advances in the industry.

At CLC, advisory boards consist of local employers, industry partners and experts. ey also include CLC alumni who lend their unique perspective as former CLC students who are now gainfully employed in the eld. Advisors are o en recommended by faculty or deans who use the connections they developed while working in the industry.

Once formed, advisory boards meet regularly with academic department leaders to discuss the current needs of industry related to program curriculum. Members re ect on the necessary skills new hires need to be successful as they launch their career. Because advisors have colleagues in similar area businesses, they can spread the word about CLC programs through their personal channels.

“Advisory boards provide important feedback about what kinds of skills new hires are entering the workforce with and what they are missing,” said Jones. “ ey also work with us to adjust the curriculum to better meet workforce needs. Additionally, advisory board members o en have businesses that employ CLC graduates or have connections to help graduates nd jobs.”

Between advisory boards and critical workforce partnerships, there is always an ongoing conversation about how CLC can be the best possible community partner and how the college can most e ectively serve the Lake County workforce.

Another is the recently accredited pharmacy technician program o ered at the Southlake Campus in Vernon Hills. e program was developed to address the evolving role of pharmacy technicians. Pharmacy technicians are in high demand in Lake County, and the skills gained from working in this role provide a solid knowledge base that can lead to more career opportunities in healthcare.

“Something like getting a vaccine at a pharmacy might’ve been odd before, but now it’s commonplace,” said Pharmacy Technician Instructor Dr. Derek Leiter. “Pharmacies went from being places to get medicine to places for prevention with vaccines and consultation services. Pharmacy technicians are taking on a lot of those responsibilities.”

From live entertainment to healthcare, advisory boards play a crucial role in keeping curriculum current and relevant to meet today’s needs and tomorrow’s progress. ey o er an opportunity for an ongoing dialogue between Lake County employers and CLC faculty and sta eir work ensures that CLC maintains tailored, highquality education opportunities that improve students’ lives and lead to family-sustaining careers.

Graduate from college, get the job. at is the goal CLC has in mind for each student. But how does the college make sure it o ers the right training to meet the community’s workforce demands? Communication is key. Input from local employers and industry experts is vital to keep program curriculum up to date and create new career training programs. Advisory boards are key to unlocking this knowledge.

Live entertainment production is one of many programs CLC created in response to workforce needs.

From le to right: Upstaging, Inc. Co-Founder Robin Shaw, CLC Dean Sheldon Walcher, CLC Vice President Dr. Kristen Jones

The PATH to better care: Training tomorrow’s healthcare

Meet Titus, Alana and Lucas – characters featured in the inclusive graphic novel CLC created for the Pipeline for the Advancement of the Healthcare Workforce (PATH) program to promote healthcare careers. Alana, a radiologist, and Lucas, a surgical tech, encourage Titus to reach beyond their job working in the hospital cafeteria to pursue their passion and become a nurse by accessing the PATH program at CLC – at no personal expense. eir stories intertwine to address the diversity gaps many people experience when they seek medical attention.

Students, like Titus, looking to work in the healthcare eld can do so without a nancial barrier thanks to the PATH grant from the Illinois Community College Board. And since Lake County has a vast healthcare system, graduates will have many opportunities to nd jobs close to home.

Students need to enroll in one of the certi cate or associate degree programs to automatically qualify for PATH. ere’s no need to apply for funds.

Take a look at the illustrated graphic novel of this inspiring story online.

MARTHA LALLY: PSYCHED TO TEACH

Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Award recipient and Psychology Instructor Dr. Martha Lally didn’t begin her career wanting to teach, yet educating students has become her passion.

“When I started out, I wanted to be a practitioner,” Lally said. “I always taught as an adjunct as I did my practice. I taught at least one course each semester thinking that at some point, I would probably want to teach full time. And in 2008, a er teaching part time at CLC for seven years, that’s exactly what I did.”

As a licensed clinical psychologist, Lally’s focus was abnormal psychology and the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders. She also specializes in brain and behavior, and lifespan development.

Lally’s psychology training directly informs her teaching method. She is driven by the interpersonal relationships she develops with students and values the use of evidence-based research. She builds relationships by being involved in the Psychology Club, which she helped start in 2010, and communicating with students a er they graduate.

“Connecting with my students is very important to me,” Lally said. “I care about my students. I work with them, and I want them to succeed.”

Another example of Lally’s commitment to student success is her leadership as co-chair of the Lancer Success Council. Among this group’s goals is to nurture and empower colleagues to support student success through individual actions and college-wide projects.

Lally loved the feeling she got when she learned about winning the outstanding faculty award.

“It is just a tremendous feeling because it’s the students who nominated me,” Lally said. “When the students do something like that, you know you’ve made a di erence in their lives.”

As this year’s CLC award recipient, Lally was also nominated for the 2023 Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA) Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Award and in April, learned she is a co-recipient of the award. Next, she’ll be nominated for the 2023 Association of Community College Trustees Central Region Faculty Member Award.

JUDI SCHULTE: QUALITY TEACHING ADDS UP TO SUCCESS

Judi Schulte has made teaching her full-time career. Along with instructing various math courses as an adjunct faculty member at CLC, she also teaches at Columbia College Chicago and online for the University of the People.

Schulte, who has been teaching at CLC since 2006, got her bachelor’s degree in nance and worked in banking before pausing her nance career to care for her daughter. en she heard about the opportunity to teach at CLC and decided it was perfect for her.

“It was one of those things that just t,” she said. “It wasn’t something I planned, but it just kind of happened.”

Math is a subject many students struggle with or don’t enjoy, and Schulte enjoys helping students feel empowered while learning to improve their

experience. In her class, students are encouraged to participate in class openly without the regular requirement of raising their hand.

“Many students feel intimidated in math class,” Schulte said. “I want them to feel like they work hard so they feel good and like they’ve achieved something. Students can learn from each other, so it’s good when they talk more.”

Schulte was surprised by the announcement during one of her Zoom classes that she won CLC’s 2023 Outstanding Part-Time Faculty Award.

“It felt good to know how my students felt about me,” Schulte said. “Just to be nominated, I feel so appreciative and humbled. ere are so many good instructors, and I feel grateful that I was selected.”

Alondra Russildi had back pain when she was younger, but doctors couldn’t nd the cause. e pain hindered her ability to play soccer and a ected her posture. Later, it was discovered that she had a fractured back and needed multiple treatments, including wearing a back brace as she entered high school.

e treatment, which she partially received at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, was crucial for Russildi, an aspiring college soccer player. She was out of the brace and ready to play by tryouts during her freshman year at Round Lake High School.

Russildi’s positive experience at the hospital motivated her to pursue a career in medicine and to give back.

“I was scared I wasn’t going to be able to walk a er everything,” she said. “I knew I needed to do something nice in return.”

While she was still in high school, Russildi decided to independently manage a toy drive during the holiday season. She used social media to help promote it among her friend and family networks. She also dropped o bins to collect donations at local businesses in Round Lake and at CLC, where she’s a soccer player.

In the rst year, Russildi collected 165 toys. is past holiday season, she more than doubled the number of donations.

“We strive for excellence in our athletics program—in the classroom, through competition, and within our community,” said CLC Athletic Director Brad Unger.

“We are so proud of Alondra and fully supported her student-led initiative. It was amazing to see so many students come together because of her leadership and provide so many children at Lurie’s Children Hospital with some holiday magic.”

Russildi plans to continue the toy drive when she transfers to Roosevelt University in Chicago next year to continue studying pre-med and advance her collegiate soccer career.

“I believe that even in hard times, there’s a reason for it,” she said. “If it wasn’t for my back fracture, though it was absolutely hard on me and my family, I wouldn’t be running a toy drive or probably even have the mindset to want to give back.”

ACCESS

FOR STUDENTS

Leaving behind a legacy of Love

Tennis coach Jim Love has put CLC’s teams on the national court. During his time working with both men’s and women’s tennis teams, CLC Lancers have earned three conference titles and ve regional titles. As Coach Love prepares to retire from his career, he remembers what he loved the most: spending time with the players he grew to know.

Love spent 15 years as a tennis coach at Lyons Township High School in La Grange before becoming the principal at Antioch Community High School in 1997. Following that role, Love returned to teaching tennis at LifeSport Athletic Club, formerly Libertyville Tennis Club.

CLC had a coaching vacancy for both men’s and women’s tennis in 2013, and because of Love’s reputation as a tennis coach, the college recruited him for the job.

“I was excited for the opportunity to coach at the team level again,” Love said. “I’d only been teaching individual players.”

Love’s students at the club ranged in age from 3 to 60 years. Coaching young adults at CLC was a challenge he had never faced before.

“College students have many more things going on, like work and juggling schedules,” Love said. “In high school, most players only had two things to focus on: school and tennis.”

Aside from seeing Lancers reach their goals and receive accolades for success, Love’s favorite memory is watching his players interact with each other.

“Lots of players make friendships that last a lifetime,” Love said. “It makes a coach feel good when players stay friends a er they nish playing together.”

Love is looking forward to spending his retirement with his grandchildren. He plans to teach them the sport, but he expects his life to be more about his personal relationships and less about tennis.

“I appreciate the job that Coach Love has done,” said CLC Athletic Director Brad Unger. “He’s put our men’s and women’s tennis program on the map, and he’s done it with the highest integrity and class. His record speaks for himself. He’s a legend and a hall of famer. He’s won at every level, and he’s impacted so many lives through the sport of tennis. He leaves CLC’s tennis programs in great shape and poised for future success.”

Diversifying transfer O or tunities

Every student comes to college with their own set of personal goals and needs. Many students start at a community college in pursuit of completing a bachelor’s degree. By creating transfer agreements with a broad array of partners, CLC positions students for success with options like guaranteed admission, personalized academic planning and cost savings.

Students can apply to any school of their choosing, but CLC intentionally partners with a select number of schools that guarantee admission to students who meet speci c criteria. e growing list of college partners with transfer agreements includes Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU).

“CLC is a diverse school and an HSI itself,” said Transfer Information Coordinator Cindy Kaplan. “Our goal is to provide students with more options to t their own individual needs.”

Recently, CLC celebrated two new partnerships with HBCUs that are now part of CLC’s transfer partner network: Lincoln University of Missouri and Tennessee State University. In addition, several of CLC’s partner schools are HSIs: Elmhurst University, Herzing University in Wisconsin, National Louis University, North Park University, Northeastern Illinois University, Roosevelt University and University of Illinois at Chicago.

When students apply for a transfer agreement, they guarantee their admission into the selected college if they ful ll its speci c requirements, including de ned coursework and a minimum number of transferable credit hours.

“Students get peace of mind knowing they will be admitted,” Kaplan said. “Relationships with the colleges are also built into the agreements with dual advising. Advising from the other school is helpful to make sure students ful ll requirements and take the right classes to transfer.”

Partner institutions bene t from the relationship, too. Transfer agreements are an e ective recruiting tool for potential students. Students are more likely to succeed at their four-year school if they have an advisor assigned to work with them before they transfer.

CLC’s transfer advising team helps students consider factors, including graduation rates and the amount of debt graduates have, when they are deciding which college to attend. Transfer partnerships are based on strong relationships that require time and e ort to maintain. Nurturing these partnerships enables students starting at CLC to continue their journey to earn a bachelor’s degree.

Earn your bachelor’s degr right here at the University Center of Lake County

Located on the CLC Grayslake Campus, students can seamlessly transfer from CLC to the University Center of Lake County and complete a bachelor’s degree, earn a graduate degree or obtain a professional certifcate. Course schedules are convenient and fexible so students can attend classes at night, on weekends, online and even through distance learning options. These options maximize affordability close to home in Lake County.

Strategica y developing transfer pathways to minorityserving institutions su orts CLC’s co itment to providing a cultura y relevant education.

Congratulations class of 2023

Hundreds of graduates and their families celebrated personal moments of triumph at spring commencement. More than 1,000 credentials were granted this semester. Since 1969, more than 61,000 students have graduated from CLC.

QUOTE ME!

“I would stack my classes for certain days and times so I could fit in time to work. Scheduling classes was really flexible.”

– Leanne Linsky

“I’m just so happy and blessed to be a college student and to have such wonderful people at CLC to help me through it. I don’t think I would have made it without their support.”

– Mia Diaz

“It felt like a community because there were actually those teachers who have had time for you. During class, I knew I could have that relationship with them.”

– Kenneth Dantes

“Everything I learned roots back to CLC. Faculty always encouraged me to try new things that made me dream beyond being a technician and set out to pursue a career as a set or prop designer.”

– Levi Ofsanik

19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake, IL 60030-1198

CLC Connects is published biannually by the Public Relations and Marketing department. To subscribe, unsubscribe or update an address, email PR@clcillinois.edu or call (847) 543-2094.

POSTMASTER:

Send change of address to CLC Connects, College of Lake County 19351 West Washington Street, Grayslake, IL 60030-1198

Volume 2, Issue 3 June 2023

FOLLOW CLC ONLINE:

www.clcillinois.edu

Board of Trustees

Julie B. Shroka, M.A. Chair

Torrie Mark Newsome, J.D. Vice Chair

Paul G. Virgilio, B.S., S.E., P.E. Secretary

Allena Barbato, J.D., L.M.F.T.

William M. Gri n, Ed.D.

Amanda D. Howland, J.D.

Gerri Songer, M.A.

Daniel Blaine Student Trustee

Lori Suddick, Ed.D. President

COMING SOON: PLANTING SEEDS FOR AN URBAN FARM

There’s a lot of green planned for the quarter-acre lot on Sheridan Road in Waukegan. The Urban Farm Center advances the Lakeshore Campus revitalization e orts by creating a facility with learning and growing space that engages the CLC community, creates a resource for Waukegan residents and serves as a destination for Lake County and beyond.

“This urban agriculture space unleashes the amazing potential to achieve public good, spur economic growth and increase community vibrancy.”

– President Dr. Lori Suddick