Impact
Impact Magazine is a bi-annual publication that features news and information on alumni, student success stories, updates from the Elgin Community College Foundation, and articles about how ECC is making a difference in our communities.
Open current issueFeatured Stories from Impact Magazine
One Team. One Dream.
Elgin Community College is a welcoming campus where more than 1,250 employees and 8,400 students embody a diverse, inclusive community connected through a common goal to improve people’s lives through learning and career development.
Scholarship helps student finish degree
The Elgin Community College Foundation and Institutional Effectiveness and Research divisions recognized this challenge for students and established the Complete to Compete Program in 2019 to help students like Amanda Richoz cross the finish line.
ECC student rolls out mobile food pantry
This year, the fight to prevent food insecurity is taking a new direction.
Ramos focuses on access, student success
Anthony Ramos recently joined Elgin Community College in the newly created role of executive director of equity, diversity, & inclusion (EDI). Noting the significant foundation to support a culture of EDI already in existence at ECC, Ramos looks forward to helping sharpen the college's collective efforts concerning equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Donor support keeps dreams alive
ECC Foundation Student Success Fund and Hoffer Foundation help ECC Student continue with education and career goals.
Aerospace careers launched at ECC
ECC Alum Alan Ladwig builds notable aerospace career.
Internships light the way to success
ECC student finds career path through internship.
Going the extra mile: Area auto repair shop challenges industry norms
Wicked Wrench Co. provides opportunities in auto repair industry for ECC students.
Fiscal stimulus fills gaps for students
ECC's allocation in federal Higher Education Emergency Relief funds directly benefitted students by helping them pay for educational expenses.
Gearing up for manufacturing growth
ECC is gearing up for manufacturing growth for the future.
ECC Foundation surpasses $100,000 fundraising goal
The Elgin Community College Foundation Gala Virtual Mas’k’erade: Dare to Dream event took place on Saturday, October 17. The event was the final push needed for the ECC Foundation to surpass its overall goal of raising more than $100,000 for the fund by the end of 2020.
Rallying to help students succeed
After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic last spring, it became clear that the disruptions caused in classrooms and overall student learning were more than an inconvenience. The effects of lock-downs and social distancing bled into loss of jobs, or conversely, increasing demands. The ECC Foundation determined that a solution was needed to assist students at risk of not continuing their educations or coursework due to financial concerns. The answer was the Student Success Fund.
Turning Challenges into Opportunities
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, employees and students at Elgin Community College adapted quickly to suspend in-person classes and transition to remote learning for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester. As the crisis persisted, ECC’s faculty fully developed and expanded online course offerings for the fall semester, ensuring a smoother transition and innovative approach.
Career Catalyst
ECC gave alumnus Toma Kpandeyenge a springboard to achieve a leadership role at LinkedIn.
Health Care Hero
ECC alumna Cathleen Nesheiwat believes her ECC training prepared her to stay calm and work with the resources she has—a valuable trait when caring for patients who show symptoms of COVID-19, or have tested positive.
Blazing Trails
ECC students are blazing trails in the fire science field, as more women and minorities graduate from the program.
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Cecil Smith: Degree of Honor
During his 25-year career with the Elgin Police Department (EPD), Cecil Smith rose through the ranks from patrol officer to commander of the Special Investigations Division. Smith’s dream of leading a police department inspired him to enroll at Elgin Community College to help advance his career.
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Mask Makers
As the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered schools and businesses across the country, Elgin Community College began to look for innovative ways to support essential workers. A trio of ECC faculty, staff, and alumni found a way to do their part with a little ingenuity and a lot of creativity.
Linda Deering Dean: Leading with Heart
Linda Deering Dean never imagined herself as the president of a regional hospital. When she enrolled at Elgin Community College to continue her education, she was working full time as a registered nurse and raising a family. She appreciated having an affordable option in the community to help her achieve her goal of advancing to a high-level clinical nursing position.
ECC Foundation: Emergency Student Relief Fund
Shortly after the implementation of Illinois' stay-at-home order in March, the Elgin Community College Foundation established the Emergency Student Relief Fund to help students most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Just one month later, more than 100 donors had pitched in to help reach the goal of raising over $50,000.
Dean Follmann: Battling COVID-19
For years, ECC alumnus Dean Follmann’s work has been focused on the study of infectious diseases and clinical trials that evaluate therapies. Most recently, it has put him on the front lines in the quest to find a cure for the virus that causes COVID-19.
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Bridget Mooney: From ECC to Soldier Field
Rising culinary star tackles tough challenges
Tim Slater: Driven to Success
ECC ignited a career path and paved the way to business ownership