2023
Melanie Escobar: I thank Elgin Community College for enriching my education
Good afternoon, fellow graduates, family, friends, and faculty. It is my greatest honor and privilege to address such a diverse community of people from different backgrounds and walks of life. Thank you to our distinguished guests for attending today to celebrate a special milestone.
Jesse Ramirez: This day is just the start
My journey at ECC has been riddled with hardships, pain, hope, loss, and self-discovery, and the past five years pushed me to my limits. From toxic relationships to mental health struggles that almost cost me my life, I have been through it all. I would find myself at times asking myself what I have going for me. Can I even really be of service to someone if I don’t have it all together?
Gwyneth Canlas: Always follow your dreams and do what you love
My dream of becoming a Nurse has been something I had imagined my entire life. I was able to fulfill the goal of achieving my degree along with finding myself in the process.
Empowering ESL Students: Monika's Immigration Experience Gives Her a Unique Perspective
My experience as a Polish immigrant beautifully aligns with my role at the Education Work Center in Hanover Park, Illinois, where I work as the Senior Director. Almost all of our students are immigrants. I can relate to how stressed they are trying to express themselves in a language that is not their own and how hard it is to be disconnected from your family, friends, and all that is familiar.
Clarissa Murphy: My self-doubt was replaced by faith in my abilities as a student
I had no original intent of joining the Human Services program; in truth, I went in thinking of project management, but I’d always been passionate about connecting with folks, mental wellness, and listening to people's stories.
Tara Retondo: Nothing or no one will ever decide where I end up in life except me
My dream goal for years was to work in the mental health field because, as someone who had a battle with mental illness, I would find meaning in helping others through theirs.
Dayana Bagdo: My peers and professors helped me overcome my fear
Exactly four years ago, I moved to this country from Venezuela. One day, I was 17, graduating high school in my country, and the other day, I was trying to find a job to support my family in our process of creating a new life in a new country with a different language.
Aolany Campuzano: I am a first-generation high school and college graduate
As a first-generation Mexican-American, entering higher education was a world unbeknownst to me. All I knew was that I had to do this to make my parents sacrifice immigrating to this country for me and my family.
Massage therapy student Therese Wilson teaches us it’s never too late
“I knew I had a calling, but didn’t know this was it until I came and took this chance,” said Therese Wilson of South Elgin, a massage therapy student at Elgin Community College. “I encourage anyone my age, older, younger, that age is a number, and if you let it get in your way, you will miss out on so much. Your talents may not even be revealed to you yet."
Granting Opportunities: Scholars program opens career prospects
The Motorola Solutions Foundation is the charitable and philanthropic arm of Motorola Solutions, committed to diversifying the workforce and creating opportunities for up-and-coming innovators in technology and engineering. Since 2017, the organization has awarded more than $170,000 to the ECC Foundation to champion student scholarships.
The Rookie: Intern investigates career in law enforcement
Jasmine Aguinaga spent her summer like many college students on summer break — riding in the car, windows down, taking in the town. The difference for Aguinaga is that the car was a South Elgin Police Department cruiser and she was working with detectives as a summer intern.
Financial Sense: Empowering students to make smart decisions
This year, ECC established the Center for Financial Empowerment and Wellness in partnership with the Kane County Teachers (KCT) Credit Union to enhance financial smarts in the community.
Doubling Down: Dual-credit student accelerates her dreams
Fatima Ahmed looks like a typical college student. She sits in the Renner Academic Library studying for her abnormal psychology and microbiology classes. She leads a student club. And, she’s focused on her goal of becoming a neurosurgeon or neuroscientist. But Ahmed is still in high school.
College Bound: TRiO coordinator helps students succeed
When young students share their struggles with LaShaunda Jordan, ’15, a TRiO Upward Bound coordinator at Elgin Community College, she knows what they are going through. From academics to mental health concerns and lack of family support, Jordan understands their challenges.
Career Prep: Free services help motivated adult learner thrive
The EWC provides comprehensive classes in adult basic education, English as a second language, and career development assistance. The center serves an area with a high immigrant population and residents facing language, transportation, childcare, and financial barriers.
Sharing the Limelight: ECC Arts Center celebrates 30 years
Jersey Boys. Second City. John Lithgow. Mavis Staples. Graham Nash. These are just a few artists to have graced the Blizzard Theatre stage since the Elgin Community College Arts Center opened 30 years ago.
ECC art student Esbeyda Garcia Diaz curates a voice for local Venezuelan migrants
This fall, Elgin Community College alumna Norma Santaolaya and I curated the Venezuelan Art Exhibition “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” as part of the Latinx Heritage Month 2023 celebrations. We put our time, energy, and passion into creating this vulnerable gallery, which gave voice to the lives of our local Venezuelan migrants.
Take Five with…Zo Kreager
Zo Kreager, PhD, professor of applied physical science, joined Elgin Community College this past year. Born and raised in Nebraska, Kreager first came to Illinois to pursue her PhD at Northern Illinois University.
ECC dual credit student Olivia Opalinski finds her opening in the performing arts
Last spring, Elgin Community College student Olivia Opalinski of Carpentersville decided to try something new. After her audition, Opalinski joined the cast of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and gained an experience that opened her up to a whole new world.
International exchange program fosters new friendships and opportunities for ECC employee
The opportunity to study abroad doesn’t end as a student. Beth Hultman, public services librarian, and Travis Linville, professor of photography, recently hosted international guests from the Netherlands in their homes and on Elgin Community College’s campus through ECC’s Center for Global Engagement and the Illinois Consortium for International Studies and Programs (ICISP).
Take Five with…Jillian Janicki
Meet Jillian Janicki, our new Director of the Phlebotomy Program! Janicki isn’t a stranger to ECC’s campus, having received her Clinical Laboratory Technician (CLT) certificate when she was first here as a student.
Jim Ahlborn embraces ECC apprentices as family
There isn’t one path for every student. For many, success is found outside classroom walls and across campus lines. Through Elgin Community College’s Apprenticeship Program, students can work as apprentices for local companies while maintaining their status as students.
Take Five with…Jeff Hunt
Jeff Hunt, a music adjunct faculty member, began teaching at ECC nearly 20 years ago. What’s kept him here all these years? The students.
Take Five with…Cory Lemay
Cory Lemay, director of TRiO Upward Bound, began leading the program in 2022. Growing up in coastal New England, in the pine tree state of Maine, Lemay’s first experience with TRiO Upward Bound began as a high school student in the program.
Take Five with…Ignacio Alvarez-Garcia
Ignacio Alvarez-Garcia, professor of Spanish, is a first-generation college student born and raised in Madrid, Spain. As a first-gen student, he found a passion for education and the power it has to impact lives.
Take Five with…Kathleen DeMars
Growing up east of New York City on the north shore of Long Island, Kathleen DeMars, instructor of adult basic education, became a Midwesterner back in 2005. After teaching at Waubonsee Community College for seven years, she moved to ECC in 2022.
Take Five with…Sarah Burkhart
Sarah Burkhart worked from home as an editorial freelancer for many years before deciding to teach an evening English as a second language course. Since then, she’s made it her full-time career.
ECC’s ESL student Karla Rojas uses her experience to set a positive example for others
Karla Rojas immigrated to the United States with complete confidence that she could find the success she was after. Her firm belief in herself and her abilities led her to enroll in ECC’s English as a Second Language program to help improve her English skills. It wasn’t long before she was excelling in her courses and preparing for her next step to find a job.
Take Five with…Erin Kerwood
Erin Kerwood, PhD, assistant professor of chemistry, bonded with ECC instantly. “I love it here and have met so many awesome people!” Starting as an adjunct professor in the fall of 2021, Kernwood made her way to full-time in the spring.
Take Five with…Noor
Noor joined Elgin Community College’s Marketing and Communications Department as the Digital Marketing Specialist in 2022. Originally from Pakistan, Noor obtained a Bachelor’s in Marketing before completing his MBA at the Hult International Business School in Boston, MA.
Take Five with…Evelyn Lozano
As a student success coach, Evelyn Lozano’s favorite thing about working at ECC is meeting and guiding students during their time at the college. This passion is driven by her own educational experience growing up.
Take Five With…Melanie Schaefer
Have you met Melanie? Melanie Schaefer is the Sports Information and Academic Support Specialist, a driving force behind ECC student-athlete success. In July 2021, the ECC Athletics Department added a new position to their team to provide direct academic support; this was the perfect fit for Schafer.
Responding to local health care needs: Inaugural medical assisting class graduates
The first cohort of ECC’s new medical assisting program completed their final class in August 2023. Launched last year, the program is ECC’s response to local health care agencies who alerted the college to the increasing regional demand for these skilled health care professionals.
ECC student turns trials into triumph
Esmeralda Guerra’s life has revolved around helping others even when she had nothing. That’s how her passion to become a nurse was born.
In Their Own Words: Students share life experiences through stories
Brian Bohr is reinventing the classroom experience to embrace and enhance what students can bring to storytelling. In his communications course, Oral Interpretation of Literature, students take stories that are not traditionally performative and bring them to life from their personal perspectives through different mediums, including poetry, personal narratives, and digital storytelling.
Tag Team Teaching: Instructors create a community for learning
When LaTasha DeHaan, PhD, assistant professor of history and political science, noticed students struggling with assignments in her African American history classes, she took action. DeHaan's colleague, Instructor of English Chasity Gunn, saw similar struggles in her African American literature course. The instructors formed a learning community called Unshackled Voices to foster student success.
Journey of Service
John Duffy, of Elgin, retired from the ECC Board of Trustees in April with 48 years of service, making him the longest-serving trustee in both District 509 and Illinois community college history. A retired Larkin High School (Elgin) educator and administrator, Duffy first won his trustee election race in 1975.
Good Fellows
The first CURIC fellow cohort consisted of 12 students. Fellows commit to one semester or one year, and Hardy pairs students with a faculty member to guide and assist them throughout the research process.
Driving Demand: ECC prepares truckers for the long haul
The truck driving industry is experiencing a shortage of an estimated 70,000 qualified drivers, a number expected to double within the next decade, according to American Trucking Associations. With Elgin Community College’s expanded truck driving program, including accelerated sessions, newly hired instructors, and plans for a larger facility, ECC is ready to meet that demand.
Building Futures
Susan Taylor-Demming, the new executive director of institutional advancement and the Elgin Community College Foundation, hangs up the phone after thanking an ECC alumni donor for a recent gift that will help several current students pay for college.
How the game can change your life: Schaefer shares her journey
As the sports information and academic support specialist, I work directly with our student-athletes to ensure they have the necessary support to balance life as a collegiate athlete, one that is busy and stressful but worth every moment. I know the lives of our student-athletes because I am a former student-athlete.
SkillsUSA Illinois names ECC’s Carriveau board chairman
Mark Carriveau, college photographer and multimedia coordinator at Elgin Community College, will serve as the 2023-2024 board chair for SkillsUSA Illinois.
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.
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. I am hoping to find a position with Sherman Hospital or Rush in Chicago when I graduate. I want to help as many people as I can and learn as much as possible.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. My advice for future students is never to give up; you might need to take a break and rest, but never give up!
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.
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.
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 through which I could simultaneously work on my high school diploma and an associate degree from Elgin Community College.
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.
Jocelyn Thammavongsa: I experienced a strong sense of community and belonging at ECC
My time at Elgin Community College was a life-changing experience I will always treasure. I’d never reflected on the past two years here until I was asked to write this essay.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.