2024

Staff Profile

Published 04/29/2024

Take Five with...Nick Brown

Nick Brown, student success coach, is an Elgin Community College Alum and is happy to be back in the hallways he once graced as a student.

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Student Profile

Published 04/26/2024

Meet Tanya Teeter

Elgin Community College culinary arts and hospitality student Tanya Teeter of Carpentersville, Ill., found the artist within when she joined the program in 2021, initially focusing on pastry arts.

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Student Profile

Published 04/22/2024

Elgin Community College student-athlete Ty Sierpien’s last semester at ECC is coming to a bittersweet end this spring. The second baseman and occasional pitcher for the ECC baseball team said he’s enjoying his final season and plans to transfer to Northern Illinois University in the fall.

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Ami Kalisek, massage therapy adjunct faculty member

Faculty Profile

Published 04/15/2024

Take Five with…Ami Kalisek

Ami Kalisek, massage therapy adjunct faculty member, began at Elgin Community College just over 20 years ago. She began teaching at ECC at the start of the Massage Therapy Program and has been a massage therapist since 1989.

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Student Profile

Published 04/11/2024

Meet Nichole Drab

Nearly 20 years after graduating high school, Nichole Drab, is following her passion for nursing.

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Shelby Stanley, ophthalmic technician program director

Academics | Administrator Profile

Published 04/08/2024

Shelby Stanley shares unconventional journey into ophthalmic tech

Since childhood, my fascination with biology and health care sciences has been unwavering. It began with seeing my mother work hard for her nursing degree from a community college.

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Student Profile

Published 04/08/2024

Meet Isabela Olivarez

Math lover Isabela Olivarez, a student at Elgin Community College, has had a passion for numbers since she was a little girl. “I’ve taken a lot of math classes here, and when I got into calculus and higher-level classes, I found that I really liked it,” Olivarez said. “It’s a challenge for me, and I like getting to know the answer because there always is one.”

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Student Profile

Published 04/01/2024

Meet Rida Lakhani

When Elgin Community College student Rida Lakhani of West Dundee entered the nursing program, she was the youngest in her class but held little fear in pursuing her passion for becoming a nurse. Lakhani got her early start in the nursing program because she completed her Associate of Arts degree while simultaneously receiving her high school diploma as a Dual Credit Program student.

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Student Profile

Published 03/18/2024

Meet Lesley Kwarteng

Elgin Community College student Lesley Kwarteng of Elgin said he was a curious child, always asking questions and raising his hand in the classroom. Unexpectedly, a skinned knee when he was younger led to his passion for chemistry, as he questioned what ointments his mom was putting on the injury and why they would help him heal.

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Chris Foster, multimedia and creative services coordinator

Staff Profile

Published 03/18/2024

Take Five with…Chris Foster

Chris Foster, multimedia and creative services coordinator, brought his talents to ECC’s Marketing and Communications Department in October 2022. He was doing similar work at another college, and we couldn’t be happier he’s here as a Spartan, helping develop and produce award-winning video content for the college’s marketing and enrollment efforts.

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Maggie Wright, communications and social media manager

Administrator Profile

Published 03/11/2024

Take Five with…Maggie Wright

Maggie Wright, communications and social media manager, knows what she’s doing when she snaps your photo for a social media post on ECC’s channels. Wright owned her own photography business for 12 years before working in a nonprofit as their fundraising and event coordinator and finding her home here at Elgin Community College in 2023.

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Student Profile

Published 03/08/2024

Meet Daniel Alves

Elgin Community College international student Daniel Alves is embarking on his next journey here in the US. Originally from Parana, Brazil, the culinary arts graduate decided to enroll in ECC’s criminal justice program.

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Student Profile

Published 03/04/2024

Meet Jess Heiser

Elgin Community College student Jess Heiser of St. Charles said the drive to help people started as a child. Heiser plans on majoring in social work and is pursuing an Associate of Arts degree and an Associate of Applied Science – Human Services Generalist degree.

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Sarah Bass, English adjunct faculty member

Faculty Profile

Published 03/01/2024

Take Five with…Sarah Bass

Sarah Bass, English adjunct faculty member, is a natural teacher and leader. Bass, who grew up in West Chicago, was the oldest of seven siblings. She graduated with her Bachelor’s degree from Amherst College, double majoring in English Literature and Black Studies.

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Sarah Stayner, office coordinator of enrollment services

Staff Profile

Published 02/23/2024

Take Five with…Sarah Stayner

Many roles at Elgin Community College spill over and splash into multiple departments. That’s never been truer for Sarah Stayner, office coordinator of enrollment services. Stayner supports Admissions & Recruitment, Registration & Records, First Stop, Testing, Global Engagement, and Financial Aid.

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Announcement

Published 02/23/2024

Meet Esme Rodriguez

Elgin Community College student Esme Rodriguez said that as high school graduation approached, she was still unsure about which career path to take. But it turns out she didn’t have to search for long. Her passion for automotive work stemmed from a young age, and in the fall 2023 semester, she enrolled at ECC.

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Tremayne Simpson, EdD, associate dean of sustainability, business, and career technologies

Announcement

Published 02/20/2024

Take Five with…Tremayne Simpson

Tremayne Simpson, EdD, associate dean of sustainability, business, and career technologies, is no stranger to higher education. Having worked in the industry for over 15 years, he decided to bring his skills and experience to Elgin Community College in 2023.

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Innocent Ngalewa, ECC international student

Student Profile

Published 02/12/2024

Meet Innocent Ngalewa

In his home country of Tanzania, Africa, Elgin Community College student Innocent Ngalewa practiced medicine — a childhood dream he made his reality through hard work, focus, and grit. Although Ngalewa was living his dream, he said he was barely surviving, making anywhere between $600 and $700 a month. So, in January of 2021, Ngalewa made the courageous decision to move to the United States in search of a better life.

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Patrick Carberry, assistant professor of English

Faculty Profile

Published 02/02/2024

Take Five with…Patrick Carberry

Patrick Carberry, assistant professor of English, joined Elgin Community College just last year, commuting over from Evanston, Ill., where he’s lived for about ten years. Growing up in the south suburbs of Chicago, Carberry attended Illinois State University on a speech and debate scholarship.

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Student Profile

Published 02/02/2024

Meet Ian Smith

Like many kids, Ian Smith, of Bartlett, wanted to be a professional athlete, his sights set on the NBA. Although childhood dreams change over time, he showed up strong on the court to play Varsity for three years at his high school and continued to play for the Elgin Community College men’s basketball team.

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Student Profile

Published 01/26/2024

Meet Wanchay Itmis

A mother. A wife. A lawyer. An immigrant. After enrolling in one art course at Elgin Community College to allow her daughter access to ECC’s early childhood lab school, Wanchay Itmis adds the title “Artist” to her resume.

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Stephen Stassen, emergency management administrator

Administrator Profile

Published 01/26/2024

Take Five with…Stephen Stassen

Stephen Stassen, emergency management administrator, is here for each of us on Elgin Community College’s campus. In his role, Stassen helps support routine matters like weather forecasts for special events and coordinating responses for potential major disruptions that may affect the college.

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Student Profile

Published 01/19/2024

Meet Ryan Kolbusz

Ryan Kolbusz, of South Elgin, is charting his way through his final semester at Elgin Community College. As ECC’s 2023-24 student trustee and a student worker at ECC’s First Stop, the college’s information desk, he’s a familiar face ready to go above and beyond to help his peers and the campus community.

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Maria de los Angeles Borrero, manager of community engagement and legislative affairs

Administrator Profile

Published 01/19/2024

Take Five with…María de los Angeles Borrero

Welcome back, María de los Angeles Borrero! Maria joined ECC in August 2023 as the manager of community engagement and legislative affairs but became a Spartan long before that when she enrolled at ECC as a student in 2009.

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