The New Herald News LLC. (2024)

LINCOLN, IL – Heartland Community College Lincoln will host an Information Night for area residents on June 25.The free open house presents an opportunity for prospective students and others to learn more about the Heartland Lincoln campus and opportunities for fall enrollment.Local staff as well as faculty and student support services representatives will provide information on academic programs, enrollment processes, financial aid and scholarships, High School Diploma completion preparation courses, and lifelong learning opportunities.Heartland faculty and staff will also be available to discuss the MIG Welding Microcertificate program available in Lincoln as well as the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program.Information will also be shared about the Hometown Hawks program, which is designed to easily connect students to campus services, offer leadership opportunities, and build a network of local friends and instructors. Classes are scheduled in a way to make it convenient to complete general education requirements with tutoring, success coaching, and counseling services offered on-site.The event takes place Tuesday, June 25 beginning at 6 pm at Heartland Community College Lincoln, 2201 Woodlawn Road.RSVPs are requested though not required. Registration is available atwww.heartland.edu/Lincoln. Email[emailprotected]or call 217.735.1731 with questions or to RSVP.

NORMAL, IL – Phi Theta Kappa has welcomed a new group of Heartland Community College students into the organization’s membership. Eighty -two Heartland students have been named to the international two-year college honor society.Membership to Phi Theta Kappa is offered to students if they have completed at least 12 credit hours with a grade point average of 3.5 or higher. Students involved in the organization are afforded unique leadership, service, scholarship, and fellowship opportunities.The following students accepted membership into the Alpha Omega Xi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at Heartland Community College in the Spring 2024 semester.Luciana Abraham, Normal, ILMelina Almanza, Bloomington, ILKylie Alvarez, Normal, ILMadison Bales, Hopedale, ILKweku Blankson, Normal, ILNora Brady, Normal, ILJacob Brown, Atlanta, GABridgette Bryan, Bloomington, ILKade Buchanan, Bloomington, ILAlexandria Caruthers, Normal, ILIsaac Cornejo, Bloomington, ILOlivia Crutcher, Bloomington, ILJessica Davis, Normal, ILAbby Denslow, Bloomington, ILDiana Dominguez, Bloomington, ILAva Doran, Bloomington, ILLuisa Estrada, Bloomington, ILRebekah Farnsworth, El Paso, ILKylie Fernandes, Bloomington, ILPiper Ferris, Decatur, ILMariah Fletcher, Pontiac, ILLeLexus Gardner, Bloomington, ILBrenda Godina, Bloomington, ILDaniel Golladay, Normal, ILJaythan Grant, Bloomington, ILHolli Hays, Bloomington, ILRebekah Hendershott, Saunemin, ILJaxon Henrichs, Normal, ILElizabeth Hurley, Lincoln, ILCarolina Joaquin Carmona, Bloomington, ILTanya Jones, Downs, ILBryce Kitchens, Bloomington, ILSara Kletz, Bloomington, ILNicholas Kolze, Romeoville, ILOlga Kukharskiy, Pontiac, ILBrenda Lang, Bloomington, ILCaleb Larson, Atlanta, ILMeghan Laskai, Carlock, ILBrock Loftus, Ohio, ILCiera Matlock, Bloomington, ILTaylor McGee, Chicago, ILAlexandra Meier, Chenoa, ILEzra Mendez, Normal, ILArianna Morris, Lincoln, ILKathrynne Munson, Normal, ILElizabeth Nelson, Bloomington, ILParker Newton, Bloomington, ILTyler Nguyen, Bloomington, ILTiernan Orr, Bloomington, ILSarah Paduano, Normal, ILOksana Perestoronina, Normal, ILKyle Perrone, Bloomington, ILSamantha Peterson, Normal, ILRodney Phillips, La Salle, ILNatalie Popp, Le Roy, ILAntoin Richardson, Normal, ILKatherine Riggins, Bloomington, ILKaitlyn Robinson, Macomb, ILDylan Rogers, Bloomington, ILAva Rohrig, Normal, ILFaith Sanders, Hartsburg, ILKrystle Sanders, Lincoln, ILGrace Sanderson, Camanche, IASandesh Satya, Bloomington, ILAlancia Scott, Normal, ILAva Selle, Bloomington, ILJessica Soule, Pontiac, ILAngela Spence, Bloomington, ILHunter Spencer, Bloomington, ILRachel Spratt, Atlanta, ILTyler Stambaugh, Lincoln, ILJessica Steele, Bloomington, ILJaelah Steidinger, , AMIan Thacker, Heyworth, ILPaige Thomas, Bloomington, ILLucus Tran, Bloomington, ILMikayla Walter, Normal, ILCasey Waninger, Normal, ILAlaina Wells, Antioch, ILMatthew Wiechmann, Pontiac, ILMadilynn Yeates, Atlanta, ILMichael Zozzaro, Normal, ILMore information on Phi Theta Kappa can be found at: www.ptk.org

NORMAL, IL – Two Heartland Community College students received statewide recognition from the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA).Annastaja Buffington and Parker Newton, were named recipients of ICCTA scholarship awards at the organization’s annual awards banquet on Friday, June 7, at the Westin Chicago Lombard Hotel in Lombard, IllinoisParker Newton, (Bloomington) who recently completed his first year at Heartland Community College, is the 2024 recipient of the Gregg Chadwick Student Service Scholarship award, which provides a $500 scholarship to a currently enrolled Illinois community college student for extraordinary commitment to volunteer service.Fitting with the legacy of long-time Heartland Community College Trustee Gregg Chadwick, the scholarship supports students who are dedicated to the enrichment of others."Gregg Chadwick was a true servant leader in that he was quiet, steady, kind, and a friend,” said Jon Looney, ICCTA president. "In this spirit, ICCTA established the Gregg Chadwick Student Service Scholarship to honor his longtime and heartfelt legacy of public service.”During the 2023-2024 academic year at Heartland Community College, Newton exhibited his passion for public service in numerous ways both on and off campus. This year Parker logged over 200 hours of service volunteering at the Eastview Food Pantry, Boys and Girls Club, and the Jule Foundation while maintain a full-time class load as a student, a 4.0 GPA, and pursuing rigorous pre-med/biomechanical engineering coursework.He also started a new student organization, the Heartland Pre-Health Society, which partners with local organization to bring volunteering opportunities to more students. The organization partnered with the Boys and Girls Club to provide tutoring and mentorship at Parkside Junior High.Annastaja Buffington (Hartsburg) is this year's recipient of the Gandhi/King Peace award, which provides a $1,000 scholarship.The scholarship is awarded to a student who best articulates the peaceful messages of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Buffington’s proposal included a series of campus workshops focusing on the history of nonviolent movements, followed by a week-long event such as a "Kindness Rally” where students can share acts of kindness they have witnessed or performed.All currently enrolled students at ICCTA member colleges are eligible to participate in the Gregg Chadwick Student Service Scholarship and Gandhi/King Peace Scholarship competition. Each college may submit one entry per academic year.

Now taking applicationsSPRINGFIELD, IL — Lincoln Land Community College Continuing, Corporate and Professional Education will offer a Small Business Leadership Development Bootcamp beginning September 2024 running through February 2025 on the LLCC campus, 5250 Shepherd Rd., Springfield.LLCC’s program provides core leadership development training aimed at reducing employee turnover and improving leadership and effectiveness for small businesses.Participants chosen for the program will participate in three hours of in-person classroom training each month on essential leadership topics, as well as a one-hour small-group mastermind/coaching session each month to learn from fellow leaders. They will also receive a 30-minute, one-on-one coaching session each month with a certified professional leadership coach for personalized coaching on topics specific to their business.The program will be taught by Tess Fyalka, a leadership development coach, team coach and corporate trainer with 25 years of experience and one of the few professional leadership coaches worldwide to be ACTC certified through the International Coaching Federation.A total of 20 participants will be accepted into the program. The cost is $250. The program is funded in part by a grant from the Illinois Community College Board. Applications must be submitted by July 10. Information on the program and eligibility can be found at www.llcc.edu/leadership-bootcamp or by emailing [emailprotected].

NORMAL, IL –Heartland Community College (HCC) has recognized seven individuals for their integral role in expanding the College, serving its students, and paving educational pathways for the larger community.The President’s Medallion award exemplifies the College’s aim to enrich the community, by recognizing those who share this mission and live it out through exemplary service, philanthropy, and dedication to advancing opportunities in education.The following seven individuals were honored at the Elevate Heartland 2024 event on May 31 with a President’s Medallion:Jerome and Frances MaddoxJerome and Frances Maddox are esteemed members of the Bloomington-Normal community, embodying resilience and service despite profound loss. Their son, Sgt. Anthony Maddox, made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan in 2013. Frances and Jerome have contributed to the Hero House initiative by Habitat for Humanity and were pivotal in dedicating a Fallen Hero Wall honoring nine Central Illinois soldiers who lost their lives in combat. Through Jerome's leadership as president of the 100 Black Men of Central Illinois, he has been instrumental in establishing a robust mentoring program across the region. Their commitment to our community extends further as they both serve as board members of the Illinois Community Prairie Foundation.Steve and Patty McManusPatty and Steve McManus are dedicated community leaders whose philanthropic efforts and active involvement have left a lasting impact on various charitable organizations and initiatives. Steve's impact on the Heartland Community College Foundation is profound, having served as its past chair and initiated the inaugural Major Gifts Campaign, which raised over $7 million for scholarships at the College. He has also taken on significant community roles, co-chairing the Civil Justice Reform Group and Milestones Early Learning Center. Meanwhile, Patty McManus demonstrates her dedication as the chair of the Bloomington Normal Junior Women’s Club, actively contributing to various local charities and initiatives, showcasing her commitment to community welfare.Ed RustEd Rust's extensive contributions to education and leadership are evident through his service on the Boards of America’s Promise Alliance and the James B. Hunt, Jr., Institute for Educational Leadership. He earned the prestigious Owen B. Butler Education Excellence Award, presented by the Committee for Economic Development. Additionally, Rust's remarkable dedication to education and workforce development was recognized through his receipt of the Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois and the Order of Lincoln, the state's highest honor for a living individual in business. Under his stewardship as CEO, State Farm emerged as one of the largest private contributors to education, demonstrating a steadfast commitment to supporting educational initiatives since 1990.Faye Freeman SmithFaye Freeman-Smith stands as a beacon of community service and mental health advocacy. In 2021, she was honored with the Multicultural Leadership Program Servant Leadership Award, a testament to her unwavering dedication to uplifting others. Recognized in 2017 with the YWCA Women of Distinction award, Freeman-Smith's contributions to her community are profound and far-reaching. As a founding member of the Black Business Alliance, she champions economic empowerment and entrepreneurship within her community. Her commitment to mental health is tangible through her establishment of the HCC Counseling Center in 2011, when she served as the College’s Director of Student Mental Health Counseling Services, and her active role on the Mental Health Advisory Board for the McLean County Health Department. Freeman-Smith's membership on the Distance Counseling Advisory Board has been instrumental in crafting guidelines for tele-mental health, a critical endeavor both before and during the pandemic, especially in supporting the mental well-being of young adults. Her pioneering spirit in this practice is widely recognized and deeply appreciated.Rob WidmerRob Widmer has built a remarkable and motivating career in higher education spanning four decades, with a significant portion—22 years—dedicated to Heartland Community College. Notably, he served as president for five years, during which he navigated the institution through financial hardships stemming from the Illinois budget impasse. His leadership was pivotal in steering Heartland through these challenges while also spearheading a new strategic planning process, fortifying the College's reputation as a vital community asset. Widmer's tenure saw significant advancements, including the development of Heartland's current campus in Normal, a testament to his enduring commitment to the institution's growth and development. Beyond his professional endeavors, Widmer chairs the Normal Children's Discovery Museum Foundation Board, showcasing his ongoing dedication to educational and community enrichment."We are proud to recognize these individuals who helped elevate Heartland to what it is today,” said HCC President Keith Cornille. "Each recipient of these inaugural awards exemplifies the College’smission to enrich our community. Though their service, support and actions, this group have made a huge impact on our community and – directly or indirectly – the lives of all our students since the College’s foundation.”The Presidential Medallion award exemplifies the College’s aim to enrich the community, by recognizing those who share this mission and live it out through exemplary service, philanthropy, and dedication to advancing opportunities in education. The inaugural recipients of the HCC President’s Medallion Award were honored in 2021.