Winter 2012

Alumni Connections

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o f l e a r n i n g

What happens when you take three Lake Land College students, add a

few semesters of engineering courses and then send them on their way to the U of I with a one-to-one transfer agreement? Well, what you get are three very successful engineers who all unexpectedly ended up working for the world’s number one company in circuit protection, Littelfuse.

One thing about this trio of engineers that isn’t so unexpected is that each of them – Chris Miller, originally of Mattoon, Ray Zumbahlen, originally of Sigel, and Jordan Hammer, originally of Beecher City – credit the education they

received at Lake Land College and its transferability to four-year universities for their success.

“The articulation agreement between Lake Land and the U of I was really the key to my success,” explained Zumbahlen. “That in combination with small class sizes and affordability, not to mention that Lake Land was close to home, made it my number one choice after high school.”

In fact, Zumbahlen was accepted to the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology upon high school graduation, but opted for Lake Land instead.

Currently, Lake Land has more than 50 articulation agreements with several senior institutions throughout Illinois and Indiana that offer a seamless transfer where students can complete a bachelor’s degree in just two additional years.

Miller, Zumbahlen and Hammer each graduated from Lake Land with an associate degree in engineering science and through the college’s articulation agreement with the University of Illinois, transferred into the College of Engineering where every class except one linear algebra class transferred.

“I’m not sure if I would have been able to come straight to the U of I after graduating from Beecher City High School because I simply wasn’t used to the larger classes and campus,” said Hammer. “For me, Lake Land offered that step in between that I needed.”

According to Hammer, the quality of instruction he received at Lake Land was on par, and in some cases, better than that of the U of I.

“Taking classes with teachers like Tonia Timlin, Walter McHenry and Greg Capitosti built a strong foundation for me in math and science,” said Hammer.

Three Lake Land College alumni, Chris Miller, back row left, Ray Zumbahlen, back row right and Jordan Hammer, front, seamlessly transferred to the University of Illinois after completing an associate degree in engineering at Lake Land.

“I’m not sure if I would have been able to come straight to the U of I after graduating from Beecher City High School because I simply wasn’t used to the larger classes and campus.”

- Jordan Hammer

Trio of Lake Land College alumni land at Littelfuse, credit transfer opportunities for accomplishments

“They were all fantastic instructors and I appreciated the extra effort they put forward to help guide me.”

Zumbahlen included that Timlin, division chair for math and science and physics instructor, wanted to ensure students who transferred to four-year universities were able to stay on top academically. He also said that Timlin taught them more than just the subject matter but gave them the tools to navigate the engineering industry and job market.

According to Miller, who graduated from Lake Land in 2001, another advantage the college offers students is the possibility of taking two years of college-level classes and coming out debt free.

“I was able to pay for college myself between the affordability of Lake Land classes and the scholarship opportunities through the foundation,” said Miller. “That led me to graduate after four semesters of college 100 percent debt free!”

Miller said that a final advantage to attending Lake Land College is that even though he’s been away from campus for 11 years, he can still stop by when he’s in the area visiting family and say hi to his former instructors.

Miller and Hammer are project development engineers and Zumbahlen is a high power lab engineer at Littelfuse in Champaign. Littelfuse is an American multinational electronics manufacturing company that specializes in developing industry-leading circuit protection products.

To learn more about articulation agreements at Lake Land College, visit: lakeland.cc.il.us/transfer/2plus2-transfer.htm.

Molly Warfel of Dieterich received the 2012 Lake Land College Alumni Association Scholarship, administered by the Lake Land College

Foundation. The freshman, who is studying biology, said that she is very thankful for this scholarship because it will allow her to complete her associate degree at Lake Land College and then transfer on to a four-year institution where she hopes to major in forensics.

“I’m really interested in biology because I like getting into the details of how things work and are connected and I hope one day to work as a crime scene investigator,” said Warfel.

To be eligible for the Alumni Association Scholarship, the recipient must be a spouse, child, step-child or grandchild of a Lake Land College alumnus. Warfel was eligible for the scholarship because both of her parents, Marion and Lisa Warfel, earned degrees from Lake Land.

“I chose to come to Lake Land for several reasons, but being close to home and the affordability of the college were the main draws for me,” said Warfel.

The Lake Land College Foundation was established exclusively for educational, scientific and charitable purposes. The Foundation assists the college in developing and enhancing the educational opportunities and service to its students, alumni and citizens of the district. To learn more about the Foundation, or to make an online gift to support the Alumni Association and Lake Land College students, visit www.lakeland.cc.il.us/foundation or call (217) 234-5363.

Molly Warfel of Dieterich is the 2012 Lake Land College Alumni Association Scholarship recipient. Warfel, who is studying biology, hopes to one day work in crime scene investigation. Biology student awarded Lake Land College Alumni Association Scholarship

Trio of Lake Land College alumni land at Littelfuse, credit transfer opportunities for accomplishments

Hair dresser turned engineer credits Lake Land for educational and career opportunities

Avoree Gore, Lake Land College alumna who transferred to Rose-Hulman credits Lake Land for her success in the engineering field and preparing her for the job she’s always wanted as a Bridge and Hydraulics Engineer for the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Hair dresser turned engineer credits Lake Land for educational and career opportunities

One of the best things about Avoree Gore’s new job as a Bridge and Hydraulics Engineer for the Illinois Department of Transportation District V in

Paris is that her commute to work is now only 15 minutes long.

Being a wife and a mother of two, Gore’s choice of going back to school after a career in cosmetology for seven years meant commuting long distances to and from school and being away from home more often.

“I never even considered that after starting a family and having a two-year-old and a newborn that I could come back to college and ultimately get a four-year degree,” said Gore.

Gore initially enrolled at Lake Land right out of high school and earned a Cosmetology Certificate. However, the odd hours and stress of owning her own business led her to return to Lake Land College in 2004 at age 26 with her site set on a two-year technical certificate.

“My decision to come back to Lake Land was a life changing moment,” said Gore. “At that time, I wasn’t even

considering a four-year degree. I just wanted a quick turn around to be able to get back into the workforce.”

It was with the guidance of instructors in the Math and Science and Technology Divisions that Gore decided even with a young family at home, she would change programs and enroll in the Civil Engineering Technology Advanced Technical Studies Program, a transfer program aimed at getting students to a four-year degree, in order to transfer her credits and earn a bachelor’s degree.

“I was always good at math and science and graduated as valedictorian from high school,” said Gore. “And funny enough, I had no idea I wanted to be an engineer.”

According to Gore, it was instructors like Bambi Jones, mathematics instructor, and Tonia Timlin, physics instructor, who saw her potential and inspired her to pursue a career in engineering.

“I never took a physics class before Tonia’s, so I was very nervous,” explained Gore. “But she was so encouraging and understood what it was like to be a woman and a mother while at the same time trying to crack into the engineering field.”

For her first ever physics class, Gore did pretty well – she received an “A” on the final exam.

Another advantage for Gore in the engineering program at Lake Land was that the classes were small, so she got to know her peers and work through the material in a group setting, which she said prepared her for the real world working environment.

“In this line of work, we do everything as a team, so having that small group working environment while at Lake Land gave me an advantage when I transferred,” said Gore.

After she graduated with an associate degree in engineering science, Gore applied to the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Ind. and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she was accepted to both. She said she chose to enroll at Rose-Hulman because it was closer to home and had smaller class sizes, two things that reminded her of Lake Land.

“At no time during my educational career at Rose-Hulman did I feel unprepared or out of place,” said Gore. “But I

can be certain that without the preparation that Lake Land provided, I would have been overwhelmed.”

Gore also said that because of the financial aid opportunities at Lake Land, like Foundation Scholarships, the BOOST Scholarship and the Talented Student Award, she graduated from Lake Land debt free.

“Having those financial aid opportunities available to me at that time in my life was an integral part to my success,” said Gore. “Another perk was because I made good grades at Lake Land, when I transferred to Rose-Hulman, my tuition cost was lowered.”

In 2009, Gore graduated with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Rose-Hulman. After that, she worked as a project engineer for HWC Engineering in Terre Haute, Ind. where she was responsible for studying water resources and supervising construction and design projects. Gore moved on to IDOT in Effingham before she transferred to District V in Paris where she says she has landed the perfect job that uses her background in water management and project design, and of course, is close to home.

Calendar of EventsWednesday, December 14, 2012Alumni Association Board Meeting6 p.m. Webb Hall 081

Wednesday, February 13, 2013 Deadline for Distinguished Alumni Society Nominations

Wednesday, March 20, 2013Alumni Association Board Meeting6 p.m. Webb Hall 081

Thursday, April 18, 2013Distinguished Alumni Society Induction CeremonyWebb Hall 081

Friday May 17, 2013Lake Land College Commencement*LLC Alumni: Join us at Custom Smokehouse BBQ!

Friday May 24, 201316th Annual LLC Foundation Golf ClassicMeadowview Golf Course

Wednesday, June 19, 2013Alumni Association Board Annual Meeting6 p.m. Webb Hall 081

Forty-four year old Webb Hall is looking a little younger these days after the completion of a $5.4

million renovation project that took place last summer. The renovation project aimed not only to enhance the learning environment of the building, but also to include sustainable building practices which further reduce the college’s carbon footprint.

Specific renovations for Webb Hall included infrastructure improvements and sustainable construction practices. Some of those renovations were asbestos abatement, solar panel installation, active chilled beam installation and a geothermal supply

Webb Hall gets $5 million face lift

and return loop that connects to the rest of the campus’s geothermal loop. Additionally, a photovoltaic array will provide some of the building’s electrical power.

The building was reconfigured to improve and expand the tutoring center, create a test proctoring lab and create a video and photography lab. Additional classrooms and open computer labs have been added for students to use. Some student services, such as Trio Student Support Services have been relocated to Webb Hall in order to relieve the congestion in the student services office.

Over the summer, Lake Land became an electric vehicle charging station site. The charging station, which is open for public

use, was funded by the Department of Labor’s Community Based Jobs Training grant.

According to Jeff Oder, director of sustainability at Lake Land, the charging station will be used as a tool for students studying alternative and sustainable energy as well.

“Anyone who lives in the area or who is passing through and needs to charge their vehicle is welcome to stop by and use the station free of charge,” said Oder.

The charging station uses a J1772 standard connector and 240 volts of electricity to charge most electric vehicles like the Focus, Leaf, Volt or Prius Plug-In. Based on battery size, it takes four to six hours of charging time for a vehicle battery to become completely charged.

The charging station at Lake Land is powered by two alternative energy sources – a 100 kW wind turbine and solar installations affixed to a nearby roofing structure located on the northwest side of the West Building on campus in Mattoon.

The electric vehicle charging station was funded by approximately 0.003 percent of a $2,542,762 CBJT grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, awarded in 2010. Additionally, the 100kW wind turbines were funded by approximately 18 percent of that same grant award. Funding from the DCEO is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under Award Number DE-EE0000119.

Webb Hall gets $5 million face lift

Contributing to the future of Lake Land College students has never been so easy! The Lake Land College Foundation now accepts gifts

online. Go to www.lakelandcollege.edu and click on ‘Foundation.’ Look for the ‘Make a Gift’ button!

Give the gift of education with your mobile device, computer or tablet today!Snap this QR code with your Smartphone!

Make an online gift!

L ake Land College inducted several retirees into the Wall of Fame at the Employee and Retiree Recognition. The individuals honored were, from left to right:

Charles Wieck, math and physics instructor, 1968-1999; Jalee Cox, business instructor, 1971-1997; and Wayne Weaver, math and physical science instructor and division chair for math and science, 1968-1997.

Wall of Fame

Blast from the Past: Lake Land College President Scott Lensink

After more than 30 years in higher education, Lake Land College President Scott

Lensink will retire in June 2013.

In 1993, Lensink joined Lake Land College as a business instructor and was the head coach for the Laker women’s basketball team. He went on to hold positions of division chair and vice president for academic services. Lensink was named interim president in 2007, followed by his

official appointment as the Lake Land College president in 2008.

During Lensink’s tenure, Lake Land College emerged as a national leader in the sustainability field, attracting grants and attention from public officials from coast to coast. In addition, the college received prestigious Aspen Institute recognition, which named Lake Land among the top 10 percent of community colleges in the nation.

The college also was named the safest campus in Illinois by stateuniversity.com.

He has worked with the board to keep Lake Land College the most affordable college in the state, leading to one of the largest enrollment boosts in the college’s history. Today, the college serves more than 24,300 students each year.