April 2025
Showering You With Fresh Campus News
Highlights
The Nest Needs YOU
Community College Month is here! Though there’s no greeting card available for the occasion, (get on that Hallmark) there are other ways you can mark the occasion. One such way is participating in Invest in the Nest. Lace up your shoes to participate in the walking challenge, and head over to the website to make a financial gift to support scholarships and academic programs.
Heartland Hawk Soars at Olympics
We have an Olympic medalist on campus! HALO student Daniel Johnson traveled to Turin, Italy this winter to participate in the snowshoeing event at the Special Olympics World Games. He came back not only with memories that will last a lifetime, but also a 2nd place medal. We’re so proud of him for representing Heartland on the global stage.
Award Season Kicks Off
‘Tis the season for awards, and we’re hearing about a lot of them right now. Heartland students Ava Doran and Carolina Joaquin Carmona have been named to the All-Illinois Academic Team. Honorees are recognized for being high-achieving community college students. Doran and Carmona were selected based on demonstrated academic excellence and leadership, both in and outside the classroom. They were nominated by Phi Theta Kappa. Both students are now in the running for the All-USA Academic Team, which comes with a $5,000 scholarship.
Also Award-Winning
One of the newer student organizations at HCC is the chapter of the Collegiate Farm Bureau Professional Agriculture Student Club, and they are off to a great start. Members of the club competed at the 2025 National Conference in Wyoming last month. Eight students represented Heartland, and seven competed in individual events. We also fielded a Landscape Team, Conservation Team, and a College Bowl Team. Not to brag, but every single one of our individual contest participants ended up in the top three in the nation. On second thought, we do mean to brag. Way to go!
National Title Holders
- Kaylee Lewis - Career Progress - Natural Resources
- Emily Pina - Employment Interview - Floriculture, Landscape, and Nursery
Second Place Winners
- Payton Wiltz - Precision Agriculture
- Cade Luginbuhl - Career Planning - Natural Resources
- Kaylee Lewis - Employment Interview - Natural Resources
Third Place Winners
- Lauren Monk - Agriculture Education
- Brody Wilson - Precision Agriculture
- Kaden Farrell - Employment Interview - Agronomic Services
Awards...But Make It Business
Members of Heartland’s chapter of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) joined students from all over Illinois to take part in the FBLA State Leadership Conference in Springfield last month. In addition to networking and leadership development, some of our HCC students competed in individual and team events. One standout student placed in three different events. Gage Codding placed first in Entrepreneurship Pitch, and third in both Business Presentation, and Job Interview. Next, he’ll prepare to represent HCC on the national stage at the National Leadership Conference. Kudos to Gage! When he’s a titan of industry, think he’ll let us ride on this private jet?
Yadda, Yadda, Yadda...Awards
We hope you aren’t tired of reading about awards because we have a few more. The 2025 Illinois Community College Trustee award winners for Heartland have also been announced. The Gandhi King Peace Scholarship Essay award winner is Maddison Foster. Outgoing Student Trustee Auston Koch has been awarded the Gigi Campbell Student Trustee Excellence Scholarship. Ella Brownlee has been named the recipient of the Gregg Chadwick Student Service Scholarship. Sophia Hubbs has won the Heartland Paul Simon Student Essay Contest. Congratulations to these students!
Standing Out
Speaking of awards...
Roll out the blue carpet – we have some faculty to celebrate. The 2024-2025 Outstanding Faculty have been selected.
Tom McCulley, affectionately known as “Teacher Tom” to his students, serves as a full-time faculty member at Heartland Community College where he teaches humanities and classical Greek mythology courses. Tom holds both a master's and a doctoral degree. A strong advocate of lifelong learning, he has served on multiple committees at Heartland, gaining new knowledge with each assignment.
Rebecca Schaefer serves as an adjunct faculty member and success coach at Heartland Community College, where she teaches humanities and life success courses. In addition to her work with college students, Schaefer interacts with high schoolers and prospective students through Heartland's College NOW program. Schaefer is currently a doctoral candidate.
In With the Old and the New
Following local municipal elections, Heartland had two returning and one new Trustee sworn in to the Board of Trustees this month. Incumbents Tom Whitt and Janet Hood returned to the Board, and newcomer Laurie Bergner joins them for her first term. Bergner is a psychotherapist in Bloomington. She has had roles in multiple McLean County organizations, including the League of Women Voters and the Immigration Project. Welcome and welcome back!
In With the New, Part II
Another new face joins the Board of Trustees for the 2025-2026 academic year. Aemun Lopeyok has been selected as the new Student Trustee. He is an international student from Kenya and has served as the Executive Director of the Heartland Activities Committee and President of the Student Government Association. You’ve probably also seen Lopeyok spinning some tunes at various Heartland events. The beats dropped at Board meetings are going to be HOT!
Speaker Stair
Dust off your flat caps. Commencement season is upon us. One Heartland student who is making extra preparations for the May 16 ceremony is Reaghan Stair, who will be featured as the student speaker. Stair is graduating this spring with an Associate Degree of Nursing. Prior to earning this degree, she completed her Associate of Science degree as well as her Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) and Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) credentials - all through Heartland Community College. During her time at HCC, Stair was a member of the nursing honor society Alpha Delta Nu, and was regularly on the Dean's List. She is the recipient of the Cheryl K. Chasensky Memorial Scholarship as well as the B-N Junior Woman’s Club Making a Difference Nursing Scholarship. Stair plans to work on a cardiac floor upon graduation. Her long-term goal is to get a master’s degree and work as a nurse practitioner.
It's Time to ReUp!
Students who have left the College before completing their degree can be a really tough audience to reach. That’s why Heartland recently partnered with ReUp to help us with these efforts. Beginning April 21, ReUp will use their systems, including AI technology, and their staff to outreach to these former students in an effort to encourage them to re-enroll. They will continue to provide personalized assistance not only during the enrollment process, but each semester through a student’s completion of their degree or certificate.
Tl:dr ReUp is a legitimate effort. So instead of looking confused if a student mentions it, you can continue to offer your support and encouragement.
Still to come...
Commencement
- May 16
- 5:00 pm
- Grossinger Motors Arena
Random Knowledge to Make You Just a Little Smarter
Got kidney stones? Head to the House of Mouse. In 2016, researchers at Michigan State University determined that riding Disney's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster could help patients pass a kidney stone.* Does this mean Blue Cross Blue Shield will pay for 80% of my next Disney trip?
*source: Mental Floss Amazing Facts
Let's Get Social
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