November 2024
We're thankful for all this juicy news with a generous helping of celebration.
Highlights
Excellence on Display
One of the most moving events of the year is the Foundation’s Celebration of Excellence. On this special night each fall, we celebrate our scholarship recipients and thank the donors who made education possible for our students. This year, the crowd of nearly 500 heard from scholarship recipient Lindsey Coronel Rosales, whose family immigrated from Mexico in order for Lindsey and her sister to have a better life. She is a first-generation college student studying communication with plans to become a speech-language pathologist.
Awesome Alumni
Speaking of excellence, a number of HCC alumni were honored for their excellence and contributions to our community. The highest alumni honor, the Distinguished Alumnus award, went to Simran Sandhu. Sandhu is the Director of Strategy and Innovation at Illinois Farm Bureau. He earned an Associate of Science degree from HCC and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics at ISU. Sandhu holds various additional certifications and licenses and currently serves on the Foundation Board. Congratulations are also extended to Melissa Donovan, winner of the College Engagement Award; Melissa Jewett, winner of the Career Achievement Award; and brothers Arin and Adam Rader, winners of the Community Service Award. Kudos to all these impressive Heartland alumni!
Hawk Soars to National Championship
Shifting to excellence in athletics, we have national news. Heartland’s own Nora Brady became the latest NJCAA DII National Cross Country Champion! Her time of 17:34 for the 5000 meter race in Virginia was a full 40 seconds faster than the second-place finisher. This All-American is making Heartland proud! congrats are also due to the women's and men's teams. The women's cross country team placed sixth at nationals and the men's team placed eleventh. Adding to the post-season excitement, THREE of our Hawks teams are heading to Nationals. Stay tuned for our next issue to read how men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball fared in their runs for their own championships!
Springer Speaks on Heartland's Food Insecurity Efforts
Heartland works hard to address student food insecurity, and others have taken notice. Camille Springer, Director Student Counseling and Wellness Services, was invited by the Illinois Board of Higher Education to speak at a Community of Practice for Benefits Navigators across the state. She shared Heartland's efforts to address food insecurity, including how we have built a relationship with our agriculture department in these efforts.
Feed the Need
Addressing student food insecurity doesn’t have to end with our institutional efforts. You, too, can help! This year, you can join the Illinois Community College Board’s (ICCB) first-ever Illinois Community College system-wide food drive, and Heartland’s Student Government Association is taking up the challenge. You can help them by donating non-perishable food items at various locations around campus including: outside WDC 1000 (Student Leadership space), the Instructional Commons Building (ICB) lobby, and the Student Commons Building (SCB) lobby. Donations can be made through November 30th.
Quality Matters at Heartland
Dr. Amanda Frioli is the latest HCC instructor to earn the Quality Matters (QM) Certification Mark for one of their Heartland classes. Frioli’s Comm 101: Introduction to Oral Communications successfully went through the rigorous review process for the designation, which recognizes high-quality work creating an innovative online course. Congratulations, Dr. Frioli!
New Veterans Center Leadership
The Veterans Center at HCC has a new leader. Heartland alum Chance Lauf took over the role of Assistant Director, Veterans Center earlier this fall. His formal introduction to the College took place at the Veterans Day celebration where he spoke about how HCC and its Veterans Center helped him get to where he is today. Stop by the Penn Family Veterans Center in WDC 1005 and welcome Chance back to Heartland!
Still to come...
Thanksgiving Break
The College will be closed November 27 - December 1 for Thanksgiving Break.
Psst! Hey you. Yeah you. If you've read this far, you might just get rewarded. What is the long word that means the fear of Halloween? (Hint: the answer is in the October Hawkfeed). Email your answer to marketing@heartland.edu by end of day 11/22/24 for a chance to win a Hunter squishy.
Let's Get Social
That's all for now. In the meantime, check out our Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn for the latest happenings. Spread the love and share our stuff on your own pages.