Mattoon, IL -(Effingham Radio)- Lake Land College will host a Virtual Commencement Ceremony to honor the accomplishments of the Spring and Summer 2021 Lake Land graduates at 7:30 p.m. on May 14. The event will premiere at 7:30 p.m. on the Lake Land College YouTube page, and will be accessible from the college’s home page. The event will be available to watch at any time after the premiere.
In addition to the virtual commencement ceremony, the college will host a Graduate Parade on campus May 14 at 3 p.m. Faculty and staff will line the circle drive of campus and graduates are encouraged to decorate their vehicles. Graduates are welcome to bring family members to drive in the car with them, but attendance will be limited to one car per graduate. Spectators will be limited to Lake Land College employees.
Along the route, graduates will stop in front of the Luther Student Center, where Lake Land College President Josh Bullock will present the graduate a diploma cover. Families will then be welcome to park in LOT F and take photos on campus grounds.
The virtual ceremony will include aspects of a traditional commencement ceremony, such as speakers, presentation of awards and the reading of graduates’ names.
“These students have overcome many challenges and persevered through difficult times to reach this moment,” Lake Land College President Josh Bullock said. “On behalf of the Lake Land family, I am proud to say we are thrilled to celebrate the achievements of the Laker Nation Class of 2021.”
The college will also honor award recipients in the ceremony, including the Distinguished Service Award, Illinois Community College Trustees Association Outstanding Faculty Member Award and the Alumnus Achievement Award.
The Lake Land College Board of Trustees named Sheri Barnett, Effingham, as the recipient of the 2021 Distinguished Service Award. Barnett is an advanced nurse practitioner at Prairie Heart Institute in Effingham and a long-time supporter of the college’s EMS program.
“Dr. Barnett continually challenges EMS professionals to think beyond the textbook and deepen their knowledge even after they graduate,” Emergency Services Program Coordinator Jasmine Ballard said. “She also encourages students to think outside the box during skills classes and to never stop practicing because EMS is an ever-changing and growing profession.”
The Illinois Community College Trustees Association Outstanding Faculty Member Award recipient is Philosophy/English Instructor Tara Blaser. Blaser is an advocate for coursework accessibility and has woven community service projects into her ethics classes to broaden student experiences.
The Lake Land College Board of Trustees honored Bernard “Hank” Habing, Effingham, with the Alumnus Achievement Award. Habing, Laker Nation Class of 1992, is a family nurse practitioner at Effingham Urology Associates and Mid-Illinois Medical Care Associates/Runde Clinic in Teutopolis.
“I have seen firsthand the compassion, professionalism, and dedication Hank shows to his patients,” Thomas Finlay, Teutopolis, said of his experience as Habing’s patient. “When you are one of Hank’s patients, it seems like you are the most important patient he has. Hank treats each of his patients with this same caring attitude. He is a blessing to his community, the clinics, and profession, but more importantly to the many patients he sees every day.”
For more information about the Spring 2021 Virtual Commencement, visit lakelandcollege.edu/admissions/graduation.
Lake Land College District 517, located in Mattoon, Illinois, serves the second largest community college district in the state, with a total population of 189,869. The Lake Land College district comprises all or part of 15 counties and 31 public school districts in rural east central Illinois. Counties served by Lake Land College include: Christian, Clark, Clay, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Jasper, Macon, Montgomery, Moultrie and Shelby.
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