DACC Notes

About getting into college, going to college, and achieving success at a mid-size community college in the Midwest.

[danvilleareacc]

DACC Lists Honors Students for Spring Semester

DANVILLE – Danville Area Community College has released a list of its honor students for the Spring 2023 Semester.   A student must carry 12 or more credit hours and a straight A (4.0) average on a 4.0 scale to be included on the President’s List. To be included on the Honors List, a student must carry 12 or more credit hours and have a B+ (3.5) grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

Danville Area Community College

Spring 2023 President’s & Honors Lists

President’s List

Spain

                           Candela Nevares Garcia; Maria Sobany Bosch

Malawi

                           Josephine Kamwela

Florida

Tampa

                           Briana Hernandez

Illinois

Alvin                             

                           Nicholas Garmon

Armstrong                    

                           Olivia Logue; Justin Wilken

Bismarck                      

                           Allison Bostwick; Landon Potter; Dianne Trimble

Catlin                           

Kayleigh Davis; Holden Dunavan; Taylor Garwood; Macallister Hill; Rebecca Rogers

Champaign                   

                           Mark Hardwidge

Charleston                    

                           Ashlynn McPeak

Chrisman                      

                           Chris Christensen

Crescent City                

                           Madison Hamilton

Danville                        

Wariya Alhassan; Joan Applegate; Amber Atkinson; Rebecca Balla; Xitlally Bonilla; Ne'Kedra Cain; Anna Carrion; Rowan Clawson; Jeremiah Cooper; Isabella Courson; Hannah Creed; Joel Cundiff; Olivia Edgington; Noah Gomez; Teagyn Goodwin; Meghan Gross; Dalton Hagley; Marlee Harper; Jennifer Huckstadt; Lindsey Janssen; Tamara Jimson;  Anna Lehmann; Lenox Li; Latana Lillard; Layla Martinez; Jacob Maskel; Amanda Nelson; Carson Pollom; Ethan Rayburn; Sierra Ritter; Janaeja Rose; Edwin Sanchez; Braeden Skoog; Maxeen Smart; Kember Spickard; Lewis Towne; Britney Van Camp; Charlene Walsh; Grace Ward; Cassie Warren; Madison Watson; Katelyn Welch; Donald Wills

Fairmount                    

                           Aaron Dean

Hoopesotn                   

                           Tori Birge; Gage Hopkins; Amanda Inman; Skyler Morgan

Mahomet                      

                           Ahmad Al-Heeti

Mattoon                       

                           Raven Morrison

Milford                         

                           Craig VanHoveln

Oakwood                      

Rebekah Allsopp; Lane Bensyl; Jarron Fleming; Travis Goodner; Hayley Mascari; Kimberly Montgomery; Grant Powell; Charles Rieches; Brevin Wells

Paris                             

                           Drew Pinkston

Philo                             

                           Kyleigh Weller

Potomac                       

                           Violet McCool; Seth Pollitt

Ridge Farm                   

                           Chloe Pickett

Rossville                       

                           Heidi Goble; Hunter Howe; Morgan Miller

Sidell                            

                           Hazelyn Hunter

Tuscola                         

                           Alexis Koester

Urbana                         

                           Stella Obasi; Kanayochukwu Onyedibe

Westville                      

                           Chloe Brant; Caleb Brasker; Jack Duensing; Joshua Miller; Emma Myers

Indiana

Anderson                      

                           Jacob Lee

Brazil                            

                           Hayden Smith

Cayuga                         

                           Angela Schwartzkopf

Covington                    

Alyssa Cheuvront; Margo Galloway; Briley Peyton; Calvin Springer; Alexandra VanVickle

Indianapolis                  

                           Linda Ogedegbe

Kingman                       

                           Lydia Van Huysen

Mentone                      

                           Owen Kirchenstien

Osgood                         

                           Elizabeth Pavy

Williamsport                 

                           Keenan Ashby

Honors List

Michigan

Almont                         

                           Kylar Fisher

Ohio

Blacklick                       

                           Nevaeh Reaves

Illinois

Bismarck                      

                           Ethan Edwards; Parker Stonecipher

Catlin                           

                      Jaiden Baum; Matthew Crawford; Emily Fier; Samantha Henthorn; Grace Niedzwiecki; Emily Watson

Chicago                        

                           Lauren Crawley

Danville                        

                      Gracie Arnett; Leighton Arnett; Adrianna Beasley; Ka'Mya Bellik; Michele Budnovich; Karsyn Coon; Hadley Cox; Froylan Cruz; Debra Cummings; Paili Davis; Benjamin Dickerson; Brenda Fisher; Jameya Glover; Tedrone Gouard; Jayla Greer; Ca'Rron Hill; Lexi Hudson; Anasha Huguley; Samantha Kamplain; Brooklynne Klett; Christopher La Combe; William Landis; Trenton Lewis; Elisa Loredo; Jericho Maniquis; Kalia Mason; Declan Miller; Jacob Moore; Michael Moore; Prayse Odomes; Aaron Olmstead; Ashlynn Pinnick; Seth Rayburn; Adan Rivera; Tah'yah Rose; Vivianna Ruffo; Ruth Salazar; Andrew Sentelle; Shahd Shillo; Sebastian Skinner; Raenyn Sliva; Shania Smith; Frederick Soderstrom; Jennifer Stovall; Damon Terrell; Rylie Terrell; Samantha Tomlinson; Haziel Trujillo; Nomorya White; Abigail Wilson; Benjamin Winn; Ella Wolfe; Naomi Woods; Mia Yant

East Lynn                     

                           Abigail Walder

Georgetown                 

Alexia Fellers; Erica Hughey; Jennifer Jurumbo; Makaelyn Lagacy; LaVonte Taylor; Hunter Way; Tristan Youngblood

Hoopeston                   

                           Maria Alvarado; Ashley Cadle; William Franke; Kayden Wallace; Brady Woods

Mahomet                      

                           Gunner Bohlen

Marine                          

                           Alixandria Grenzebach

Milford                         

                           Jessica Hines

Muncie                         

                           Emma Morman

Oakwood                      

                           Madison Doan;  Koby Fletcher; Raiden Jackson; Austin McDaniel; Lesley Rameno;

                           Isaiah Ruch; William Sandusky; Madison Wells

Pesotum                       

                           Melanie McFarland

Potomac                       

                      Patrick Fitzsimmons; Casey Grant; Madelyn Hudson; Mason McMasters; Leanne Rogers

Ridge Farm                   

                           Matthew Coleman

Rossville                       

                           Alyvia Jackson; Sabrina Koenig; Lindsay Trunnell

Sheldon                        

                           Julia Bushnell

Tilton                           

                           Karlee Belton; Trinity Dokey; Elena Harris

Urbana                         

                           Chiedozie Anyika; Sconeadria Bowdry; Ugochukwu Echendu; Anika Ford

Westville                      

                           Lori Gnaden; Lydia Gondzur; Isaac Hughes; McKenzie Meinders;  Zoee Troxel

Indiana

Covington                    

                           Hailynn Herzog; Jade Skidmore

Evansville                     

                           Matthew Bunnell; Ryan Caddell

Remington                   

                           Xavier Cantrell

Williamsport                 

                           Ethan Hickman

[danvilleareacc]

DACC Introduces an Ingenious New Program: The Engineering Hybrid

In its storied history, DACC has produced four faculty who received national recognition from the Association of Community College Trustees as winners of the prestigious Meardy Award. No other community college in the country can boast of more than two Meardy winners.

Science Professor Kathy Sturgeon is the last Meardy winner still teaching at DACC. The former dean of Math, Sciences, and Health Professions returned to the classroom last year on a mission: Revamping DACC’s engineering program.

While she was a dean, Prof. Sturgeon introduced a waiver program that awards two free classes (a $1,000 value) for students who receive a B or higher in Calculus I and Physics I. Says Prof. Sturgeon, “Students who do well in both disciplines tend to be successful in engineering. These are students who ought to consider engineering as a major.”

During this past semester, Prof. Sturgeon introduced the second part for her plan to enhance DACC’s engineering program—by adopting a hybrid option. Prof. Sturgeon says, “The lab is the face to face component. All lectures are done online. The labs will be conducted in a one-week period, during finals weeks. This allows students who live both inside and outside the District to reduce travel cost.”

An engineering degree can open many doors for students. “There are many types of engineering. Once a student chooses a type, there are several separate career paths for each category. The salary is around $80,000.”

Prof. Sturgeon also points out that students graduating with an Associate in Enginerring Science from DACC  have transfered to some of the nation’s top engineering universities, including the University of Illinois, where they do as well as or better than the students who started at that university.

[danvilleareacc]

DACC Notes for March 2023

Previously Printed in the Commercial News, Saturday, March 11, 2023

Early in my career at Danville Area Community College, I wondered about the difference between a Junior College and a Community College.  I’ve seen CC people become incensed when their school was called a “junior” college, but Joliet proudly wears the crown of oldest Junior College in the nation.

First, technically, a community college offers a comprehensive curriculum which includes both career programs and transfer programs. In its original sense, a “junior” college was a stepping stone to a university.

The second difference is more of a mindset or mission that puts the emphasis on Community. If the community has a need, the College will do its utmost to meet it.

You want trade school-type classes? DACC offers programs in health professions, manufacturing, welding, automotive technology, sustainable resources, and agriculture. If you want a career rather than a “university degree,” we’ve got the training you need.

Currently, DACC has a $300,000 grant to provide pre-apprenticeship classes in construction and building trades that will pay for your coursework and offer a stipend for attending classes. Contact Professor Greg Hansbraugh if you want to enroll, [email protected].

Do your incumbent workers need more training to keep up with changing workplace technology? Want help hiring new employees? DACC’S Corporate and Customized Training department can assist you with staffing and training issues.

You want to save money on your child’s eight years of higher education to put MD, DVM, PHD, or XYZ after their name? DACC’s traditional, transferable college courses can save you thousands for the first two years of a Bachelor’s degree; our 3 + 1 partnerships extend the savings for a third year; and if they start their journey as a junior in high school, we can cut time and expense off those degrees.

But the “community” commitment goes beyond education to include outreach. DACC’s athletic teams visit area grade schools and read to children. DACC’s cheerleaders help make and distribute free lunches at St. James Methodist Church during the summer. The All Star Jaguars collect socks for Senator Bennett’s office to distribute to homeless shelters. Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society members adopted a piece of Main Street and pick up trash along that stretch several times each year.

DACC also invites the community to our campus. In January, we opened the gym doors to host the Vermilion County Basketball Tournament. We polished up the Welcome Mat and, hopefully, treated our guests to the fullest extent of our hospitality. If the photo booth pictures are any indication, the crowd was entertained by more than great basketball.

For February, a small group of dedicated DACC-sters planned a full menu of events celebrating Black History. One highlight was a presentation by the Kings of Peace and Rev. LeStan Hoskins in our Student Union that held the crowd enthralled. The presentation was followed by tasty treats provided by Rayonna Rose’s RAYMEALz, and DACC's Culinary department.

February was a busy month for hosting high school students at DACC, too. First, we rebooted the Academic Challenge and welcomed eight high schools – over 100 students – to compete in seven STEM academic areas, and then we welcomed nine high schools, 90 students, to explore the possibilities of a career in healthcare for Health Professions Day.

We want everyone in our community to feel they have a place to belong, feel appreciated, and grow on this Community College campus.

[danvilleareacc]

DACC Honor Society Inducts New Members

DACC’s Pi Omega Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society inducted 13 new members on Wednesday, March 1, during its Spring Induction Ceremony. Pi Omega Chapter members at DACC must be in the top seven percent of their class and must maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher to qualify for membership. They must have accumulated 12 college credits before they are eligible for membership.

The Spring Pi Omega Induction team was comprised of Jayson Gross, Pi Omega co-President; Rebecca Rogers, Pi Omega co-President; Kalia Mason, Vice President Fellowship; Hoang Nguyen, Secretary and All USA Academic Team; Gage Hopkins; Nicholas Garmon; and Emma Myers.

The keynote speaker for the event was State Senator Paul Faraci. Senator Faraci addressed the value of community service and volunteerism, two key tenets of the PTK mission.

 

Phi Theta Kappa, the International Honor Society of the Two-Year College, has recognized academic excellence in the two-year college since 1918. Membership is based primarily upon academic achievement. The organization offers myriad opportunities for scholarships, intellectual enrichment, and personal development through programs based on the Society’s Hallmarks. Phi Theta Kappa is the largest honor society in American higher education with more than 1.3 million members in the United States, U.S. territories, Canada, Germany, and Japan.

Despite the Greek letters, PTK is not a social fraternity or sorority, though fellowship is encouraged. Pi Omega chapter at DACC focuses on community service and volunteerism. Members have assisted with tornado/storm clean up in neighboring communities, regularly pick up trash on their “adopted” portion of Main Street between Virginia and Brewer Road, have assisted with foodbank food distributions, have worked with Habitat for Humanity, have mentored at local k-12 schools and have raked leaves for senior citizens.

PTK members are given the opportunity to attend conferences and seminars on topics ranging from environmental issues to leadership. To offset the cost of travel and activities, Pi Omega members conduct several fundraising events throughout the year. Members also have access to scholarship opportunities for transfer students through both the International association and individual 4-year institutions.

PTK Co-President Rebecca Rogers (at podium) and VP of Fellowship Kalia Mason with the new inductees (L to R) Frederick Soderstrom, Lillianna Perez, Kylee McElroy, Rozlynn Maring, Sabrina Koenig, Lindsey Janssen, Jason Cotton, Michele Budnovich, Makayla Blurton, Ashlynn Pinnick, Natalie Vasquez, and Donald Willis

Spring 2023 PTK Inductees:

*indicates dual credit student still in high school

1.       Makayla Blurton*

HS: Schlarman Academy

HT: Danville IL

Major: Nursing

Plans post DACC: Lakeview School of Nursing

2.       Michele Budnovich

HS: Danville High

HT: Danville IL

Major: Health Info tech.

Plans post DACC: Workforce

3.       Jason Cotten

HS: Westville High School

HT: Westville IL

Major: Language Arts

Plans post DACC: Eastern Illinois University

4.       Lindsey Janssen

HS: Milford High School

HT: Milford, IL

Major: Nursing

Plans post DACC: Transfer for a BN

5.       Sabrina Koenig

HS: Midwest Christian Academy and Bismarck High School

HT: Rossville, IL

Major: Sociology

Plans post DACC: Southern Illinois University

6.       Rozlynn Maring*

HS: Salt Fork High School

HT: Sidell, IL

Major: Environmental Studies

Plans to become a conservation officer or wildlife biologist

7.       Kylee McElroy*

HS: Salt Fork High School

HT: Fairmount, IL

Major: Undecided

Plans post DACC: Bachelor’s Degree

8.       Lillianna Perez*

HS: Schlarman Academy

HT: Danville, IL

Major: Education

Plans Post DACC: Eastern Illinois University

9.       Ashlynn Pinnick

HS: Oakwood High School

HT: Oakwood IL

Major: Pre-Med

Plans post DACC: University of Illinois

10.   Frederick Soderstrom*

HS: Schlarman Academy

HT: Danville, IL

Major: Business

Plans post DACC: Eastern Illinois University

11.   Natalie Vasquez*

HS: Schlarman Academy

HT: Danville, IL

Major: EL ED

Plans post DACC: Eastern Illinois University

12.   Charlene Walsh

HS: Danville High School-GED

HT: Danville IL

Major: Certified Medical Assistant

Plans: Workforce

13.   Donald Wills

HS: Danville High School

HT: Danville, IL

Major: Computer networking

State Senator Paul Faraci addresses the inductees.

[danvilleareacc]

DACC Lists Fall President's & Honors Students

Danville Area Community College has released a list of its honor students for the Fall 2022 Semester.   A student must carry 12 or more credit hours and a straight A (4.0) average on a 4.0 scale to be included on the President’s List. To be included on the Honors List, a student must carry 12 or more credit hours and have a B+ (3.5) grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

Danville Area Community College Fall 2022 President’s & Honors Lists

Danville Area Community College PRESIDENT’S LIST – FALL 2022

Alvin, IL

Nicholas Garmon.

Armstrong, IL

Olivia Logue.

Bismarck, IL

Allison Bostwick, Ryan Bostwick, Dianne Trimble.

Bloomington, IL

Brennon Reed.

Catlin, IL

Jaiden Baum, Holden Dunavan, Joseph Kedas, Kylee Pate, Rebecca Rogers, Monica Vasquez.

Chicago, IL

Lauren Crawley.

Chrisman, IL

Lindsey Franz.

Covington, IN

Alyssa Cheuvront, Margo Galloway, Hailynn Herzog, Briley Peyton, Alexandra VanVickle.

Danville, IL

Noah Acree, Wariya Alhassan, Gracie Arnett, Amber Atkinson, Xitlally Bonilla, Jasmine Brown, Ne'Kedra Cain, Devontay Carpenter, Rowan Clawson, Jeremiah Cooper, Isabella Courson, Brandon Cox, Mariela Cruz, Debra Cummings, Joel Cundiff, Olivia Edgington, Robin Farr, Brenda Fisher, Nicholas Fuentes, Teagyn Goodwin, Meghan Gross, Logan Hall, Marlee Harper, Jadyn Hess, Lindsey Janssen, Tamara Jimson, Josephine Kamwela, Christopher La Combe, Trenton Lewis, Layla Martinez, Kalia Mason, Ashlynn Pinnick, Ethan Rayburn, Chelsea Reeves, Kearby Robinson, Vivianna Ruffo, Veronica Sasseen, Yoo Bin Seo, Maxeen Smart, Shania Smith, Maria Sobany Bosch, Frederick Soderstrom, Elmonia Taylor, Lewis Towne, Kayce Wagle, Charlene Walsh, Grace Ward, Donald Wills, Mia Yant.

East Lynn, IL

Abigail Walder.

Evansville, IN

Matthew Bunnell.

Fithian, IL

Codey McMahon.

Georgetown, IL

Jacob Maskel, Hunter Way.

Hillsboro, IN

Lauren Highland.

Hoopeston, IL

Charis Allen, Tori Birge, Gage Hopkins, Morgan Keith, Skyler Morgan.

Mahomet, IL

Ahmad Al-Heeti.

Marine, IL

Alixandria Grenzebach.

Milford, IL

Abigail White.

Mooresville, IN

Blake Nigg.

Muncie, IL

Dominyq Gritten.

Oakwood, IL

Madison Doan, Jarron Fleming, Natalie Garrison, Raiden Jackson, Kimberly Montgomery, Tannar Pouilliard, Carlie Reitz.

Osgood, IN

Elizabeth Pavy.

Paris, IL

Drew Pinkston.

Philo, IL

Kyleigh Weller.

Potomac, IL

Destiny Fitzsimmons, Violet McCool, Mason McMasters, Seth Pollitt.

Ridge Farm, IL

Matthew Coleman.

Rossville, IL

Heidi Goble, Morgan Miller, Abigail Ryan.

Troy, IL

Caleb Durbin.

Tuscola, IL

Alexis Koester.

Westville, IL

Laney Crawford, Jack Duensing, McKenzie Meinders, Joshua Miller, Emma Myers, Zachary Troxel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Danville Area Community College HONORS LIST – FALL 2022

Armstrong, IL

Justin Wilken.

Bismarck, IL

Trenton Spicer.

Catlin, IL

Naomi Dolan, Emily Fier, Lillie Hannan, Macallister Hill, Autumn Lange, Grace Niedzwiecki.

Champaign, IL

Lilian Eziefule.

Charleston, IL

Ashlynn McPeak.

Columbus, OH

Brianna Hamilton.

Covington, IN

Jacob Eells, Hannah Hunter, Calvin Springer, Katie Woodrow.

Danville, IL

Nora Abdelghani, Joan Applegate, Michele Budnovich, Anna Carrion, Christine Daniel, Benjamin Dickerson, Ian Dukes, Jayla Greer, Chelsey Haga, Dalton Hagley, Diego Hightower, Aryanna Huckstadt, Lexi Hudson, Matteo Janzen, Ginaveve Jessup, William Landis, Chayton Lawrence, Lezlea Lowe, Julieanna Morse, Amanda Nelson, Candela Nevares Garcia, Aaron Olmstead, Destiny Parker, Lilliana Perez, Tah'yah Rose, Ruth Salazar, Woodley Scholz, Andrew Sentelle, Sebastian Skinner, Braeden Skoog, Jennifer Stovall, Dylan Taylor, Rylie Terrell, Kendra Tucker, Cassie Warren, Zoe Wilson, Ella Wolfe, Jacob Xiong.

Evansville, IN

Ryan Caddell, Adam Evans.

Fairmount, IL

Aaron Dean.

Findlay, IL

Dirk Bruyn.

Fithian, IL

Reed Sperry.

Georgetown, IL

Brooke Robertson, LaVonte Taylor, Madison Wilson.

Hoopeston, IL

Maria Alvarado, Vanessa Blackburn, Ashley Cadle, Marissa Garcia, Brady Woods.

Indianaola, IL

Lacee Darr.

Ingersoll, Canada

Lucus Forbes.

Kingman, IN

Lydia Van Huysen.

Liberty Township, OH

Keiara Gregory.

Mattoon, IL

Raven Morrison.

Mentone, IN

Owen Kirchenstien.

Milford, IL

Craig VanHoveln.

New Market, IN

Samuel Endicott.

Oakwood, IL

Lane Bensyl, Gaven Clouse, Koby Fletcher, Travis Goodner, Hayley Mascari, Katherine Reffett, Charles Rieches, Isaiah Ruch, William Sandusky, Brevin Wells.

Potomac, IL

Casey Grant, Leanne Rogers.

Quincy, IL

Luke Mettemeyer.

Richland, IN

Jackson Raaf.

Ridge Farm, IL

Savannah Davis, Gentry Howard.

Rossville, IL

Madalyn Goble, Hunter Howe, Sabrina Koenig.

Sheldon, IL

Julia Bushnell.

Sidell, IL

Madison Farrell.

St. Joseph, IL

Kelsey Martlage.

Tampa, FL

Briana Hernandez.

Westville, IL

Jason Cotten, Gage Lange, Christopher Miller, McKenzie Montgerard, Douglas Reffett.

Wheaton, IL

Ian Johnson.

Williamsport, IN

Ethan Hickman.

[danvilleareacc]

The Life of a Student Athlete at DACC

Being a student athlete is a unique and challenging experience that requires much dedication and challenging work. On one hand, student athletes must maintain high academic standards to remain eligible to participate in their sport. This often requires long hours of studying and completing assignments, in addition to the time spent practicing and competing.

I am currently a student athlete at Danville Area community college, on a basketball scholarship. I can tell you a little about my experience so far. You are required to do more than the normal college student. Primarily, grades play a key factor in being a student athlete. You must maintain at least a 2.0 grade point average to be eligible to play.

Also, as a student athlete your actions off the court have a crucial impact on your outlook as well. Schools try to select good people to come to their schools and represent their school well. A lot of people would like to be in your position to have their tuition paid for, so all eyes are on you. This just includes things like being on time to class, being a good person, and participating in activities.

Additionally, student athletes are treated well. We sometimes receive food before games just to fill our bodies before we go onto the floor and give everything we got. We also get to travel to small cities and other colleges for free. School gear is a big incentive on the list. We receive sweatpants, shirts, hoodies, and even tennis shoes.

In contrast, being a student athlete is not just raining pros it also comes with its cons. The weight of having to show up on the court and the classroom can be challenging. You may have a day where you take 3 exams and have a big game all in one day. Or have a 6am workout, then have classes from 8am until 12pm, then practice from 2pm-4pm. This can be tough for an individual to maintain their mental health with all these agendas stacked on top of each other.

Moreover, if you’re a big family person, a student athlete can be challenging as well. You are expected to be on campus almost every day so if you don’t live relatively close you could be away from your family for quite some time. You're allowed to go home during holidays and breaks. Such as Christmas and summer break, although these breaks aren't too long because you have to return to campus eventually.

One of the biggest things a student athlete struggles with is time management. Our schedule is a lot more compacted than the average person's schedule. So, if you do not have everything in order and ready to go you can begin leaving and forgetting things that put you in jeopardy of being prepared.

Finally, student athletes sacrifice a lot. With most student athletes being young we have peers and family members that do things that may seem interesting or fun. But being a student athlete is exactly like having a job and your attendance will show how seriously you take it. With all these tough obstacles being a student athlete has an endless number of benefits if you can beat the odds.

[danvilleareacc]

DACC & College Express -- Dual Credit for the Win!

Five of this year's College Express students in Computer Programming placed at the top of the Computer Science competition at the ACES Academic Challenge competition held at DACC on Tuesday.

They will all be advancing to Sectional competition at EIU on March 9th.

Pictured from left to right:

Kollin Schrader - 2nd place - 700 division

Tanner Steele - 1st place (tie) - 300 division

Bujar Haziri - 1st place (tie)  - 700 division

Carter Borgers - 1st place (tie) - 300 division

Paul Harms - 2nd place (tie) - 300 division

Additionally, Alex McCrone tied for 2nd place in Computer Science in the 300 division (he is not pictured).

[danvilleareacc]

Academic Challenge in Engineering and Science (ACES) Competition Held at DACC -- 8 High Schools Competed

-- Danville Area Community College hosted the Academic Challenge in Engineering and Science (ACES) Regional competition, a test of aptitudes in Mathematics and Science, on February, 7, 2023.  The regional competition was sponsored by the Math, Sciences & Health Professions Division at Danville Area Community College.

Students were tested in seven different academic areas which included mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, english, engineering graphics and computer science.  Eight high schools, represented by nearly 115 students, participated.  Teams that have placed second or first, as well as all individuals earning a first or second place in their Division, will be competing in sectional competition on March 9 at Eastern Illinois University. See below for a list of winners.

Academic Challenge in Engineering and Science Competition Winners

I. Participating High Schools Armstrong Township, 

Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin, 

Georgetown-Ridge Farm, 

Hoopeston Area, 

Milford, 

Oakwood, 

Shiloh and 

Westville.

II. Team Awards – Trophies

Division 300- Small Schools (enrollment less than or equal to 300) 3rd:  Georgetown-Ridge Farm High School

2nd:  Armstrong Township High School

1st:  Milford High School

Division 700- Middle Size Schools (enrollment between 301 and 700)

3rd: Westville High School

2nd: Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin Cooperative High School

1st: Oakwood High School    

III. Individual Award Winners – 300 Division

A.   Math

3rd: Aria Leppard (Milford)

2nd: Carter Borgers (Milford)

1st: Cameron Langellier (Milford)

B. English 3rd:  Lily North (Shiloh), Gigi Mulvaney (Armstrong)

2nd: Maddie Hardwick (Milford), Jeremy Lappin (Georgetown-Ridge Farm)

1st: Landon Freeman (Armstrong)

C. Chemistry 3rd: Rylan Mosier (Georgetown-Ridge Farm)

2nd: Chloe Winslow (Georgetown-Ridge Farm)

1st: Madison Demarse (Milford)

D. Physics 3rd: Donovan Loveall-Lavandoski (Shiloh)

2nd: Kayli Trotter (Shiloh), Andy Houlihan (Shiloh), Zoey Harding (Armstrong)

1st: Landon Freeman (Armstrong)

E. Biology 3rd: Kaylee Blackford (Armstrong)

2nd: Kelsey Blackford (Armstrong), Andy Houlihan (Shiloh), Jack Houlihan (Shiloh), Brenden Cash (Shiloh)

1st: Kenzie Hales (Shiloh)

F. Engineering Graphics 3rd: Noa Rosa (Shiloh)

2nd: Kennedy Brown (Shiloh), Lily Brown (Shiloh)

1st: Levi Ash (Shiloh), Grant North (Shiloh)

G. Computer Science 3rd: Zoey Harding (Armstrong)

2nd: Paul Harms (Milford), Colton Murphy (Armstrong), Alex McCrone (Georgetown-Ridge Farm), Jacob Smith (Shiloh)

1st:  Tanner Steele (Georgetown-Ridge Farm), Carter Borgers (Milford)

IV. Individual Award Winners – 700 Division

A.   Math

3rd: Kalie Tison (Oakwood), Natalie Clapp (Bismark-Henning-Rossville-Alvin)

2nd: Piper Heise (Westville), Tayelor Lowe (Bismark-Henning-Rossville-Alvin), Kyle McFarland (Oakwood), Grant Powell (Oakwood), Joshua Gernand (Bismark-Henning-Rossville-Alvin)

1st: Kevin Clapp (Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin Cooperative),

B. English 3rd:  Ramona Liggett (Oakwood)

2nd: Eva Rangel (Bismark-Henning-Rossville-Alvin)

1st: Sean Hudson (Hoopeston)

C. Chemistry 3rd: Aidan Skinner (Westville)

2nd: Emely Goodwin (Oakwood), Levi Tucker (Westville), Alexa Ball (Bismark-Henning-Rossville-Alvin)

1st: Amber-Christine Reed (Bismark-Henning-Rossville-Alvin)

D. Physics 3rd: Grant Powell (Oakwood)

2nd: Kyle McFarland (Oakwood)

1st: Joshua Gernand (Bismark-Henning-Rossville-Alvin)

E. Biology 3rd: Jackson Priest (Westville)

2nd: Jayden Bolton (Hoopeston)

1st: Ethan Richards (Westville)

F. Engineering Graphics 3rd: Aidan Skinner (Westville), Kollin Schrader (Oakwood)

2nd: Gabriel Joneikis (Hoopeston)

1st: Sean Hudson (Hoopeston)

G. Computer Science 3rd: Levi Tucker (Westville), Hannah Smith (Bismark-Henning-Rossville-Alvin), Cade Schaumburg (Westville)

2nd: Kollin Schrader (Oakwood)

1st:  Bujar Haziri (Oakwood), Ethan Frattick (Bismark-Henning-Rossville-Alvin)

V. DACC Scholarship Winners

This year Danville Area Community College awarded a scholarship to the two highest ranking seniors competing in Academic Challenge.  These scholarships cover 24 credit hours at DACC.  This year’s winners were:  Kelsey Blackford (Armstrong) and Ethan Richards (Westville)

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Vermilion County Basketball Tournament at DACC #allstarjags #fyp #writeyourstoryatdacc #danvillareacc #highschoolbasketball #cheerleading

♬ original sound - DACC Jaguars - DACC Jaguars

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Happy New Year!

This article first appeared in the Danville Commercial News, Jan. 14, 2023

Happy New Year. This year I’d like to propose a fresh take on the New Year, New You theme – New Year, New Us. Let’s focus less on individual improvement and more on collective, community improvement. There may be no I in Team, but there is a U in Community.

For the past year, I’ve been part of the Healthy Behaviors community working group, which resulted from the community health survey conducted by the Vermilion County Health Department. Recently, our group adopted the name Live Well VC to reflect our mission of overall community health.  

Live Well VC is focused on physical health. We’re looking for ways to provide nutrition and exercise that are available to all community members, regardless of economic status. In the process, we’ll need to battle an unconscious bias that exists concerning sports and outdoor activities.

Contrary to popular magazine covers and marketing campaigns, you don’t need to travel to distant locations, or even own an expensive equipment to get outside and experience nature. All you need to do is open your door and walk outside, especially here in Vermilion County.

We’re used to hearing how unique our Arts community is for such a small, rural county, but we are doubly blessed with our Outdoor Recreation opportunities. Despite the Flat Earth and corn jokes, our little piece of Illinois is full of natural wonders where you can hike, bike, fish, boat, float, camp, and star gaze, all for little or no money. And as a bonus, there is nothing here that will bite, sting, or scratch you fatally.

Besides our beautiful County and State parks, there are active outdoor recreation groups that are welcoming to novices, open to anyone, and full of folks who are more than willing to encourage newbies. Start a Facebook conversation with members of Kennekuk Road Runners, Kickapoo Mountain Bike Club, Kickapoo Rail Trail, or the Vermilion County Trail Alliance, and you’ll have new friends and myriad opportunities to experience nature. You’ll probably even be asked to volunteer to build a trail.

That brings me to the second part of putting the U in community. No matter how old or physically capable you are, no matter your economic or employment status – there are ways to volunteer, take an active part, and contribute to your community.

We live in an older community; the average age in Vermilion County is 40.8 years, but being older doesn’t mean being lesser. You can contribute. The local Salvation Army is looking for volunteers to “host” a drive through food drive, volunteer at the food pantry, or spearhead a fall coat drive. Local elementary schools need volunteers to help with tutoring, or just to read to the little ones. Area churches offer free lunches to the needy in our area and they need help making and distributing those lunches. Call CRIS Senior Services and see what they need you to do.

At DACC, we value our volunteers. Our volunteers run the gamut of athletes participating in team volunteer activities to Literacy Tutors who work one-on-one. Literacy tutors take 12 hours of unpaid training and then volunteer their time to teach fellow community members to read, write, and do math. Tutors need no experience or training in education. These are everyday people taking on a heroic task to make our community healthier and more welcoming. If you are interested in volunteering, call The Reader’s Route, 217.443.8899. I’m sure Paulina would love to set you up for our next training session.

So what makes a healthy community? Obviously, good physical health helps. Then there are the elements of security -- food, housing, and employment. These elements contribute to good mental health. An active Arts community, abundant recreational venues, and award-winning educational opportunities all contribute to perceived health and wellness of a community. A well-trained and well-educated community attracts better, more secure employment leading to personal security. But I think we should add volunteerism to the list. Who wouldn’t want to live in a community that cares for one another and volunteers time and talent to ensuring their neighbors feel safe, secure, and healthy. Let’s put U in our community this year.

Here’s to a happy and healthy 2023!

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Vermilion County Basketball Tournament 2023 @danvilleareacc

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Attention current and prospective DACC students -- Foundation Scholarship applications will be available January 2, 2020! Please share & tell your friends!

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DACC Foundation Receives Gift to Fund Mobile App

Dr. Robert Ewbank and his wife Sue are no strangers to the Danville Area Community College Foundation. They have been donors for more than 25 years, establishing their own scholarship 15 years ago. Student support is vital to the couple.

Recently, their support of DACC students took a new turn when they heard about the mobile app that the College plans to purchase to help students navigate online resources.  

The Ewbanks donated $20,000 to cover the first year and related expenses to put the mobile app in place, recognizing its value to student success and completion.

DACC Foundation Executive Director Tonya Hill said, “Dr. and Mrs. Ewbank have gone beyond scholarship support to touch all students with this student-success tool. They hope to inspire others to make gifts to support this project because of its significant impact on students.”

Approved by the DACC Board of Trustees at their April meeting, the mobile app by Unifyed will cost $18,664.91 for the first year. Subsequent years are slightly less, but still a substantial investment for the College.

The cost is worth it. “The app will become their (the students’) one-stop source for everything they would otherwise have to hunt around for on the Web site or through the self-service system or email or even in a hard-copy document,” says Stacy Ehmen, DACC’s Dean of Student Services. “The students who have reviewed this app with us say that having all of these services available by logging into this one app will make it really popular.”

The new mobile app will help DACC faculty and staff communicate with students where they are most comfortable and accessible—on their phones.  The app will provide every student with a cell phone access to all of DACC’s services, including tutoring, homework, financial aid, grades, and online classes. The plan is to have the app in place for a soft roll-out by the fall.

“A significant number of DACC students can’t afford laptops or computers. And access to Wi-Fi can get spotty in certain dead zones throughout Vermilion County,” reported Dr. Stephen Nacco, DACC President. “But almost all of our students have a cellphone in their hand. It’s the one piece of technology that crosses all technology barriers and socioeconomic lines.”

A team of DACC faculty and staff, led by Dean Ehmen and Asst. Dean of Student Services/Chief Diversity Officer Carla Boyd, reviewed several mobile apps and developers before settling on the Unifyed product. The team was comprised of Proffesor Kathy Hunter, Network Director Mark Barnes, Online Learning Director Maggie Hoover, Web Technician Jung Ae Merrick, Programmer/Database Administrator Brian Pollitt, and Systems Administrator/Programmer Jessica Miles.

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DACC/EIU Partnership Offers University Life Option to Students --

It’s a dilemma that confounds many college-bound high school graduates.

On one hand, they aren’t sure about what they want to study or about their personal finances. They think they should stay home, start at DACC, and take general education courses for the first two college years to save money while they define their goals.

On the other hand, more than half the county’s recent high school graduates can’t wait to and taste the newfound independence that comes from leaving home and test their wings at a four-year university – even if they’re close enough to come home on weekends. For these students – and their parents – cost is less of an issue than freedom.

DACC’s new University Life partnership with Eastern Illinois University builds on the dual-admission model to add the option of living on Eastern’s campus -- participating in campus events as an Eastern student -- while studying and paying DACC tuition for the first two years.

Like the current dual-admission program, freshment are enrolled as full-time students at both DACC and EIU. If they complete their DACC degree in two years with an overall GPA of 3.0 or better, they are guaranteed admission into EIU programs to complete their bachelor’s degree. This traditional dual-admission model enables students to stay home and save money on the first two years’ tution and living expenses.

The University Life option still saves the student’s tution dollars, but adds the cost of room and board at EIU.

While living at EIU, these dually admitted students have the same services as other EIU students, including a meal ticket. The only difference is that they will be taking DACC classes either on campus or – more likely – online.

According to EIU Associate Vice President Josh Norman, DACC students will “have access to all residence halls on campus for which they are eligible, and will be able to participate in all activities that are not restricted by third party governing agencies.” Dually enrolled residential students will be able to participate in campus life, clubs, and events, but not intercollegiate sports or the Greek system until they transfer in their third year.

DACC President Stephen Nacco pledges to support the University Life students. “We’ll handle the paperwork for them as dual-admission students, and that includes all record keeping and financial aid. We’ll work out schedules so that they’re able to take blocks of classes on the DACC campus once or twice a week, rather than every day, as well as online.”

While DACC also offers traditional dual-admission programs with the University of Illinois and Olivet Nazarene University, the new University Life option that Eastern Illinois University offers is unique in higher education. DACC President Nacco credits the close partnership that DACC has forged with EIU over the years, and the dynamic leadership of EIU President David Glassman, with the out-of-the-box thinking that results in such a distinctive program.

For more information about the University Life program – or more traditional dual-admission programs at DACC, please contact the Office of Counseling and Advising at 217-443-8750.

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Teams Slated for NJCAA Men’s National Basketball Championship --

Held at Danville Area Community College --

Sixteen (16) National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Men’s Basketball teams from across the country will have earned the title of regional champions and will represent their regions in the upcoming NJCAA Division II Men’s National Basketball Championship. The upcoming NJCAA Championship Tournament will be held at Danville Area Community College March 19-March 23, 2019. This year marks the 26th year that Danville has hosted the tournament and the 34th year of the tournament.

WDAN radio (1490 AM) will broadcast all of the tournament games.

Game times are: Tuesday, March 19: 9:00 & 11:00 a.m. morning session; 1:00 & 3:00 p.m. afternoon session and 6:30 & 8:30 p.m. evening session. Wednesday, March 20: 11:00 a.m., 1:00 & 3:00 p.m. morning/afternoon session and 6:00 & 8:00 p.m. for evening session. Thursday, March 21: 11:00 a.m., 1:00 & 3:00 p.m. morning/afternoon session and 6:00 & 8:00 p.m. for evening session. Friday, March 22: 9:00 & 11:00 a.m. morning session; 1:00 & 3:00 p.m. afternoon session and 6:30 & 8:30 p.m. evening session. Saturday, March 23: Noon & 2:00 p.m. afternoon session and 5:30 & 7:30 p.m. for evening session.

A tournament pass, which is good for all games, is available for $50.00. Tickets are $10.00 each session/morning, afternoon or evening. Tickets for DACC students and senior citizens are $4.00 and children 6 and under are free for all games. Tickets sold at the door only. Visa, Master Card and Discover accepted.

A 50/50 Raffle in conjunction with the tournament. Tickets cost $1 each. The winning ticket will be drawn Saturday, March 23, during the championship game. Raffle participants need not be present to win. All proceeds from the raffle will support DACC athletic programs.  

  2019 NJCAA TOURNAMENT TEAMS

District 1            Pima Community College                                          Tucson, AZ

District 2            Erie Community College                                             Buffalo, NY

District 3            Milwaukee Area Technical College                         Milwaukee WI

District 4            Morton College                                                            Cicero, IL

District 5            Johnson County Community College              Overland Park, KS

District 6            Cecil College                                                        North East, MD

District 7            Dakota County Technical College                       Rosemount, MN

District 8            Kirkwood Community College                          Cedar Rapids, IA

District 9            Ancilla College                                                       Donaldson, IN

District 10           St. Clair County Community College                   Port Huron, MI

District 11           Lakeland Community College                                  Kirtland, OH

District 12           Niagara County Community College                      Sanborn, NY

District 13           North Central Missouri College                               Trenton, MO

District 14           Wake Technical Community College                       Raleigh, NC

District 15           Pitt Community College                                       Winterville, NC

District 16           John Wood Community College                           Quincy, IL

For more information, please call DACC at 217-443-8823.

Tournament website: www.danvillejaguars.com/njcaa

Facebook: NJCAA Division II Mens Basketball Championship

Twitter: @NJCAATournament                Snapchat: Njcaanattourney  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NJCAA Tournament

March 19-23, 2019

DACC Mary Miller Complex

Game Times & Ticket Information

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2019 GAMES

Morning Session: 9:00 & 11:00 a.m.

Afternoon Session: 1:00 & 3:00 p.m.

Evening Session: 6:30 & 8:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019 GAMES

Morning/Afternoon Session:

11:00 a.m., 1:00 & 3:00 p.m.

Evening Session: 6:00 & 8:00 p.m.

THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019 GAMES

Morning/Afternoon Session:

11:00 a.m., 1:00 & 3:00 p.m.

Evening Session: 6:00 & 8:00 p.m.

FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2019 GAMES

Morning Session: 9:00 & 11:00 a.m.

Afternoon Session: 1:00 & 3:00 p.m.

Evening Session: 6:30 & 8:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2019 GAMES

Afternoon Session: Noon & 2:00 p.m.

Evening Session: 5:30 & 7:30 p.m.

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We Don’t Call it Trade School....We Call it Career & Technical Education --

And it’s available affordably, conveniently, and locally at Danville Area Community College!

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Call for Small Business Award Nominations --

The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Danville Area Community College is seeking nominations from the business community, the lending community and the public to recognize the critical contributions of the Vermilion County Area’s entrepreneurs.  To recognize accomplishments at all stages of business growth, awards will be given in five categories.

Small Business of the Year - A small business (in business 2 years or more) that has successfully passed the initial start-up phase and has accomplished expansion goals. 

Small Business Start-Up of the Year - A small business (in business less than 2 years) that has successfully created a business plan, obtained financing and opened their doors.

Entrepreneur of the Year - A small business owner who has distinguished themselves by achieving a business goal or by overcoming adversity to continue their business operation.

Legacy Business of the Year - A small business that has operated successfully for 10 years or more.

Incubator Small Business of the Year – A small business that is home-based or operates out of a co-work space, incubator, commercial kitchen or consignment space.

To nominate a business for one of this year's awards, send an email to [email protected] with information about your nominee by Friday, March 8 at 5 pm.  If you prefer to mail in your nomination, forms are available at www.dacc.edu/sbdc.  These small business stars will be recognized at a breakfast on Thursday, May 9, 2019 at the Danville Country Club.  

For more information contact the Illinois SBDC at DACC director, Carol Nichols, at 217-213-6269.

The Illinois SBDC at DACC is sponsored in part by the Small Business Administration, the State of Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity and Danville Area Community College.