Featured Stories
In the Spotlight
Steve Sarver: Eagle Scout and All-Around Resource Man
Steve Sarver, executive assistant for the Marketing & Communications Office, only had one month of the ECC campus experience before the pandemic set in and the campus closed.
Natalie Pendergrass: ‘Life is meant to be lived!”
Like many students who come to ECC right out of high school, Natalie Pendergrass, massage therapy unit adjunct faculty, did not know what she wanted to do with her life. She considered teaching, counseling, even real estate, but nothing seemed to spark her passion. She wanted movement, variety, and a sense of helping others. As fate would have it, Pendergrass had the luck of being at ECC at just the right moment – the start of the Massage Therapy program. She checked it out and was hooked.
Umberto Tinajero comes full circle at ECC
When Umberto Tinajero, professor of Industrial Manufacturing Technology (IMT) and the Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) instructional coordinator, first set foot on ECC’s campus 20 years ago, it was as an ESL student. After improving his language skills, he left to pursue a career in manufacturing, but it was far from the last time he’d be on ECC’s campus.
ECC Foundation: Emergency Student Relief Fund
Shortly after the implementation of Illinois' stay-at-home order in March, the Elgin Community College Foundation established the Emergency Student Relief Fund to help students most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Just one month later, more than 100 donors had pitched in to help reach the goal of raising over $50,000.
Tim Slater: Driven to Success
ECC ignited a career path and paved the way to business ownership
Dean Follmann: Battling COVID-19
For years, ECC alumnus Dean Follmann’s work has been focused on the study of infectious diseases and clinical trials that evaluate therapies. Most recently, it has put him on the front lines in the quest to find a cure for the virus that causes COVID-19.
Linda Deering Dean: Leading with Heart
Linda Deering Dean never imagined herself as the president of a regional hospital. When she enrolled at Elgin Community College to continue her education, she was working full time as a registered nurse and raising a family. She appreciated having an affordable option in the community to help her achieve her goal of advancing to a high-level clinical nursing position.
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Juan Fernandez, Eric Fuertes, Nate Matthews: Mask Makers
As the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered schools and businesses across the country, Elgin Community College began to look for innovative ways to support essential workers. A trio of ECC faculty, staff, and alumni found a way to do their part with a little ingenuity and a lot of creativity.