Press contact: Angela Try

SPRINGFIELD — Lincoln Land Community College recognized students with academic, leadership and special awards at the Student Recognition Ceremony April 28.

The top award of 2023 Outstanding Graduate was presented to Sean McCarthy of Springfield.  The award recognizes a graduate’s excellent grade point average, leadership, motivation, service to the college community, extracurricular activities and ability to overcome obstacles.  McCarthy began his educational journal at LLCC in the college’s GED program. They have been an active and dedicated member of the TRIO program and served as president of the Environmental Club. They plan to continue their educational journey at either Illinois State University or Southern Illinois University this fall.

(Student honorees and their awards are listed in hometown order.)

Ashland
Allyson Whitaker, IV Leaguers Nursing Club Outstanding Leadership

Assumption
Craig Reed, Health Professions Department Honor Graduate

Athens
Katie Lindsey, Health Professions Department Honor Graduate

Auburn
Jacob Sharp, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate; Justin D. Sharp, Arts & Communication Department Honor Graduate, Natural & Agricultural Sciences Department Honor Graduate; and Tyler LaFountain, Chemistry Club Outstanding Leader

Bloomington
Jade Andris, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate
Butler
Pete Fleck, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate

Chatham
Lucas S. Colonius, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate; Natalie M. Dockter, Social Sciences & Business Department Honor Graduate; Estrella Gomez, Arts & Communication Department Honor Graduate; Katelyn S. Montgomery, Health Professions Department Honor Graduate; Melissa Nash, Social Sciences & Business Department Honor Graduate; and Ella K. Scheuer, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate

Cherry
Calvin Brokaw, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate

Edinburg 
Rachel Davidson, Health Professions Department Honor Graduate; Ryleigh Davidson, Outstanding Student Athlete; and Dylan Dinora, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate

Elkhart
Meghan C. Good, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate

Evanston
Raivyn S. Summers, English & Humanities Department Honor Graduate

Girard
Katie H. Angulo, English & Humanities Department Honor Graduate, Phi Theta Kappa Officer; Mick Downs, Outstanding Student Athlete; and Elizabeth Strode, Social Sciences & Business Department Honor Graduate

Havana
Jack Dearing, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate

Hillsboro
Dylan R. Keith, English & Humanities Department Honor Graduate; and Summer L. Smith, Health Professions Department Honor Graduate

Jacksonville
Jennifer Becker, Health Professions Department Honor Graduate; Coy Beddingfield, Mathematics & Computer Science Department Honor Graduate;  Elleigh L. Buhlig, English & Humanities Department Honor Graduate; Zenobia Gimbel, Mathematics & Computer Science Department Honor Graduate; Faith Hadlock, Health Professions Department Honor Graduate; Alex McLaughlin, Mathematics & Computer Science Department Honor Graduate; William Ridlen, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate; and Jamikah Toney, WEI Outstanding Student.

Lincoln
Erin Barrick, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate; and Trent E. Koehler, Natural & Agricultural Sciences Department Honor Graduate

Litchfield
Tessa Beckham, Health Professions Department Honor Graduate; Elizabeth Hockett, Social Sciences & Business Department Honor Graduate; and Mary Jackson, IV Leaguers Nursing Club Outstanding Leader

Mattoon
Colton M. Vacker, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate

Mechanicsburg
Carly Hohimer, Social Sciences & Business Department Honor Graduate; and Shannon Smaga, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate

Morrisonville
Olivia Hentzien, Arts & Communication Department Honor Graduate, Social Sciences & Business Department Honor Graduate, Stephen A. Little Memorial Award Recipient; and Braden J. Whalen, Natural & Agricultural Sciences Department Honor Graduate

Mount Pulaski
Clay T. Aylesworth, Natural & Agricultural Sciences Department Honor Graduate; and Peyton Wyss, Social Sciences & Business Department Honor Graduate

Murrayville
Chloe Birdsell, Arts & Communication Department Honor Graduate

New Berlin
Kaitlyn Cox, Social Sciences & Business Department Honor Graduate; and Allie Dzierwa, Arts & Communication Department Honor Graduate

New Holland
Malena E. Kirgan; Natural & Agricultural Sciences Department Honor Graduate

Nokomis
Jake Johnson, Mathematics & Computer Science Department Honor Graduate

Petersburg
Lexie Ebersohl, Arts & Communication Department Honor Graduate, Phi Theta Kappa Officer

Pittsfield
Keenan Wine, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate

Pleasant Plains
Jessica Gibson, Phi Theta Kappa Officer; Samantha D. Hamilton, Social Sciences & Business Department Honor Graduate; Cara McFall, Health Professions Department Honor Graduate; and Vanessa Tyler, Social Sciences & Business Department Honor Graduate

Raymond
Timothy E. Ensley, English & Humanities Department Honor Graduate

Riverton
Magena Hodson, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate

Rochester
Nick Dilley, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate; and Mary Wichmann, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate

Sherman
Anna Laudeman, Social Sciences & Business Department Honor Graduate

Sorento
Gracie E. Brink, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate

Springfield
Kanye Applewhite, WEI Outstanding Student; Daivyon Bates, WEI Outstanding Student; Alishia A. Brown, Health Professions Department Honor Graduate; Peyton Bergschneider, Outstanding Student Athlete; Sophie Caro, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate; Nathan S. Dahl, Social Sciences & Business Department Honor Graduate; Zoe Day, Arts & Communication Department Honor Graduate; Jan Dowell, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate; Andrea Graves, Health Professions Department Honor Graduate; Angelete Gentry, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate; Amanda Hamilton; WEI Outstanding Student; Peyton W. Handy, Social Sciences & Business Department Honor Graduate; Sheila Harris; WEI Outstanding Student; Rayna Herzog, Social Sciences & Business Department Honor Graduate; Sophia G. Huerta, Social Sciences & Business Department Honor Graduate; Kyra Jagels, Environmental Club Outstanding Leader; Sara Jasim, Social Sciences & Business Department Honor Graduate; Daria Johnson, WEI Outstanding Student; Vaelen Lane, Arts & Communication Department Honor Graduate; Steven Lawrence, Chemistry Club Outstanding Leader; Will Leman, Outstanding Student Athlete; Allison J. Loosen, Natural & Agricultural Sciences Department Honor Graduate; Sean Patrick McCarthy, Natural & Agricultural Sciences Department Honor Graduate, Environmental Club Outstanding Leader; Kennedy McGee, BSU Outstanding Leader; Kaylie McKiniry-Davis; BSU Outstanding Leader; Marek F. McKinney, Social Sciences & Business Department Honor Graduate; Elizabeth Metcalf, Health Professions Department Honor Graduate; Kaleigh Meyer, Outstanding Student Athlete, Ron Coffman Memorial Scholarship Recipient; Corrigan Murphy, Outstanding Ambassador for Student Engagement; Brook L. Myers, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate; Braden Nicoll, Phi Theta Kappa Officer; Samantha Peter, Health Professions Department Honor Graduate; Marcus Pettus, Social Sciences & Business Department Honor Graduate; Eli Phillips, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate; Brandon Pittman, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate; Nicole Polk, WEI Outstanding Student; Rae Richards, Student Worker of the Year; Whitney Rumbold, Social Sciences & Business Department Honor Graduate, Outstanding Student Athlete; Hannah Shoemaker; Phi Theta Kappa Officer; Molly Speaks, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate;  Victoria Speller, Social Sciences & Business Department Honor Graduate; Eleanor P. Stuckey, English & Humanities Department Honor Graduate, Natural & Agricultural Sciences Department Honor Graduate, Environmental Club Outstanding Leader; Durbin Thomas, Outstanding Student Athlete; Kavita Tolliver, Arts & Communication Department Honor Graduate, English & Humanities Department Honor Graduate; John Tuxhorn, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate; Caleb C. Vajko, Natural & Agricultural Sciences Department Honor Graduate; Micah Wallace, Social Sciences & Business Department Honor Graduate; Daevion Williams, BSU Outstanding Leader; Mekhi Williams, WEI Outstanding Student; Durell Wilson, WEI Outstanding Student; Logan R. Wilson, English & Humanities Department Honor Graduate; and Ashlyn Yates, Arts & Communication Department Honor Graduate

Stonington
Lacey M. DeClerck, Natural & Agricultural Sciences Department Honor Graduate

Taylorville
Megan R. Czajkowski, English & Humanities Department Honor Graduate; Alicia A. Pattarozzi, Workforce Institute Department Honor Graduate; Madison N. Slayton, English & Humanities Department Honor Graduate; and Alyson N. Williams, Social Sciences & Business Department Honor Graduate

Virden
Zorah Austin, Arts & Communication Department Honor Graduate, Phi Theta Kappa Officer; Jamie Hampton, Health Professions Department Honor Graduate; and Jackson R. Pierce, Social Sciences & Business Department Honor Graduate

Waverly
Erik Keeton, Arts & Communication Department Honor Graduate

An award was also given to a member of LLCC faculty and staff. Kimberly Williams-Wilson, of Springfield, was recognized as Advisor of the Year for her work with the LLCC Black Student Union (BSU). Wilson is a recruitment specialist in LLCC’s Recruitment and Admissions.