Inspired to encourage and teach

Originally from Los Angeles, Calif., Eva Bassel found her home and success at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Ill. 

With a non-traditional high school experience in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bassel decided to pursue her GED® and then began to work full-time while she planned for the next steps in her educational journey. “After high school, I didn’t feel I was ready financially to commit to a four-year university, so I waited. Once I was ready to get back into my academic journey, I applied to LLCC,” she says. 

She is active on campus as a member of the LLCC Honors Program and a chemistry peer tutor, and she is eager to learn all there is to know about chemistry, physics and biology. “In high school, I preferred studying English and history, but once I got to college, I decided that I could pursue science because I had always wanted to learn more about it,” Bassel says. 

“There is something in each part of the sciences that I am passionate about. I am really interested in biology and the study of life, but I wanted to understand this science on a much deeper level. In chemistry and physics, there are laws applicable to all situations from a smaller perspective. I think both of those areas of study are very methodical.” 

Bassel credits a portion of her success to the LLCC Natural and Agricultural Sciences Department. “All of the instructors I have had here are exceptional at teaching. They care about developing their relationships with students and nurturing their goals and studies,” she says. Faculty and staff have also helped connect Bassel to research opportunities. 

“From the first day of class, Eva elevated herself above many of her classmates in regard to her maturity, dedication to her academic success and willingness to work with her peers,” says David Cox, LLCC professor of biology. “On day one of the semester, Eva introduced herself to me. She sat in the front row, never missed class and always paid attention.” 

Bassel also gives credit to LLCC Foundation scholarships for her success. “Receiving a scholarship helped me to be able to fund my goals. I know that I will be using the knowledge from this opportunity when I transfer and for the rest of my life. It also helped me to reduce my hours of work outside of school, which helped so much with extra time to study and with grades,” she says. 

In fall 2026, Bassel will complete her studies at LLCC, graduating without any college debt. As a direct result of her experiences at the college, she has goals to become a researcher and educator. Her plans include pursuing a four-year degree, performing scientific research, earning a graduate degree and eventually becoming a college educator to encourage and teach others in the same way her educators at LLCC have inspired her.