It's college commencement season in the Springfield area. Here are the details
College commencement season begins in the area on May 6 when Lincoln Christian University holds exercises for its undergraduate and seminary students.
The University of Illinois Springfield, Lincoln Land Community College, St. John's School of Nursing, Blackburn College and Illinois College all hold commencements the next weekend in May.
Here's what to know:
University of Illinois Springfield
UIS will hold its commencement at the Bank of Springfield (BOS) Center at 2 p.m. on May 13. A total of 706 students will participate in the ceremony out of the 1,177 students who are eligible to graduate.
UIS professor emeritus of communication Raymond Schroeder will be awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters.
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LaNise Nicole Kirk of Roodhouse, who will be graduating with a master’s degree in human development counseling, has been chosen as the student commencement speaker. Beverly Bunch, a professor in the School of Public Management and Policy, will serve as the faculty grand marshal.
Schroeder became a full-time instructor at then-Sangamon State University in 1975 while building a television studio and editing facilities at SSU. Schroeder created the SSU Television Office and secured a contract for the university to provide community access cable television services in Springfield.
In 1997, Schroeder took a leadership role in the emerging field of online learning, establishing the UIS Office of Technology Enhanced Learning (OTEL). The strength and reputation of the UIS online programs grew quickly through the 1990s and into the 2000s. Both Schroeder and the university received numerous national awards and recognitions.
Today, 40 percent of UIS students are enrolled in online programs.
Tickets are not required for admission and seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The doors to the main floor open at 1 p.m. Overflow seating will be provided in the lower level of BOS Center.
The ceremony will be webcast live at uis.edu/uislive.
Blackburn College
U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, will serve as the keynote speaker Blackburn College's commencement in the Hudson Quad at 10:30 a.m. on May 13.
The 13th Congressional District representative was first elected last fall.
Budzinski serves on the House's Agriculture Committee and Committee on Veterans Affairs.
"Congresswoman Budzinski is deeply committed to public service, dedicated to delivering results for the communities she serves and truly understands the importance of higher education," said Blackburn College President Gregory J. Meyer. "As someone just beginning her journey as a newly elected member of Congress, she is also in a perfect position to offer advice and inspiration to our graduates as they embark on bright and promising futures.”
Lincoln Land Community College
LLCC will conduct its commencement exercises at the BOS Center at 7:30 p.m. on May 12.
Commencement is open to the public.
Cassidy Kretschmer of Bartelso has been selected as this year’s commencement speaker. She is graduating with an associate in arts degree and plans to continue her education at Brigham Young University in family studies.
Luke Adams of Athens and Kortney Fisherof Taylorville are serving as student marshals for the commencement ceremony. Adams is earning an associate in arts degree and plans to transfer to Florida Gulf Coast University to continue his education.
Fisher is graduating with an associate in applied science degree with a concentration in neurodiagnostic technology. She plans to further her education in health care administration.
Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Brice R. Huddleston is being recognized with the 2023 LLCC Honored Alumni Award.
Huddleston earned an associate in applied science degree from LLCC and a bachelor’s degree from UIS.
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Huddleston worked as an F-4 weapon systems officer. In 1993 he was called to active duty as the F-16 action officer, coordinating training and operational guidance and deploying to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia for F-16 combat missions. His flying career ended in 2003 with over 2,000 fighter jet flying hours.
Huddleston then worked at the Pentagon, retiring in 2008. He worked as a consultant until 2021.
Illinois College
The Jacksonville school holds its commencement at King Field House (Bruner Fitness and Recreation Center) at 1 p.m. on May 14.
It is preceded by a baccalaureate service at Rammelkamp Chapel at 10 a.m.
Serving as student marshals will be juniors Isabella Aguirre of Rockford and Trenton Terry of Kewanee. Marshals are chosen based on demonstrated academic excellence and campus leadership and lead academic processionals held on campus throughout the year.
The faculty marshals are Kevin Klein, professor of economics, and Jaime Klein, assistant professor of education.
The class speaker is Collin White of Forest City, an agribusiness management major.
St. John's College of Nursing
St. John's College of Nursing will hold its commencement at Christ the King Church at 3:30 p.m. on May 12.
The nursing school has 22 general BSN students and three RN-BSN students graduating.
The commencement speaker is Dr. Wesley G. Robinson-McNeese, executive director of diversity initiatives for the Southern Illinois University System and special projects advisor for SIU School of Medicine’s office of equity, diversity and inclusion. Robinson-McNeese was the inaugural dean of that office, serving from 2001 to 2017.
Earlier, St. John's College recognized Jane Diers, a 1985 graduate, is its Distinguished Alumna.
The 1985 graduate was a nurse at HSHS St. John’s Children’s Hospital in pediatrics and the intensive care unit before serving as the dean of academic affairs at the college. Diers was cited for her "resiliency and contributions to pediatric and intensive care nursing, as well as faculty and student development."
Lincoln Christian University
The combined ceremony at LCU includes 47 undergraduate students, 64 graduate/seminary students and seven doctoral candidates.
It will be held at Open Arms Christian Fellowship (the former LCU chapel) at 10 a.m. It is not a ticketed event.
The commencement speaker is Rev. John D. Castelein, a seminary professor at LCU and a preaching minister.
One the traditions at LCU is the "giving of the towel" to graduate/seminary students at the ceremony. Dating back nearly 40 years, it invokes the Scriptural story of Christ washing the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper.
According to LCU's dean emeritus Wayne Shaw, who started the practice, the towel is given to students "so that they might go out and wash the feet of the world. This is what we are about.”
Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/stevenspearie
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: It is graduation season in Springfield for colleges and universities
