 Zana Danner Just a few years ago, Zana Danner nearly didn’t graduate high school and even lived out of her car at one point. As she gets set to graduate from Carl Sandburg College on Thursday evening, she’ll leave with a near-perfect GPA and a recipient of one of the most prestigious transfer scholarships in the country. Along the way, Sandburg has helped her break out of her shell, become involved in virtually everything on campus and do something no other student here has done before. |
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 Jay DeFord Jay DeFord came to Carl Sandburg College because his tuition would be free through the Galesburg Promise program. Three years later, when he crosses the stage Thursday at Sandburg’s 51st Commencement, he’ll walk away with a solid return on his investment: three certificates and an associate in applied science degree through the College’s information and communication technology programs. DeFord earned a computer support associate certificate in 2017 and a computer technician certificate in 2018. This year, he’ll add a network security associate certificate and an AAS degree in IT/LAN network security to his name. |
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 Carrie Pritchett Carrie Pritchett has no doubt what her emotions will be like when she becomes the first person in her family to graduate from college. “I’ll be bawling like a baby,” Pritchett said. “I know I will.” For Pritchett, a single mother from Aledo with two teenage sons, earning her associate degree in nursing from Carl Sandburg College this week will mark the end of a life-changing decision and the start of a new beginning as she begins a new job at Galesburg Cottage Hospital. Pritchett had worked as a cosmetologist for 15 years, but when she and her husband divorced five years ago, she had to rethink how to best support herself and her two sons, now 18 and 15. “I was working a lot to make ends meet, but I didn’t have health insurance or a retirement plan, so I knew I needed to go back to college,” Pritchett, 39, said. “I wanted to have a job where I could have that same kind of relationship with people, so it was natural for me to turn to nursing.” |
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 Jesse Barkdoll Jesse Barkdoll has a simple way to describe his last two years of working a full-time job during the day and attending Carl Sandburg College in the evening. “I would say exhausting,” the 24-year-old from Galesburg said. “I definitely missed a lot of sleep.” But he said the payoff will be worth it as he graduates from Sandburg on Thursday night with an advanced certificate in computer numeric control (CNC) programming. Barkdoll had been working as an electrical apprentice when he got laid off in 2017. He came across Sandburg recruiter Anthony Law, who told Barkdoll about some of the College’s career and technical programs. Sandburg’s pair of CNC programs caught Barkdoll’s eye. “I noticed that not only is it hands-on, but there’s also a lot of actual thought in there as well,” Barkdoll said. “You’re not just a guy who hits a button or is on an assembly line. There was a lot of job growth and positions available as far as machining goes, but there weren’t a lot of people taking it. It had a lot of opportunity.” More of Jesse Barkdoll’s Story
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 Naomi McKenzie With a desire to play basketball in the United States, Naomi McKenzie of London, England looked at her options to begin her academic career and still play a sport she loved. McKenzie received a scholarship to play basketball at Highland Community College and began her studies to pursue a degree in Criminal Justice. She graduates from Highland Community College on May 18, with her Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice. Her future plans are to continue her studies at a college or university in the United States, aspiring to become a lawyer. |
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 Kandi Curtis Kandi Curtis’ path to becoming a college graduate has been anything but conventional. “I’ve been here for quite some time,” she said. “Everybody’s like, ‘Are you ever going to graduate?’ Yeah, one day. I promise.” That long-awaited day finally arrives Thursday night when she crosses the stage in Carl Sandburg College’s 51st annual Commencement at Galesburg High School. After dropping out of high school, Curtis got her GED in 2002. She took business classes at Sandburg in 2006, but she left following a cancer scare that resulted in surgery. Curtis came back to Sandburg in 2013 and took prerequisites for two years before enrolling in the radiologic technology program. |
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 Rima Househ Rima Househ considers attending College of DuPage a family tradition, as her great uncles, uncle and aunt, mother, and older sister are all alumni. She was 8 years old when her father’s career took her family from the U.S. to Qatar for one year and then Kuwait for five years. Although difficult at first, Rima considers it a life-changing experience. Traveling to various countries helped her discover the value of art and its positive impact. She also became fluent in both Arabic and French. Rima is earning her Associate in Arts degree and plans to transfer to Columbia College, where she will pursue a bachelor’s degree in Arts Management. Her goal is to work internationally, especially in countries where arts are an emerging part of the culture. |
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 Mark Littlefield, Jr. Because his father was in the military, Mark Littlefield, Jr. spent much of his childhood moving around the country, from Maryland to Hawaii. High school was a struggle for him and he eventually dropped out, instead earning his GED® on the first try. Mark attended three different colleges and universities to study computer science before coming to College of DuPage, where he discovered the Computer and Information Technology program. He helped form the Cyber Defense Club and was elected its president. Mark is earning his Associate in Applied Science degree in Cybersecurity and Defense. His goal is to pursue a bachelor’s degree and a career as a penetration tester. More of Mark Littlefield, Jr.’s Story
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 Kim Armour Kim Armour’s educational journey at College of DuPage began with a 2-year-old son in tow. “I chose nursing as a profession because I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives,” she said. “Graduating with an Associate Degree in Nursing, not knowing what laid ahead for me, and yet recognizing I had a voracious thirst to learn, I kept on asking questions and looking to learn. This educational journey has guided me through life, with an intention to finish a bachelor’s degree in Nursing by age 40 and more recently completing a Ph.D. in Nursing, which I never thought possible.” Today, Armour is the Director of Women’s Health, Obstetrics and Neonatal Health Care at Prentice Women’s Hospital of Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, where she leads an interdisciplinary team to care for more than 12,000 deliveries annually. |
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 Dr. Karla Ivankovich The exceptional quality of the community college system is demonstrated by our remarkable alumni across the state. Dr. Karla Ivankovich of Glenview, a 1993 graduate of Lincoln Land Community College is one of those remarkable alumni. Dr. Ivankovich was honored by the Illinois Community College Trustees Association with the 2018 statewide Distinguished Alumni Award. She is president and co-founder of OnePatient Global Health Initiative and is a nationally certified licensed clinical professional counselor. |
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 Justin Roman Justin Roman is co-host of US99’s Stylz and Roman show and front man for a band that’s toured with Pitbull. Roman is also a proud College of DuPage graduate! “COD was the best choice I could have made,” Roman said. “Instead of wasting time, I got all my general education out of the way. I got my associate’s degree, and it bought me about two years to figure out where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do. Plus, it saved my parents money.” Roman epitomizes the student with a dream who must change direction. |
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 Broc Ungaro McHenry County College manufacturing alumnus Broc Ungaro said he loves the manufacturing field so much that he quit his high-paying job as a tool room manager to become a full-time manufacturing instructor at his alma mater this fall. “I want to pass on my knowledge and get students enthused about manufacturing careers because there is a scarcity of workers with these types of skills,” he said. Ungaro, earned his Associate in Applied Science degree from MCC in 2011 and brings almost 20 years of experience to the classroom. |
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 Dr. Nate Oldham Southeastern Illinois College Distinguished Alumnus Dr. Nate Oldham experienced first hand the quality of education that community colleges provide right in our own backyard. “When I transferred to the University of Illinois from SIC, I was ahead of the curve in almost all of my junior level classes,” says Oldham. “I truly believe that was because SIC provided me with a more intimate environment in which learning could really happen, not just regurgitation of information for a test. It also provided a much more economical way to start off my training instead of going into a huge amount of debt for my first two years of college. Southern Illinois is truly blessed to have SIC!” Oldham completed his general studies and early pre-medicine courses at SIC from 1999-2001. From there, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from University of Illinois in Urbana in 2003 and his Doctor of Medicine from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield in 2007. He is the Chief of Staff at Ferrell Hospital in Eldorado and a member of the hospital board of directors. |
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 Janet Saldana Illinois community colleges offer higher quality programs that prepare graduates for future education and career success. Janet Saldana graduated from Belvidere High School and with her Associate in Science degree from Rock Valley College in 2012. She went on to attend Duke University and earn a degree in biomedical engineering. Today, Janet works at Optum, a healthcare information technology company that develops software and applications for clinics, doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies. She is currently on a project that will create a test ordering platform for genetic testing. |