ECC, Judson to host fall graduations this weekend
More than 800 students will receive degrees or certificates from Elgin Community College and Judson University in Elgin during fall commencement ceremonies Friday and Saturday, respectively.
ECC's graduation ceremony is at 7 p.m. Friday in the Building J Events Center, 1700 Spartan Drive. Judson's ceremonies are at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday in the Herrick Chapel, 1151 N. State St.
ECC will award 685 degrees and certificates for the fall semester.
Joel Perez III of Elgin, a member of the 2014 graduating class, will be the commencement speaker.
Perez enrolled at ECC to obtain his GED so he could find a better-paying job. He joined the college's Accelerating Opportunity Program, which allows students to earn certificates in high demand fields in only two semesters.
After completing his GED, Perez received a certificate in CNC operation with high honors and began working as a machine operator. He will receive an associate of applied science in industrial manufacturing technology Friday.
"I value my education because it has opened a world of opportunity for me, not only in my career but also by motivating others," he said in the essay he wrote to apply to be commencement speaker. "Education was never emphasized to me growing up, so I have a deep appreciation for others who help me to achieve my education. I want to inspire and motivate others here at the college."
Perez said he plans to transfer to the Illinois Institute of Technology to get his bachelor's and master's degrees so he can teach full-time at ECC.
Judson will confer more than 130 bachelor's and master's degrees. Graduates from the School of Art, Design, and Architecture, the School of Leadership and Business, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will receive their degrees at 10 a.m. Graduates of the School of Education and adult undergraduates from the School of Leadership and Business will receive their degrees at 2 p.m.
Longtime writer and editor Christine French Cully, a 1978 Judson graduate and editor-in-chief of Highlights for Children magazine, will give the commencement address.
Cully's 35-year career includes writing and editing nondenominational Sunday school curricula. She also has edited a number of national children's magazines, including Humpty Dumpty and U.S. Kids.
She joined Highlights for Children in 1994. As editor, she helped launch two additional magazines: Highlights High Five for preschoolers in 2007 and Highlights Hello for babies and toddlers last January. She writes monthly about parenting for Huffington Post and Highlights Aha blogs, and she has served as a guest blogger on other sites including NBC's "Education Nation" and "Reading Rainbow."