CLC's 48th commencement ceremonies set for May 13
The College of Lake County will hold its 48th annual commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 13 in the Physical Education Center at the Grayslake Campus, 19351 W. Washington St.
Commencement will consist of two ceremonies, one at 10 a.m. for transfer degrees (A.A., A.S., A.E.S., A.F.A.) and the other at 2 p.m. for A.A.S. degrees and certificates. The college will confer 1,733 degrees and certificates to 1,594¬¬¬ graduates. Waukegan residents comprise the largest percentage of graduates (12 percent), followed by Gurnee (9 percent) Grayslake (7 percent), Mundelein and Round Lake Beach (both 6 percent).
Cesilie Price, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Lake County since 2008, will deliver the commencement address. The Boys & Girls Club of Lake County was recently awarded the Gold Level Gateway to Impact Award from the Boys & Girls Club of America for its service to youth.
At the 10 a.m. ceremony, President Jerry Weber will present an Honorary Degree of Life Long Learning to Margaret (Peggy) McClain of Lake Villa.
"This honorary degree will recognize the substantial difference that Peggy McClain has made in the lives of more than 1,500 students who have received scholarships in the last five years, thanks to her generous giving," Weber said.
The ceremony will include remarks by Weber in his final graduation before he leaves CLC in July to assume the presidency of Bellevue College. Remarks will also be made by Richard A. Anderson, Board of Trustees chair; Hansel Lopez, president of the Student Government Association; Dr. Michelle Proctor, education instructor and winner of the 2017 Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Member (10 a.m. ceremony); and Ribhi Salhi, political science instructor and winner of the 2017 Outstanding Part-Time Faculty Member (2 p.m. ceremony). Alumna Valerie Perron ('13) will sing the national anthem, and Sam Valenti ('01) will offer congratulations from the Alumni Association.
The morning ceremony will have 256 graduates participating, and the afternoon ceremony will have 198 participants. The ceremonies are free and open to the community. No tickets are required; seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Student Government Association will sponsor a complimentary reception for graduates, faculty and guests immediately after each commencement ceremony, with refreshments provided in the tent on Parking Lot 1. For more information, visit www.clcillinois.edu/graduation.
The ceremonies will be streamed live on CLC's YouTube channel www.youtube.com/user/clcpublicrelations. Graduates and their families are encouraged to share their CLC graduation photos and use the hashtags #CLCgrad17 and #WeAreCLC on CLC social media sites: Facebook (College of Lake County), Twitter (CLCNewsRoom) or Instagram (Collegeoflakecounty).
WRLR 98.3 will broadcast the morning commencement live starting at 9:30 a.m. The broadcast will also be carried on the station's Radio Live app and will be rebroadcast at 1 p.m. May 21. WRLR's Radio Live app is available free from the Apple Store and Google Play.
Class of 2017 statistics; youngest and oldest participating graduates
CLC's Class of 2017 comprises 1,594 graduates earning degrees or certificates, of which 47 percent are A.A. degrees and 24 percent are A.A.S. degrees. Another 7 percent are A.S. degrees, 2 percent A.E.S. degrees and 21 percent are certificates.
Fifty eight percent of the graduating class is female, and 42 percent is male. Fifty-seven percent are ages 18-24, while 24 percent are ages 25-34 and 9 percent fall in the 35-44 age group.
The youngest participating graduate is Valerie Jacksack, 17 of Libertyville, who will receive an Associate in Arts degree in sociology. "My CLC professors didn't go any easier on me just because of my age, and I think that has been one of the most helpful things in preparing me for a four-year school," she said. "I have also had an opportunity to explore different subjects at the college level, so I feel as if I know what to expect."
Jacksack, who was home schooled, enrolled at CLC to continue learning Japanese after completing a computer-based course at home. She plans to transfer to the University of Findlay in Findlay, Ohio, where she will major in Japanese. Her immediate career goal is to work abroad as an au pair or English teacher.
The oldest participating graduate is Denise Moorehouse, 66, a Grayslake resident earning an Associate in General Studies degree. "I'm thrilled to be graduating from CLC because earning a college degree has been on my bucket list," she said. Moorehouse spent roughly 10 years juggling her studies with a part-time clerical job and her roles as mother and grandmother.
"I've enjoyed the face-to-face classes and with wide variety of ages and nationalities," she said. "Besides online classes, I also appreciated the hybrid classes, which made it easier to balance school with babysitting duties. After graduation, I'd like to work in a receptionist or clerical job in an office or hospital, and I plan to continue at CLC, taking office software courses to keep my skills up to date."