Elgin Community College board: Nowak, Allen

Three candidates are vying for two seats on the Elgin Community College board.

And each one appears to have a passion for the school and a genuine desire to help it achieve its mission.

Incumbent board member Shane Nowak and two newcomers — James George Allen Jr. and Melissa Barbosa-Guzman — attended the school as students.

They all speak enthusiastically about how they benefited from the community college experience.

Barbosa-Guzman, an attorney from Elgin, says the two years she spent studying at ECC changed her life and gave her the skills to prepare for a four-year university and beyond. She says she’s now a big advocate for what the community college offers to residents and wants to join the board to help ECC.

Allen, a flight attendant and legal consultant from Elgin, says his decision to take classes at ECC four years ago when he was 39 was transformational. During that time, he served as a student trustee on the ECC board. He says he wants to ensure that others receive the same educational opportunities he had.

Nowak is seeking his second 6-year term on the ECC board. The Elgin resident says he wants to continue the programs and initiatives he sought during his first term.

In addition to starting a mentorship program for students, Nowak said he is working to expand ECC’s nursing program. He also says he has pushed to keep the tuition affordable.

Nowak is an engaged board member who has demonstrated his commitment to the school. He is endorsed.

We also really like Allen and Barbosa-Guzman. They both believe in the college's mission. But because Allen returned to school at an older age and with his direct experience as a student trustee, he would bring an interesting perspective to the board. Allen is endorsed.