Columbia College to hold commencement April 7

Columbia College of Missouri will recognize the hard work of 177 graduates at its Illinois locations in Elgin, Lake County, Crystal Lake and Freeport spring commencement ceremony Saturday, April 7.

The ceremony will take place at 1:30 p.m. at Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Drive.

Dr. Sarah Vordtriede-Patton, dean of the Columbia College School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, will give the commencement address and confer degrees.

Karen Beckstrom, director of Columbia College-Elgin, will serve as master of ceremonies, and Jacqueline Speciale, Class of 2011, will provide the alumni charge.

The event is open to the public and a reception will take place following the ceremony.

Founded in 1851 in Columbia, Missouri, Columbia College has been helping students advance their lives through higher education for more than 165 years. As a private, nonprofit, liberal arts and sciences institution, the college takes pride in its small classes, experienced faculty and quality educational programs. The college, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, has more than 30 locations and offers day, evening and online classes. Columbia College educates more than 27,000 students each year and has more than 86,000 alumni worldwide. For more information, visit www.ccis.edu.