May 14: CLC hosts its 47th Commencement
The College of Lake County will hold its 47th annual commencement ceremonies on May 14 in the Physical Education Center on the Grayslake Campus, 19351 W. Washington St. James T. Ryan, chairman, president and chief executive officer of W.W. Grainger, Inc., will deliver the commencement address.
Commencement will consist of two ceremonies, one at 10 a.m. for transfer degrees (A.A., A.S., A.E.S..) and the other at 2 p.m. for A.A.S. degrees and certificates. The college will confer 2,023 degrees and certificates to 1,854 graduates.
The ceremony will also include remarks by CLC President Dr. Jerry Weber; Dr. William M. Griffin, Board of Trustees chair; Connor Mallon, president of the Student Government Association; and Dr. Jenny Lee, English instructor and winner of the 2016 Outstanding Full Time Faculty Member. CLC alumna Valerie Perron will sing the national anthem.
Admission to each commencement ceremony is 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 #CLCgrad16 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 and carry it on the station's Radio Live app, and will rebroadcast it on Sunday the following week at 1 p.m.
WRLR 98.3 will broadcast the morning commencement live starting at 9 a.m. with WRLR host and CLC Human Services Professor Mick Cullen. The broadcast will also be carried on the station's Radio Live app and will rebroadcast it May 22 at 1 p.m. WRLR's Radio Live app is available free from the Apple Store and Google Play.
Class of 2016 statistics
CLC's Class of 2016 comprises 1,854 graduates earning 2,203 degrees or certificates, of which 44 percent are A.A. degrees and 24 percent are A.A.S. degrees. Another 6 percent are A.S. degrees, 1 percent A.E.S. degrees and 25 percent are certificates.
Fifty-eight percent of the graduating class is female, and 42 percent is male. Fifty-four percent are ages 18-24, while 26 percent are ages 25-34 and 10 percent fall in the 35-44 age group.
The youngest participating graduate is Kristina Wojcik, 18, a Lake Zurich resident who will receive an Associate in Science degree. "CLC has prepared me well for transfer to Bowling Green State University," said Wojcik, a psychology major who's planning a career in counseling. After graduating from Lake Zurich High School in January 2015, she immediately enrolled at CLC. "The professors and classes at CLC have been high quality, and I was able to develop skills in writing and time management," Wojcik said. "Everybody at CLC is very personable, and the counselors and Writing Center staff have always been available when I've needed them."
The oldest graduate is Alton Grant, 72, a Vernon Hills resident who is earning a medical billing specialist certificate. "The instructors at CLC have been cordial, knowledgeable, and they have given me the skills and insight into the business of medical coding," said Grant, who is making a career change after years in the insurance industry. He is applying for medical billing specialist positions and, in the fall, plans to pursue an A.A.S. degree in health information technology at CLC.
Waukegan residents comprise the largest percentage of graduates (13 percent), followed by Grayslake (8 percent), Gurnee and (7 percent) and Mundelein and Round Lake Beach (both 6 percent).