CLC - Spring 2012 Alumni News

AlumNews PUBLISHED FOR GRADUATES OF THE COLLEGE OF LAKE COUNTY

WINTER 2012

Sporting Excellence at CLC: Former Basketball Pro Returns to Give Back Standout Women: Then & Now Women's Soccer Team Excels CLC: Conference Dominators College of Lake County

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Contents FEATURES 3

‘Hand of Gold,’ Heart of Gold Adept at shooting three-pointers, Jose Garcia starred on the Lancer basketball team from 2004 to 2006 and played two seasons in Mexico’s top professional league. No longer a pro player, he has parlayed his longtime basketball passion into a positive force to help young people.

5

Women’s Place: Definitely on the Playing Field The year 2012 celebrates the 40th anniversary of “Title IX,” the federal law that led to expanded opportunities for women in college sports. Read how CLC sports taught four former Lancer athletes valuable lessons leading to career success.

8

Today’s CLC Champions The 2011 women’s soccer team posted a 17-3-1 record, winning it’s sixth Skyway Conference Championship and the first since 2006. Find out how the team jelled on and off the field.

10

To Our Readers: From basketball to baseball, soccer to tennis, sports are an important part of the CLC college experience, and many alumni fondly remember their time attending games or wearing the Lancer uniform.

That’s why this issue of AlumNews focuses on athletics at CLC and how sports have contributed to the later success of alumni. For many, playing for CLC meant a way to help pay for school. But it was also a learning and character-building experience, teaching life skills and forging lasting friendships. And, as you will read in the stories to follow, for some it even led to careers in athletics.

We hope you enjoy the stories in this issue. Send us your feedback on our alumni website at www.clcroundtable.org.

Julie Shroka Director of Alumni Relations and Special Events

A Tradition of Excellence Throughout its 40-year history, CLC has been an athletic powerhouse. Find out at a glance how the men’s and women’s teams have dominated the Skyway Conference.

14

Foundation Update: A Scholarship Is the Name of the Game Each year, the CLC Foundation funds scholarships in memory of Keith Ryan, a long-time Lake County sportscaster.

AlumNews AlumNews is published three times a year by the College of Lake County’s Office of Alumni Relations and Special Events.

DEPARTMENTS 13

Class Notes

15

News Roundup

16

Upcoming Events

Cover: Jose Garcia, who starred for the Lancers in 2004-06 and played professional basketball in Mexico, has returned home. He now is assistant coach of the Lancer men’s team and mentors at-risk youth in Kenosha County, Wis.

2 | COLLEGE OF LAKE COUNTY

Director of Alumni Relations and Special Events JULIE SHROKA Administrative Secretary DORAE BLOCK To submit story ideas, email Dave Fink, AlumNews editor, at dfink@clcillinois.edu or call him at (847) 543-2243.

Address change? Call (847) 543-2400.

Share memories, ideas and comments at the CLC alumni website, at www.clcroundtable.org.

COVER STORY

‘Hand of Gold,’ Heart of Gold Former Lancers star and pro player returns as coach, youth mentor.

A

fter helping lead the College of Lake County men’s basketball team to a third-place finish in the 2006 National Junior College Athletic Association finals, Jose Garcia played two seasons in Mexico’s top professional league. His ability to sink critical three-pointers prompted a TV announcer to give Garcia the nickname “Mano de Oro (Hand of Gold).”

Garcia no longer displays his golden touch as a professional basketball player.

Rather, these days he’s returned to the Kenosha County, Wisc., area where he grew up and is focused on lending a helping hand to young people as a teacher’s assistant and mental health specialist at the Allendale Foundation’s Benet Lake, Wis. facility. There, his job is helping teenage boys cope with issues ranging from anger to bipolar depression.

“When you’re helping young people and seeing them grow and improve, you feel like you’re part of their journey.”

—Jose Garcia Garcia, who earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Dominican University in 2010, admitted that he could be earning much more money in the business world. But he considers helping at-risk youth to be a higher calling.

“I love working with kids,” he said.

“Making a difference in their lives is the most

Jose Garcia, playing for Loros de Colima in Mexico’s professional league, drives the lane in a 2008 game. important thing to me. I help them with schoolwork and anger management, intervening if they have flare-ups. If they don’t learn coping skills here, they’ll wind up in either another (juvenile) center or in prison. When you’re helping young people and seeing them grow and improve, you feel like you’re part of their journey.”

Garcia’s own journey inspired his drive to help young people. “In the neighborhood where I grew up, there was lots of gang activity and drug dealing,” explained Garcia, the youngest of five children. “There was fighting all the time in the middle of the street, and I once witnessed

a drive-by shooting in which my cousin almost got shot.”

Encouraged by his mother to find healthy outlets, Garcia took up basketball in third grade and became enamored with the sport.

“There was a basketball park located near my neighborhood, and our next-door neighbors had a hoop,” he recalled. “I ate, drank and slept basketball. After school, I’d play until dark.

I also played in Boys and Girls Club programs.”

Garcia’s dedication paid off, as he was offered a scholarship to play for St. Joseph Catholic Academy in Kenosha, where he played continued on page 4

ALUMNEWS | 3

COVER STORY ‘Hand of Gold’, Heart of Gold continued from page 3

Former CLC star Jose Garcia, center, brings pro playing experience to coaching.

on a varsity team that went to the Wisconsin state high-school tournament in his sophomore and senior years.

Hearing that CLC was a strong school academically, Garcia enrolled and joined the Lancers in 2004. As a shooting guard, he helped the team to a record of 13 wins and four losses. In his sophomore year, Garcia was the only returning player, leading the team to 27 wins—best in team history—en route to the NJCAA finals.

Garcia was reliable and easy to coach, recalled Jason Black, an assistant coach during Garcia’s years. “We were a little worried about his speed in the beginning,” Black explained. “However, Jose listened well, worked hard and adapted. He became a crafty player who found ways to create space to get his shot off. He came on as our main shooter. We could always rely on Jose to hit that big three-pointer when we needed it to build momentum at any point in time during a game.

4 | COLLEGE OF LAKE COUNTY

“In the 2005-06 season, Jose hit big shots all the time for us. He helped us spread the floor and make it a nightmare for defenses to guard us. That was the key factor to our 27-win season.”

Garcia credited the coaching and athletic staff for creating a winning atmosphere.

“I gained more confidence by being a part of the basketball team at CLC,” said the 6'1" Garcia. “The head coach, Shawn Chism, was very motivational. He set up a study table in the locker room and organized study groups where we’d help each other. We also had teambonding activities, such as going as a group to see uplifting sports movies like ‘Glory Road.’

And Chad Good (athletic director) was always at practice. If we needed someone to talk to, he was there. The team chemistry was great.

We all became friends, and I still stay in touch with many of the guys.”

Through a contact he met at the NJCAA tournament, Garcia received an offer to play

professionally in Mexico. He joined Halcones UV de Xalapa for the 2006-07 season, played the following season for Loros de Colima and tasted a little fame along the way. “When I’d go to a shopping mall, people would ask me for my autograph,” he modestly recalled.

Returning to Kenosha in 2009 to be with his fiancée and daughter, and to begin his studies at Dominican, Garcia decided to give back to his community. For two years, he volunteered at the Boys and Girls Club of Kenosha, running after-school basketball and educational programs for children ages nine to 14. “I organized seminars and brought in guest speakers on anger management, underage drinking and how to be a team leader,” he said. “I didn’t let the kids play basketball until they attended the day’s seminar.”

Last summer, he joined Allendale Foundation and in the fall, he returned to CLC, this time as an assistant coach. “What’s nice is that Jose has been through the program recently and has a lot in common with the players,” said Head Coach Joe Paul.

The players also appreciate his recent college and pro experience, but they respect his no-nonsense approach, too. “If he doesn’t think you’re working hard (in practice), he makes you run laps,” noted Layne Gierke, a 6'0" freshman guard from Highland Park.

Garcia said he would like to eventually earn a master’s degree in sports administration, become head coach of a college team and launch a non-profit organization mentoring youth through basketball.

Wherever Garcia’s path leads, young lives stand to benefit from the helping “Hand of Gold,” whose victories reach beyond the basketball court. “At the end of the day, you live your life to be happy,” he explained. “I can go home, lay my head down and feel positive that I’ve made a difference in someone’s life.”

COLLEGE FOCUS

For Women, like Men, Success Starts on the Playing Field

I

f you peruse old CLC yearbooks or early issues of the Cornfield Chronicle (the original name of the college’s student newspaper), it’s obvious that men’s intercollegiate athletics were a big part of student life going all the way back to the college’s opening day in 1969. But it would be seven more years until women would suit up in Lancer uniforms and play intercollegiate athletics.

CLC was like most colleges and universities at the time, which didn’t offer many sports for women. However, all that changed with the passage of Title IX in 1972, which afforded women many more opportunities to participate in competitive intercollegiate athletics.

In 1976, CLC launched intercollegiate women’s teams in volleyball, basketball and softball, and other sports followed. Since then, four decades of female athletes have reaped the same benefits that the men have enjoyed: scholarships, camaraderie, heart-pounding fun—and the chance to learn life skills that would carry them into successful careers.

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Title IX, AlumNews caught up with former CLC women athletes DeLys Brooks, Erika Offerdahl, Becky Kirby Dziekan and Jessica Gutierrez, whose athletic successes proved to be an excellent training ground for their future achievements, both on and off the field of play.

The ‘nice’ competitor During a tense moment in a 1980 basketball playoff game, 6'3" center DeLys Brooks jumped off the bench to encourage a nervous teammate who was shooting a one-and-one free

Left: DeLys Brooks now works in a research lab. Right: A 1980 magazine cover showed Brooks (right) and pro player Retha Swindell.

throw with no time left on the clock. Brooks’ spontaneous gesture boosted the confidence of her teammate, who then sank both shots in a 74-73 win.

“DeLys was just a great all-around player and had great quickness for being that height,” recalled Chuck Schramm, who was head coach for the women’s basketball team, which won Skyway Conference championships in 1979 and 1980. “She encouraged everybody, and never had a bad word to say. All the girls looked up to her.”

Brooks loved the friendships she made participating in competitive athletics at CLC. Growing up in a Navy family, she moved around a lot, living in three states before moving to

Waukegan, and she found making friends could be difficult. “When you play sports, it’s a great way to meet people,” she said. “Your teammates become your friends.”

At CLC she also overcame feeling awkward about her height. “Growing up, being tall was difficult,” she recalled. “But seeing other players as tall as me made me appreciate my height.”

Brooks received a scholarship to Purdue University, where she played in the 1981-82 season and still ranks second in the Boilermakers’ all-time field goal percentage (61.8) and third in most blocked shots in one game (7). After injuring her knee and changing majors, Brooks left Purdue after two years. She later moved to Southern California and earned a phlebotomy continued on page 6

ALUMNEWS | 5

COLLEGE FOCUS Women’s Place: Definitely on the Playing Field continued from page 5

certificate. Today, she works as a lab technician at the University of California-San Diego’s Antiviral Research Center, where she assists doctors who are researching hepatitis and a potential cure for HIV. Working in health care may not provide the thrill ride of competitive sports, but helping others is a lesson Brooks also learned on the basketball court.“You learn to be competitive, but in a nice way,” she said. “Playing sports also teaches you to work with others— and think about others before yourself.”

Entrée to the sports world An All-American member of the tennis team that won Skyway Conference titles in 1996 and ’97, Erika Offerdahl today has a career that gives her the opportunity to meet international tennis stars like Roger Federer and Venus and Serena Williams. As promotions manager for racquet sports at Wilson Sporting Goods, based in Chicago, Offerdahl travels around the

country to work at the grassroots level, promoting tennis and Wilson products among youth.

Offerdal was part of the ‘97 team that posted a 24-0 record and earned a number 2 ranking for Division II junior colleges.

Offerdahl earned All-American status with doubles partner Julia Sapozhnikova.

“Erika was adept at moving into net after hitting powerful serve or forehand, putting away a volley or making her opponent commit errors,” recalled Richard Watson, her head coach.

In her two seasons, Offerdahl’s record was 54 wins and three losses. She later played for Western Illinois University, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communications and broadcasting.

Her career at Wilson has been boosted by both her education and her experience playing competitive tennis at CLC, where her coaches, Richard Watson and his father, Dick Watson, helped build her self-confidence.

Erika Offerdahl (center) joined tennis star Roger Federer (wearing cap) and Wilson sales staff at the 2009 Sony Ericsson Tennis Tournament in Florida.

6 | COLLEGE OF LAKE COUNTY

“They were very encouraging and very good mentors, both in academics and in life.

As an athlete, when a coach believes in you, that’s huge.”

Now a member of the Wilson team, Offerdahl still draws on the lessons she learned on the tennis court at CLC. “You push your teammates to do their best, encouraging them when they’re down and celebrating wins as a team,” she said. “It translates into your current job.”

“Working for Wilson has been fantastic,” she said. “I’m really passionate about junior tennis, so I’ve been able to follow my dream while continuing to learn the business side of racquet sports.”

From player to coach “You hear about players with heart. That kid had it in bundles,” said soccer coach Dave Beck about Becky Kirby Dziekan, a defender and goalkeeper whom he coached during the team’s 1997 and 1998 seasons.

“She communicated with other players and made everyone around her improve their performance,” he said.

Beck named the “kid” as a player/assistant coach in 1999. Together, they coached the team to Skyway Conference championships in 2000, 2001 and 2002.

The experience proved a good training ground for Dziekan, who today is assistant athletic director at Zion-Benton Township High School.

“I wasn’t planning to go on and play competitive, intercollegiate soccer,” she said.

“When Dave offered me the job of assistant coach, it was the perfect opportunity to transition to coaching and the administrative end of sports,” she said. “Dave and I worked well together. He supported me in my coaching decisions and pushed me to be as good as I could be.”

COLLEGE FOCUS

Becky Dziekan now enjoys mentoring high school students.

Dziekan graduated from University of Wisconsin-Parkside in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in sports management. She earned a master’s degree in educational administration from Dominican University in 2008 and a master’s in athletic administration from Ohio University in 2009.

At Zion-Benton Township High School in Lake County, she handles the myriad logistics and scheduling for 23 varsity sports teams, coping with everything from spring rainouts to rescheduling games, and she also mentors student athletes on leadership, sportsmanship and character.

Playing on a team of rivals At one of her first practices as a Lancer basketball player in 1999, Jessica Gutierrez got an earful from one of her new team mates, who came up to her and said, “We used to hate you. We used to call you the garbage picker because you would get every rebound.”

The team mate was talking about the days when the Lancer players all competed for different high schools. Gutierrez, a Mundelein High School graduate, played power forward at CLC from 1999-2001. “It was a great opportunity to become a team with other players who once were my high school rivals,” she said.

Head Coach Bill Braman said Gutierrez excelled in rebounding and shooting and was a “well-rounded, true team player.”

“She was personable and had a fantastic attitude,” he said.

Gutierrez graduated from Illinois College in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in biology and

is now a lab supervisor at Hospira, Inc., a Lake Forest-based pharmaceutical and medication delivery company, where she began working eight years ago as a lab technician. The first in her family to attend college, Gutierrez said her basketball experience was great preparation for the work world. “I supervise a staff of 12 people, some of whom are much older than I am and have been with the company for decades,” she said. “You have to gain others’ respect. When you play competitive sports, you learn sportsmanship and how to work with others one-on-on and in groups.”

Jessica Gutierrez in 2001.

ALUMNEWS | 7

COLLEGE FOCUS

Today’s CLC Champions Through more than four decades, CLC sports teams have won an impressive 123 Skyway Conference championships. The 2011 Lancer women’s soccer team is the latest to bring home the hardware.

S

ome sports teams unravel after a crushing, early-season defeat, while other teams jell into a winner.

The latter was the case last fall with the CLC women’s soccer team. At an invitational tournament in Minnesota in early September, the Lancers suffered a 5-0, non-conference thrashing to Illinois Central College. But the team quickly regrouped, then rebounded with an eight-game winning streak en route to a 17-3-1 record, culminating with winning its sixth Skyway Conference championship (the first since 2006).

The winning streak included a 7-0 drubbing of Morton College and a 11-0 dismantling of Prairie State College. But the most memorable match, according to head coach Saverio

Traversa and two tri-captains, was the Sept. 14 victory over archrival Waubonsee Community College. “They were undefeated and the team to beat,” he explained. “We came back from a 10 score at half, to beat them 2-1.”

“The girls deserve the credit,” said Traversa, who coached his “phenomenal” third season.

“When the season starts, it’s always a challenge for a coach to have 16 or17 individuals with different playing styles, skill levels, playing experience and to bring the variables together.”

To mold the team, Traversa emphasized bonding activities on and off the field. Rather than practicing with the full 11 players per side, he had the team scrimmage in groups of four vs. four or five vs. five to instill a sense of team play.

Left to right: Tina Mitropoulos, Cassie Schambari and Ashley Chernich helped the CLC women's soccer team bond as they won their first conference title since 2006.

8 | COLLEGE OF LAKE COUNTY

During the season, he stressed possession soccer. “If we keep possession of the ball and play keep-away, it makes the other team run,” said Traversa. “They get tired, and it lets us build up play and create scoring opportunities.”

Off the field, he encouraged team bonding activities ranging from a cookout to playing charades. The idea worked, said the players.

“This year, it was easier to bond together as a team,” said Tina Mitropoulos, a sophomore defender and tri-captain. “Outside of soccer, we had fun at the cookout and parties. And we created a team Facebook page, where we shared inspirational quotes and videos with each other.”

Mitropoulos, a pre-pharmacy major and Lake Zurich resident, credited Traversa for bringing out the best in the players. She also considers soccer to be a “huge stress reliever” from her hectic academic schedule.

Cassie Schambari, a freshman defender/ midfielder and tri-captain, agrees that playing soccer pays dividends off the field.

“Soccer taught me to be a leader, to talk to people and to be motivated,” said the Libertyville High School grad. “As tri-captain, I tried to positively encourage the other players.

If a teammate did something that’s incorrect, I showed them how to do it correctly rather than tell them. When they do something right, I’d tell them it’s awesome.”

The players set an ambitious goal of reaching the national championship tournament in Florida, but a 3-0 regional playoff loss to Waubonsee on Oct. 31 cut short the Lancers’ successful run. “We’re proud to have won the Skyway conference,” said Mitropoulos, keeping with the team’s focus on the positive.

COLLEGE FOCUS

CLC defender Tina Mitropoulos, right, battles an Elgin Community College player for the ball in a 2011 game played at the Grayslake campus.

ALUMNEWS | 9

COLLEGE FOCUS

A Tradition of Sporting Excellence College of Champions: Lancers reign as four-decade powerhouse of Skyway Conference

S

ince the Skyway Community College Conference was founded in 1970, the College of Lake County has been a powerhouse in many sports. Below is a chart listing the current conference members and the total number of championships won by each.

College of Lake County—123 Waubonsee—61 Elgin—48 Oakton—33

McHenry—33 Moraine Valley—24 Morton—14 Prairie State—0

Pick a sport: Lancer teams have brought home trophies Baseball/Men’s—18 Basketball/Men’s—4 Basketball/Women’s—4 Cross-Country/Men’s—9 Cross-Country/Women’s—1 Golf/Men’s—20 Soccer/Men’s—7 Soccer/Women’s—6 Softball/Women’s—17 Tennis/Men’s—13 Tennis/Women’s—10 Volleyball/Women’s—10 Wrestling/Men’s—4

Academic Excellence: CLC athletes who have won the Dick Durrant Award

I

n six of the last eight years, at least one Lancer athlete has won the Dick Durrant award, named after a respected teacher, coach and athletic director at Elgin Community College from 1961 to 1985. The Skyway Conference gives the award each year to a full-time student athlete who has completed at least 48 credit hours with a GPA of 3.0 or better.

2010-11

Caroline Mrowiec, women’s basketball

2009-10 Colin Drayton, men’s golf; Katie Ostrander, women’s basketball 2008-09 Arturo Rosiles, men’s soccer; Kelli Goodwin, women’s basketball 2006-07 Kacie Sheridan, women’s soccer 2004-05 Sara Carlson, women’s soccer SOURCE: WWW.SKYWAYCONFERENCE.COM

10 | COLLEGE OF LAKE COUNTY

CLASS NOTES

Alumni News Howard Quednau (’79) is acting chair of fine arts and associate professor at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

Gene Hanson: Lancer excellence personified

C

LC’s first athletic director, Gene Hanson, coached the baseball team for more than 30 years before retiring in 2004. During his legendary career as coach, Hanson posted a record of 964 wins, 383 losses, 16 Skyway Conference championships and two National Junior College Athletic Association Region IV state titles.

Among the athletes he coached were 35 players who signed professionally, including Eddie Sedar, the current third-base coach of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Among the athletes he coached were 35 players who signed professionally, including Eddie Sedar, the current third-base coach of the Milwaukee Brewers. In 1996, Hanson was inducted into the Illinois Athletic Hall of Fame.

Two years later, the baseball field at the college’s Grayslake campus was named after him.

Hanson now lives in Florida.

Did You Know?

All Lancer games are free of charge to alumni and the public. Schedules of the sports are available at www.clcillinois.edu/athletics. The college and our athletes welcome your fan support!

David Schiefelbein (’83) spent more than two decades as a newspaper journalist, including 19 at Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks region. He is presently working on a historical fiction novel centered around the New Madrid, Mo.-area earthquakes of 1811-12.

Darrell Woodard (’88) is an assistant principal at McNeel Middle School in Beloit, Wis. Nancy Winter (’98) is a customer service representative at Underwriters Laboratories Inc. in Northbrook, Ill. In November 2011, she received the Community Volunteer of the Year award sponsored by the Buffalo Grove Area Chamber of Commerce and Buffalo Grove Bank & Trust.

Dawn Desjardins (’99) is a Libertyvillebased author and illustrator of children’s books. Her latest works include “Leopold’s Birthday,” which explains the concept of leap year, and “The Autumn Marathon,” a personification of fallen leaves.

Clay Erickson (’07), is an executive chef for Morrison (a food-service provider) works at the Weinberg Community for Senior Living in Deerfield, Ill. Joshua Smith (’10) is the owner of Total Balance Massage & Wellness in Gurnee, Ill. Carolyn Cerf (’11) is a compliance specialist for Walgreen Co. in Deerfield, Ill.

What have you been doing lately?

Let your fellow alumni know! Post your submissions online at www.clcaa.com.

Look for the message board that corresponds with your graduation decade.

Selected entries also will be published in the AlumNews.

ALUMNEWS | 11

Faculty supporting Changing Lives include (clockwise from top) Pat Gonder (English/Humanities) Martin Ley (English/Writing) Scott Reed (Mathematics) Teresa Aguinaldo (English) Lauren LoPresti (Administrative Office Systems) Tracey Hoy (Mathematics) Margie Porter (Mechanical Engineering) (center) Wendy Brown (Anthropology)

COLLEGE FOUNDATION

Join Us in Supporting Changing Lives, the CLC Foundation’s Campaign for Scholarships

A

s a CLC alum, you know first-hand that the College of Lake County offers a great education that literally has the power to change lives. But did you know that, despite CLC’s efforts to keep tuition affordable, many students struggle to afford the educational opportunities offered by the college?

Each year, the CLC Foundation awards scholarships to help these students.

(Last year, the Foundation awarded over $500,000 in student scholarships.)

And, because the need is so great, the Foundation is working to do even more, conducting the Changing Lives campaign for scholarships.

“The Foundation scholarships take off the burden so you have time to focus on what’s really important—your education.”

Pablo Astudillo Honors Scholarship Recipient, Majoring in Accounting

We are supporting the campaign and urge you to join us by making a donation. A gift of any size can make a difference and will be greatly appreciated!

To learn more about Changing Lives and to make a donation, visit www.clcillinois.edu/changinglives.

“I really appreciate the Foundation scholarship I received. There are a lot of expenses with going to school, and with a large family, I cannot work at the same time that I am doing this rigorous program.”

Charlene Biondo Academic Achievement Scholarship Recipient, Nursing student and mother of six adopted children

“I’m the first in my family to go to college.

It’s important for me to be able to have a career to provide for my family and be a positive role model.

If you asked me why donations to the scholarship campaign are important, I’d say, it’s important for students to have a hand up and not a hand out.”

VerDéna L. Jones-Davis Career Scholarship Recipient

ALUMNEWS | 13

COLLEGE FOUNDATION

Foundation Update: A Scholarship Is the Name of the Game

Solid GPAs mean scholarships for athletes Heather Chapman and Alex Morgunov.

F

or CLC students Bret Bennette, Heather Chapman and Alex Morgunov, competition means more than winning in competitive sports. All three have won a CLC Foundation-funded Keith Ryan Memorial scholarship.

Three $1,000 scholarships are awarded annually to a male and female sophomore student athlete and a student pursuing a career in either print or broadcast communications.

Recipients must attain at least a 2.0 GPA. An annual banquet funds the scholarship, named after the late Keith Ryan, a sportscaster who spent nearly 25 years promoting Lake County sports until dying of cancer. The scholarship program was created in 1988 by the CLC Foundation.

Bennette, editor-in-chief of The Chronicle student newspaper, said it “feels good to be appreciated” for his efforts. The scholarship makes

14 | COLLEGE OF LAKE COUNTY

it easier for him to attain his dream of becoming a sportscaster.

“I’ve loved watching ESPN as much as playing sports,” said Bennette, a 2010 graduate of Grant High School, where he played baseball and was sports editor of the school’s student newspaper. “I love interviewing players and coaches, digging deep, finding out facts and writing.”

After earning his bachelor’s degree, the journalism major and Round Lake Beach resident would like to become a sports writer and eventually have his own radio show.

Chapman, a pre-med major and center for the women’s basketball team, said that the scholarship is helping finance her path to a bachelor’s degree and ultimately medical school. “I honestly love to help people,” she explained. “Helping people medically is the best way I can help someone.”

Having played basketball since she was little, Chapman said the sport “de-stresses” her. “It also makes me be a better teammate, and it helps me work hard for what I want, manage time and be competitive,” said the Ingleside resident. “And it’s fun to be with teammates, striving for one goal.”

Basketball also has broadened the horizons of Morgunov, a California native and 6'9" center on the CLC men’s team. Home-schooled in Sacramento, Morgunov played basketball in a private school league. At a national tournament in Missouri, he met Lake Villa resident Katie Ostrander (’11) and moved to Lake Villa in 2010. The couple will get married this summer.

Though Morgunov, a sociology major, hopes to continue playing for a Division I or II school, he said the scholarship will help him achieve his eventual goal of becoming a probation or parole officer.

“Growing up in a rough neighborhood, I didn’t have the best childhood,” he explained.

“When I was nine, my dad left the family, and I had to step up and be the man of the house.

We never had a lot of money. If I can go from that to school, averaging A’s and B’s, succeeding on the basketball court and in life, I can relate to kids and influence them by example.”

Bret Bennette, right, and John Kupetz, journalism instructor.

NEWS ROUNDUP

Foundation Scholarship Gala raises $125K The annual CLC Foundation Scholarship Gala, held Oct. 29 at the Hotel InterContinental on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, raised more than $125,000 for the Foundation’s scholarship fund.

Three hundred guests bid on 200 silent auction items, eight live auction items, enjoyed a black-tie dinner and danced to the music of The Ron Harris Band. “We are very thankful for the support and generosity of the Lake County community and our corporate sponsors,” said Julie Shroka, director of alumni relations and special events.

New evening seminar offer tips in project management and more CLC’s 2012 Alumni Professional Seminar Series features three free workshops on presentation skills (March 28), project management (April 25) and leadership (May 23). Each will be offered from 6-8 p.m. in Room V336 at the Southlake Campus in Vernon Hills.

For more information, visit www.clcroundtable.org or call the Alumni Association office at (847) 543-2401.

Alumni savor lunch, holiday lights in Chicago More than 30 CLC alumni and friends boarded a chartered bus Dec. 4 to celebrate the holiday season in Chicago. After enjoying lunch at Lawry’s – The Prime Rib restaurant, they shopped the Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza and later viewed holiday lights at Navy Pier. Left to right: Sue Dinardi (’75); Nancy Winter (’98); Julie Shroka, director of alumni relations and special events; Ed Oilschlager (’89) and Dee Oilschlager.

Alumni board seeking a former Lancer athlete The CLC Alumni Association Board is seeking an alumnus who participated in Lancer athletics as a CLC student to serve on the board. If you are interested, please email the Association at alum@clcillinois.edu.

Association seeking student mentors Interested in helping current CLC students on their career paths? The Alumni Association is seeking CLC graduates who willing to mentor students/student clubs, offer classroom presentations and participate on career panels. Out-of-state alumni can help through email. Interested? Visit www.collegecentral.com/clcillinois and click on the ’Alumni’ graphic. On the next page, click the ’Mentoring Network’ link. Then click the ’Join’ link; password is cps.

Enjoy 24/7, online contact with fellow alumni Stay in touch with fellow alumni online. On Facebook, find the page by entering CLC Alumni Association in the search field.

Don’t forget to “like” us! Also, visit the Alumni Association’s website at www.clcaa.com.

ALUMNEWS | 15

AlumNews

Non-Profit Organization US Postage

College of Lake County 19351 West Washington Street Grayslake, IL 60030-1198

PAID Grayslake, IL Permit No. 53

return service requested

www.clcillinois.edu

UPCOMING EVENTS

Joan Legat Memorial Golf Outing

Alumni Family Day at Six Flags Great America

Friday, May 18 Glen Flora Country Club, Waukegan

Sunday, June 17

Enjoy a fun-filled day of friendly competition while you help deserving CLC students reach their educational goals. The event benefits the CLC Foundation Scholarship Fund. For more information, please visit www.clcroundtable.org/golf2012.

Defy gravity on X-Flight, the ground-breaking wing coaster that is scheduled to open at Great America this summer! X-Flight is the first coaster with no track above or below you. Soar at speeds of 55 mph through 3,000 feet of intense drops and five inversions, including a barrel roll and zero-g roll.

Avoid parking hassles; A chartered bus will leave the Grayslake campus at 10:30 a.m. and return at 6 p.m. The special group admission price for this day is only $30 per person. To reserve tickets, visit www.clcroundtable.org or call the Alumni Center at (847) 543-2400.

Cubs vs. Brewers at Miller Park Monday, Aug. 20 Watch these rivals battle in Milwaukee’s Miller Park. The bus will depart from the Grayslake campus at 5 p.m. and the game begins at 7 p.m. Cost is $35 per ticket and $15 for bus transportation. To reserve tickets, visit www.clcroundtable.org or call the Alumni Center at (847) 543-2400.

CLC Trustees Barbara Oilschlager and Richard Anderson at 2011 Golf Outing.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street July 20, 21, 27 and 28 at 7:30 p.m.

July 22 and 29 at 2 p.m.

Mainstage Theatre This heart-pounding Tony Award-winning thriller has been hailed a musical masterpiece.

Sweeney Todd tells the tale of an unjustlyaccused man transformed by grief into the murderous “Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”

Tickets: $16 for general public; $13 for CLC staff/students/Seniors 65+/ JLC Subscribers.

To order tickets, call (847) 543-2300 or visit www.clcillinois.edu/tickets