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GRADUATIONS 2015 McHenry East, McHenry West
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Board to seek help to find next leader By EMILY K. COLEMAN ecoleman@shawmedia.com
Matthew Apgar – mapgar@shawmedia.com
Vanessa Aguirre smiles as she looks up into the bleachers Thursday during the 95th annual commencement ceremony at McHenry High School West in McHenry.
Grads’ achievements celebrated at West pered her address to the Class of 2015 with realistic advice. McHENRY – Morgan She applauded those Leon gave a frank send-off who had made mistakes, for speech to her fellow McHen- they, she said, had probably ry High School West Cam- learned a lot about thempus graduates on Thursday selves. night. She encouraged fellow “I’m not going to pretend graduates to focus on the that we’re all best friends things they could control in here, and that we all love their future – their choices each other, but for right and their reactions to the now, I ask you to put aside inevitable chaos that comes your differences and just with living. Michelle LaVigne for Shaw Media breathe in the moment. How “How we respond will Nikki Taylor Zenner, the final graduate to accept her diploma, celebrates Thursday while exiting all of us are here together,” determine our happiness,” the stage during the McHenry High School East Campus commencement in McHenry. she said. Leon said. “It is a good place, with “We are given an opporgood people in it. ... Don’t tunity to learn from our misforget that. ... I just want you takes until the very end,” all to know that you are part she reminded her class. the front entrance of the and question the status By LINDSAY WEBER of something,” Leon said. Both Leon and fellow school and on its path, a quo,” Principal Eric Blake editorial@nwherald.com Leon, headed to the Art depiction of Judd Nelson’s said. See WEST, page A9 Institute of Chicago, pepMcHENRY – The cover character from the movBlake described the of the McHenry Communi- ie “The Breakfast Club,” 2015 graduating class as a ty High School East Cam- his arm raised in a trium- group that has challenged MORE ONLINE pus graduation program phant fist. We did it. him, and that he believes For commencement photo galleries and videos, said it all. “I hope this group of visit NWHerald.com. On it, a drawing of kids continue to challenge See EAST, page A9
By KATIE ANDERSON-TEDDER editorial@nwherald.com
East graduates show promise
CRYSTAL LAKE – The search is on – for the firm that will help McHenry County College find its next chief executive. The McHenry County College Board of Trustees decided this week to have two trustees put together a list of three to five firms ahead of its meeting next week instead of issuing a request for proposals, which would have opened the search up to any firm that decided to apply. President Vicky Smith, who is set to retire at the end of 2015, cautioned the board that the request for proposal process would take more time. It wouldn’t be until one of the meetings in June that the Board of Trustees would be able to pick a firm, and then a contract would have to be negotiated, Smith said. That means the firm might not get started with the search for a new college president until mid-July or August. This is the avenue the college took when it conducted the search that resulted in Smith’s hiring five years ago, said the board’s attorney, Nanci Rogers. Trustee Karen Tirio also suggested forgoing a search firm altogether and hiring Tony Miksa, the college’s vice president of academic and student affairs who had been tapped to be Oregon Community College’s next president, on a trial basis. “I think before we spend a cent on a search firm, I think the board should have a deep discussion of appointing Dr. Miksa president on a trial basis with his complete appointment pending a six- to 12-month trial period,” she said. “If the board agrees to that soon, by June he would get a six-month mentoring from the current president, Dr. Smith, and we could wind up with a great choice for president while saving the college and the taxpayers $150,000.” But Trustee Molly Walsh said she thought hiring the firm was worth the money, a sentiment echoed by Committee of the Whole Chairman Linda Liddell. “I think also the whole process where you have the whole community come together is really important in terms of selecting the next president and you really need input from all the stockholders,” Walsh said. “I think really it’s worth the money. It’s going to be our future. It’s a good investment.” The hiring of a search firm also
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