News

The Waubonsee Community College Foundation recently welcomed two new members to the board of directors, Yonas Hagos, of Yorkville, and Brian Schmidt, of Bolingbrook.

In honor of Native American Heritage Month, Waubonsee Community College is hosting programs to educate and raise awareness about the heritage, culture, traditions, and customs of the First Nations people. Community members are invited to these free events to learn about Native American tribes; the unique challenges, past and present, that Native people have faced; and how tribal citizens have worked to overcome these challenges.

Waubonsee Community College announced the names of the student government for the current academic year.

Waubonsee Community College welcomes Dr. Dan McDonnell, of Morris, to the position of Director of School District Partnerships. 

Waubonsee Community College Adult and Workforce Education Department has been awarded a grant of $29,508 by the Dunham Foundation to address the shortage of bilingual teachers in K-12 schools in the college's district area. This grant aims to provide free career training access to skilled and qualified non-English native speakers, helping them accelerate quickly into a paraprofessional career.

The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to Waubonsee for its annual comprehensive financial report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022. 

In my role as Dean for Adult and Workforce Education at Waubonsee Community College, I am privileged to work with an amazing group of individuals that are dedicated to building strong connections in our community and promoting social equity. I am also the proud father of three children. Recently, I took my six-year-old son to our local public library, and he was immediately drawn to the Hispanic Heritage Month book display. He became interested in a book about the Pledge of Allegiance, which tells the story of a young girl's great-aunt who had lived in the U.S. for many years after immigrating from Mexico.

In a post-COVID world, higher education professionals encounter more students who are having difficulty finding their place on campus as we return to in-person classes and face-to-face environments, activities, and events. Sense of belonging is key for students to feel like they can ask for help and succeed overall, but how can we, as staff and faculty, help our students feel like they "belong"? Now more than ever, it is important to have collaboration amongst staff and faculty across different institutions to promote the utilization of all available resources to our students. 

Waubonsee Community College is hosting events celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month from Oct. 1 to Oct. 31. This month-long celebration is open to students, faculty, staff, and members of the community, and aims to raise awareness of the history and civil rights movements related to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. The programming is free and open to the public.

The month of August often signals a new beginning, like the refreshing “reset button” feeling a new year can bring. It marks the start of a new academic year, presenting an opportunity to discover new interests, strive for personal or career goals, and expand one's mind and perspective. Our fall enrollment is thriving and growing, with enthusiastic students, faculty, staff, and community members eager to engage, learn, and establish meaningful connections. This is a truly thrilling time.