News

“Happy New Year” is a greeting we’ve heard and seen a lot during the past few weeks. While friendly and innocuous enough, the greeting can gloss over the fact that many of us are anything but happy during the cold, dark months of winter. With the holidays behind us, January is a good time to take stock of our personal mental wellness and that of our family and friends.

Nominations are being accepted for Waubonsee Community College’s 2020 Distinguished Contributor and Distinguished Alumnus Awards. Nominations must be received by Friday, January 31 to be considered for this year. The awards will be presented to the recipients at the college’s commencement ceremonies on May 16.

The start of a year brings a sense of newness and opportunity that extends beyond just the turn of the calendar. Many of us have new year resolutions that we use as tools to help us enhance our lives in a variety of ways. We make plans that support our resolutions and do things like buy gym memberships and healthier groceries, make financial budgets, and create tools to help us stay organized.

Resolutions and plans do not have to begin in January, though. For Waubonsee, the Strategic Plan we launched last August serves as our resolution to be the top choice for learning in our community.

One of the most disappointing stories you can hear is that of a student who has had to delay or forego their education altogether due to a lack of resources. In some cases, these students may have not known about the scholarships available through the Waubonsee Foundation or may have just not taken the steps needed to learn about and complete the application process.

Thanks to our very generous and loyal donors, the Foundation has provided 405 scholarship awards totaling over $378,000 to 346 recipients for the 2019-2020 academic year.

“Well you’re just wrong.”

How many times have you heard that lately? Given our current climate of contention and spirited discussion…to put it mildly…you may have found yourself debating opinions with a family member, a coworker, or perhaps with someone you don’t even know in that most bedeviling venue of them all: the social media comments section.

Despite how noble the spirit of someone’s intent might be, they can often base their claims on what are called “logical fallacies.” These are concepts we sometimes learn about in high school or college, but such lessons can easily fade in memory. Flawed reasoning is everywhere, from our neighbors to the sometimes “fake news” story, so it’s good to review a few fallacies so you can spot when either a friend or a media pundit is making a shaky claim.

Her father was born in Valle de Guadalupe, a small town in Mexico. Her mother was born in the smaller town of Quitupan, Mexico. They both came to the United States on work visas in 1972. In time, they both became U.S. citizens, owned property, and raised five children. They did all of this without the benefit of any college education. One of their children, though, is now a college student studying earth sciences and recently completed a program in which she studied climate change in Estonia.

For many, the holiday season is a time to renew or strengthen connections with those around us. It is a time to see past differences and remember what makes us alike. Strangers seem more like friends and kindness greets us unexpectedly.

Whether you are a high school senior or a parent returning to school, navigating your funding options to pay for college can be cumbersome as you explore possibilities for education and training. If you plan on attending college starting in fall 2020, now is the time to start exploring ways to pay for college.

Waubonsee Community College welcomes Mr. Bernard Little to the position of Dean for Students.

Waubonsee Community College received a gold seal from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge for a student voter rate between 40% and 49% during the 2018 elections.