FREEPORT — Highland Community College held its 54th annual Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 13 at 10 a.m. in the courtyard between the Marvin-Burt Liberal Arts Center and Natural Science Center.
A large crowd of guests celebrated the achievements of 157 graduates who participated in the ceremony. Over 300 students completed degrees or certificates this year.
The address to the class of 2017 was given by Dr. Karen Hunter Anderson, Executive Director for the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB). Dr. Anderson has been with the ICCB since 1999 and became the Executive Director in 2013. Advancing from the position of Vice President of the ICCB, Dr. Anderson is the first ICCB staff person to be selected for the permanent position of Executive Director. During her tenure at ICCB, Dr. Anderson has provided leadership and has served as an administrator for nearly all the Board’s functions in the divisions related to workforce, career & technical education, student services, minority affairs, accountability and assessment, adult education, institutional research, education technology, international education, and academic affairs. Dr. Anderson received her M.A. in English and Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition from the University of Louisville.
The “Greetings to the Class of 2017” was presented by alumna Margaret “Peg” Dittmar, Class of 1984, from Elizabeth. Peg received her B.S.N. from Rockford University in 2003 and M.S.N. from Northern Illinois University in 2005. She currently serves as a nurse practitioner at Midwest Health Clinic.
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