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Features

Chester-East Lincoln graduation

[MAY 31, 2002]  Chester-East Lincoln School held their graduation exercises Friday, May 24, at 7:30 p.m.

Ruth Ohmart delivered the welcome address.  Diplomas were presented by various members of the Chester-East Lincoln board of education.  Erin Frick delivered the farewell address.

The following students received special awards:

The Presidential Education Awards were presented to Katelyn Beavers, Curt Courtwright, Melissa Cunningham, Michelle Fitzpatrick, Erin Frick, Andrew Fulton, Kara Gehlbach, Kevin Huelskoetter, Alison Kessinger, Aaron Meyrick, Ashley Moore, Jeremy Moore, Ruth Ohmart, Craig Rohlfs and Troy Tolan.

The Mathematics Award, presented by Doug Rader, went to Troy Tolan and Alison Kessinger.

The Science Award, presented by Cindy Erlandson, went to Andrew Fulton.

The Literature Award, presented by Beth Steffens, went to Melissa Cunningham, Alison Kessinger and Troy Tolan.

The Ron Groth Memorial English Award, also presented by Beth Steffens, went to Ashley Moore.

The American Legion Awards, presented by Wayne Schrader, went to Kara Gehlbach and Kevin Huelskoetter.

The DAR Award, presented by Claudia McEvers, went to Katelyn Beavers.

[LDN]

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Zion Lutheran graduation

[May 31, 2002]  Zion Lutheran School held their graduation exercises Friday, May 24, at 7 p.m.  Pastor Mark Peters gave the graduation address.

[LDN]

Chester-East Lincoln grad in
national championship spelling bee

[MAY 30, 2002]  Alison Kessinger advanced to the 75th annual Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee held in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday and Thursday. She made it to the national competition as winner of the 16th Pantagraph Grand Final that took place in March.

Competition began on Wednesday with 250 other contestants from across the nation. The day started with a standard elimination round that left 175 contestants including Kessinger. These contestants then took a 25-word written test that allowed for up to nine misses. Kessinger had only eight wrong.

She continued her quest for the national best speller title with the best of the best Thursday morning. The competition resumed using standard oral bee format. It was broadcast live over ESPN starting at 9 a.m. Kessinger was eliminated in the third round.

[Jan Youngquist]

Summer youth workshop to
focus on aviation opportunities

[MAY 23, 2002]  Heritage in Flight Museum, located at the Logan County Airport, Lincoln, is offering a workshop that runs from Monday, June 3, through Friday, June 7. The program provides information and experiences for students in grades seven through 12. This year’s workshop will examine employment opportunities in aviation.

On Monday, a flight instructor will explain the Federal Aviation Administration’s requirements for various pilot licenses. The FAA requirements for mechanics who repair aircraft will also be covered.

Tuesday is military aviation career day, and the museum has made arrangements for a Blackhawk transportation helicopter and its crew to explain the role of helicopters. Students will be interested in how they can use military aviation experiences to prepare for civilian aviation jobs.

On Wednesday, a United Airlines Boeing 747 pilot will talk to the students.

On Thursday, the main speaker will be an airport designer and administrator from an airport design and construction company.

On Friday, a certified ground school instructor will do a mini ground school using his airplane, a Piper Arrow. He will distribute sections of the pilot/operating handbook on the aircraft and give an overview of the aircraft design, features and operating procedures. He will include some points about aircraft inspections and interactions with controllers and fixed-base operators to give the cadets an idea of what those jobs are.

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The instructors are from Springfield, Lincoln and Normal, and the students are from schools within 30 miles of Lincoln. The workshop will meet from 1 to 4 p.m. on each of the five days, and introductory airplane rides will be given after 4 p.m.

Students are not charged any fees, since the museum has a grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to develop an aviation workshop for students and teachers in grades seven through 12. Those attending must have a reservation; there are only a few openings left.

[Press release from Milt Underkoffler,
educational coordinator for
Heritage in Flight Museum]

Honors & Awards

IMSA grads

[MAY 25, 2002]  AURORA — The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy will graduate its 14th senior class at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 1, at the Paramount Arts Centre in Aurora. Dr. Walter Massey, president of Morehouse College, will give the commencement address.

Local area members of IMSA’s class of 2002 include Adrian Gurga of Lincoln Community High School, Lincoln, and Nathaniel Covert of Olympia High School, Stanford.

Andrew Langan of Marion and Rebecca Liu of Chicago will be the student speakers. Diplomas and academic medallions will be presented to the 177-member class by Dr. Stephanie Pace Marshall, president, and Ms. Sheila MB Griffin, chairman of the board of trustees.

IMSA Principal Eric McLaren said the students are to be commended for their perseverance. "The IMSA path that you chose, one that was often filled with risk-taking and obstacles, will ultimately help prepare you to become the stewards that one day the world will look to for leadership," McLaren said.

Because of seating limitations, IMSA’s graduation ceremony is not open to the public. Following the ceremony, graduates and their families will join faculty and staff members for a reception on campus.

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Located in Aurora, IMSA is a learning enterprise that builds the capacity of students, teachers and policymakers to improve and transform mathematics and science teaching and learning. IMSA’s residential educational program serves Illinois students grades 10 through 12 who are talented in mathematics and science; its professional development center serves schools, educational systems, teachers and students in Illinois and beyond.

[IMSA news release]

[Click here for a list of 2002 IMSA graduates]

Dwight F. Zimmerman Healthcare Scholarships awarded

[MAY 25, 2002]  Recipients of the 2002 Dwight F. Zimmerman Healthcare Career Scholarships were honored at a reception on May 9, at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital. Scholarships are awarded annually through the Abraham Lincoln Healthcare Foundation to local graduates who are pursuing careers in a field of health care.

Each year five outstanding academic students receive scholarship awards. Two of the five finalists receive scholarships of $1,500, and three $500 scholarships are awarded to students who are interviewed by the scholarship selection committee.

[Photos provided by ALMH]
[Elizabeth Eigenbrod]

Elizabeth Marie Eigenbrod, daughter of Michael and Ellen Eigenbrod, received a $1,500 scholarship. Eigenbrod, a graduating senior at Illini Central High School, plans to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and study speech and hearing science. Her goal is to become a speech pathologist.

[Kari Borowiak]

Kari Ellyn Borowiak, daughter of Robert and Carolyn Borowiak, was also awarded a $1,500 scholarship. Borowiak, a sophomore at Lincoln College, plans to attend Murray State University in Kentucky and become a nurse anesthetist.

Three additional scholarships of $500 each were awarded to Ashley Lynn McCormick, Rachel Wrage and Noor Aminah Obaisi.

[Ashley McCormick]

Ashley McCormick, daughter of Donald and Jill Letterle, is a graduating senior at Mount Pulaski High School. She will be attending Illinois Wesleyan University this fall, majoring in chemistry. She will pursue a career as a physician, possibly as a cardiovascular surgeon.

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[Rachel Wrage]

Rachel Wrage, daughter of Brian and Nancy Wrage, will be graduating from Hartsburg-Emden High School and also plans on attending Illinois Wesleyan University. She will study pre-medicine with a goal of becoming a surgeon.

[Noor Obaisi]

Noor Obaisi, daughter of Saleh and Ghaliah Obaisi, is a senior at Lincoln Community High School and will be attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign this fall. Obaisi’s major will be pre-medicine, and she aspires to become an ophthalmologist.

For more information about the Dwight F. Zimmerman Healthcare Career Scholarships or to make a donation to this program, please call (217) 732-2161, Ext. 316.

[ALMH news release]

Former Lincoln student receives scholastic awards

[MAY 23, 2002]  Chris Pettit of Highlands Ranch, Colo., formerly of Lincoln, has been named Outstanding Sophomore Math Student at ThunderRidge High School. Being selected by the math department from a class of approximately 500 students, Chris received the award at a ceremony held on May 15. In April, he was also honored to be inducted into the National Honor Society.

Chris is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Rick Pettit of Highlands Ranch, Colo., and Mr. and Mrs. Terry Haseley of Lincoln.  He is a graduate of Carroll Catholic School and attended Lincoln Community High School as a freshman.

John Brown University recognizes honor students

[MAY 18, 2002]  SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. — The following students have been named to academic honor lists for the spring 2002 term at John Brown University.

President’s List (semester GPA of 3.8-4.0)

Michelle Manes and Jairin Schrader of Lincoln

Dean’s List (semester GPA of 3.4-3.79)

Katie Friesen, Andrea Williams and Emily Williams of Lincoln

John Brown University is a private university with an enrollment of more than 1,600 students from 45 states and 33 countries. JBU is a member of the Arkansas Independent Colleges and Universities and the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.

[JBU news release]

Lincoln College nurse honored with Goodwill Award from Logan County Health Department

[MAY 15, 2002]  Judy Horn, Lincoln College nurse, is the recipient of this year’s Goodwill Award from the Logan County Health Department.

Lincoln College President Jack Nutt said the nomination is well deserved. "Judy plays an important role on campus and helps both students and faculty with health issues. We appreciate her dedication to the job and are happy to congratulate her on the award," he said.

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Logan County Health Department Administrator Lloyd Evans said Judy Horn has been active with a variety of projects involving Lincoln College and the Logan County Health Department.

The award recognizes people who have helped the Logan County Health Department by promoting programs offered by the agency. The criteria to be nominated are that the assistance or collaboration impacted residents of Logan County and the action promoted the development, expansion or continuation of Logan County Health Department programs, projects or services.

The award has been presented annually since 1997.

[Lincoln College news release]

Announcements

Three problem-based learning sessions offered through IMSA

[MAY 24, 2002]  AURORA — The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy is now accepting registrations from students for its Summer Sleuths program. Students entering seventh, eighth or ninth grades in the fall of 2002 are eligible to apply. The application deadline is June 15.

In this day camp, students use science, social science and Internet tools to solve a real-world problem. Students will present their solutions to a panel of experts.

Problem-based learning, or PBL, is an educational approach that organizes curriculum and instruction around carefully crafted problematic situations adapted from real-world issues (i.e.: groundwater contamination, air pollution, flood control). Learners gather and apply knowledge from multiple disciplines in their quest for solutions.

The program is available on three separate times: June 24-27 and July 15-18 at Illinois Benedictine University in Lisle and July 22-25 at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora.

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Information about these workshops can be found at www.imsa.edu/center/pbl/intro.html or contact Deb Gerdes at (630) 907-5957 or dgerdes@imsa.edu.

Located in Aurora, IMSA is a learning enterprise that builds the capacity of students, teachers and policymakers to improve and transform mathematics and science teaching and learning. IMSA’s residential educational program serves Illinois students grades 10 through 12 who are talented in mathematics and science; its professional development center serves schools, educational systems, teachers and students in Illinois and beyond.

[IMSA news release]

[MAY 3, 2002]  AURORA — The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy is now accepting registrations from educators for its two summer programs that provide an introduction to problem-based learning, or PBL. The deadline for applications is June 15.

Problem-based learning is an educational approach that organizes curriculum and instruction around carefully crafted problematic situations adapted from real-world issues, such as groundwater contamination, air pollution and flood control. Learners gather and apply knowledge from multiple disciplines in their quest for solutions. IMSA’s PBL institutes empower teachers to design and implement this methodology in their classrooms.

The first summer program, Summer Sleuths Institute for PBL Coaching, will be July 15-19 and July 22-26. The first week, educators will immerse in a problem and then debrief and discuss the PBL process. The second week, educators will coach middle-school students (with help from a mentor coach) through the same problem. On the final day, educators and students will make formal presentations on their solutions.

The second summer program, Harris Institute for PBL Design, will be Aug. 5-8. Educators will begin the week immersed in a problem and will then design their own problems for classroom use with the assistance of a mentor coach.

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Information about these workshops can be found at www.imsa.edu/center/pbl/intro.html, and people interested can contact Deb Gerdes at (630) 907-5957 or dgerdes@imsa.edu.

Located in Aurora, IMSA is a learning enterprise that builds the capacity of students, teachers and policymakers to improve and transform mathematics and science teaching and learning. IMSA’s residential educational program serves Illinois students in grades 10 through 12 who are talented in mathematics and science; its professional development center serves schools, educational systems, teachers and students in Illinois and beyond.

[IMSA news release]

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