Staff / WGLT
Country Financial is partnering with the Heartland Community College Foundation to help underrepresented high school students jump start their college careers.
A new scholarship opportunity, called the Country Financial Scholars Program, will cover up to 18 credit hours of dual enrollment and dual credit classes a year for a dozen Bloomington-Normal area students interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, business or agriculture. Country Financial also will connect students with mentors in those areas.
Sarah Diel-Hunt, Heartland’s vice president of enrollment and student services, said the program is focused on students who traditionally haven’t been able to afford early college access.
College News
Western Illinois University
MACOMB A total of 678 students earned academic degrees or post-baccalaureate certificates after the Fall 2020 semester at Western Illinois University.
Bachelor s degrees were awarded to 508 graduates. Among them was Kaylie A Bednar of Chatsworth. Bednar earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
McKendree University
LEBANON Griffin Brunner was named to the President s List and Garrett Brunner made the Dean s List for the fall semester at McKendree University.
Griffin Brunner earned a 4.0 grade point average to be named to the President s List. Garrett Brunner made the Dean s List by achieving a GPA of 3.6 or better.
McKendree University is a College of Distinction, a Military College of Distinction and one of U.S. News Best Regional Universities, Best Value Schools and Best Colleges for Veterans in the Midwest. Founded in 1828, the historic Lebanon, Ill., campus is 25 miles from St. Louis, Mo.
Credit Carleigh Gray / WGLT
Heartland Community College is reporting a sharp decline in enrollment, especially among new students.
Enrollment in that category was down 32% on the first day of the spring term compared with this time last year. Heartland enrollment head Sarah Diel-Hunt said the community college experienced similarly low numbers in the fall, when the pandemic delayed plans for many first-time students.
“We’re still seeing large numbers of new students are holding out and they’re simply choosing to not come to the college at this time,” she said Tuesday night at the HCC board of trustees meeting.
BLOOMINGTONÂ â There will be new faces on the McLean County Unit 5 school board next year as none of the three incumbents whose terms expire in 2021 filed for re-election. Monday was the deadline for candidates to file. The election is April 6.
In addition to Unit 5, there will be contested races in Bloomington District 87 and for the Heartland Community College board.
Unit 5
Three four-year seats up for election in Unit 5. The terms of Taunia Leffler, Meta Mickens-Baker and Mike Trask expire in 2021 and none filed nominating petitions.
No more than three people from the same congressional township can serve on the Unit 5 school board.
Community Health Care Clinic / Facebook
A growing immigrant group in Bloomington-Normal faces barriers to getting medical attention.
The non-profit Community Health Care Clinic in Normal says Congolese patients face inequities because of the language barrier.
The clinic is used to care for immigrant communities. Five staff members are bilingual in Spanish. Nearly three-quarters of the clinic patient base is Hispanic.
What the clinic didn t have was a French interpreter, said Executive Director Mike Romagnoli. It s kind of a chicken-or-the egg situation, Romagnoli said. We have been caring for some of the patients from Congo for a while, but we have not been meeting their needs very well and primarily, it s communication.