Coming Back to Give Back

EAST PEORIA — A relatively new facet of Illinois Central College, the ICC Alumni Association has been drawing past students back to ICC this semester to give them the opportunity to give back to their alma mater.

These alumni are returning to give back to the College and its students in ways ranging from artistic to financial, and it is all due to the efforts of the ICC Alumni Association.

Fourteen of the fifteen colleges and universities within 50 miles of ICC have associations for alumni, some dating back more than 100 years. ICC, however, just began to put forth an official effort in that area during the last eighteen months, said Elaine Goslin, coordinator of alumni relations at ICC.

It was in May of 2012 that Goslin was hired by ICC to spearhead the creation of a new department at ICC, Alumni Relations, that would focus on building a network to connect past students, current students, and the College itself. And it was with this act that ICC began its commitment to its alumni. Now, they are acting on that commitment.

“We know from our research and from surveys people have filled out that people want networking opportunities.” said Goslin. “Current students want the opportunity to be around alumus who are successful in [their career] fields already.”

This semester, Goslin and the association have managed to give current students the opportunity to meet and even benefit from a few notable alumni. On Sept. 12 Tabatha Dragonberry, a 2006 graduate of ICC’s respiratory therapy program, gave a presentation in the East Peoria Academic Building’s lecture hall on how students can prepare themselves for job interviews. She wanted to share her experiences with ICC students to help them be more successful after college because she felt that ICC benefited her in the past.

“I got my associate’s here,” said Dragonberry. “I was able to get a job; I started working. If it wasn’t for Illinois Central College, I wouldn’t have gotten that job. And then I continued on and got a bachelor’s degree, and now I am continuing on to get a master’s degree.”

During that same September week, Alecia McClain, another ICC alumnus, was preparing a different sort of presentation for students. McClain, who was an ICC student back in , returned to ICC for the sole purpose of beautifying the campus with a painted mural inside the East Peoria’s cafeteria food court, a project that is even a learnin

“I usually paint on very large canvas, but nothing of this size.” said McClain. “It’s a good opportunity for me in that regard, too. It pushes my boundaries–literally and figuratively.”

To wrap up the eventful month of September, the Alumni Association hosted a webinar featuring another successful alumnus, millionaire businessman Kim Blickenstaff. Blickenstaff gave a lecture titled “Changing an Industry: The Power of Market Research,” in which he shared about the financial power of properly utilizing the free market system in business.

Next, the Alumni Association plans to hold an event here in East Peoria on the afternoon of Nov. 20 that will focus on teaching students the ins and outs of writing a professional resume.

Goslin said that the Alumni Association was just opened to membership this June, and she is encouraging alumni to join not just because of the social benefits but also because of financial ones. She said that Alumni Association members receive discounts and incentives at more than 25 local establishments.

For more information on the Alumni Association, membership, and upcoming events, Elaine Goslin can be reached at (309) 694-5282 or alumni@icc.edu .