Latest news with #Waubonsee
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Kane Sheriff's Office center that helps people impacted by criminal legal system start businesses launches independently
The Kane County Sheriff's Office's Entrepreneurship Center, which aims to help individuals impacted by the criminal legal system start businesses, is launching as an independent initiative of the sheriff's office, according to a news release from the office. Previously, the Honorable William H. Hall Entrepreneurship Center had been a Small Business Development Center satellite, the release said, and was supported by the Illinois Small Business Development Center, U.S. Small Business Administration and Waubonsee Community College. The transition to an independent center was a result of funding changes, the release said. Regarding Waubonsee's involvement with the center going forward, a spokesperson from the community college said in an emailed statement to The Beacon-News that 'the initiative grew larger than the budget provided,' and that the satellite 'was just the beginning of the plan to scale.' Waubonsee will be continuing its own SBDC-related work, the spokesperson said. A spokesperson from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, which administers Small Business Development Center funding on behalf of the state, confirmed that the department will not be directly involved with the entrepreneurship center in Kane County going forward. The county's entrepreneurship center will now be funded through detainee commissary funds, like other programs the sheriff's office runs, and through the office's corrections budget, according to Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain. The center's programming is meant to help individuals who are 'often excluded from traditional entrepreneurship programs,' the release said. The Kane County Small Business Development Center opened last September, and was meant to help current and former detainees start businesses, according to the county. It evolved from a program that has given detainees the chance to participate in a business plan and pitch competition. Per the county, two former detainees have since launched a catering company and a trucking business. The sheriff's office also announced recently that the entrepreneurship center would be hosting a free 'Start Your Business' program for justice-involved individuals in Kane County and surrounding areas, including formerly incarcerated individuals and people on probation or parole, according to the news release. Participants will receive instruction on topics like business planning, marketing, financial management and accessing capital, with classes held remotely and in person. The goal of these efforts is to reduce recidivism, said Judy Dawson, the Sheriff's Office's director of diversion and reentry programs. She noted that individuals who start businesses as a result of this programming can create more jobs for other people who have been incarcerated, forming a sort of 'employment ecosystem.' Those entrepreneurs can also be mentors to individuals who have been affected by the criminal legal system, because they've had similar experiences. Individuals interested in the class can contact the Sheriff's Office Small Business Development Center coordinator Rudy Gonzalez at gonzalezrudy@ or 331-335-0300.
Chicago Tribune
30-04-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
With new University of Illinois program in the works, students and community colleges in Aurora area discuss transfer process, challenges
Jorge Lagunas Delgado, 19, of Aurora started working at a pharmacy in high school — he'd applied to Walgreens as a cashier, but the pharmacy there needed staff members, so he began working as a technician. One day, he overheard the pharmacist he worked for consulting a patient about what medications to take. 'Having that knowledge — something about that clicked,' Lagunas Delgado said. Lagunas Delgado was also figuring out his next educational step around the same time. He had wanted to go to a four-year university after high school, but the price tag was too high. So he decided on a choice close to home: Waubonsee Community College. While at Waubonsee, he started out undecided about his future career path, but landed on becoming a pharmacist. Now, in his second year at Waubonsee, Lagunas Delgado is waiting to hear back from the four-year schools he's hoping to transfer to next fall — especially his top choice, the University of Illinois Chicago. At Waubonsee, he's part of a program for low-income, first-generation and students with disabilities that offers academic planning, career exploration, transfer advising and workshops. Advisors at Waubonsee helped him make sure he was meeting the requirements needed to transfer, like taking microbiology because UIC requires it for its pharmacy program, he said. Community college students like Lagunas Delgado have access to a number of pathway programs and resources that will help them transfer to four-year universities. And now, the University of Illinois system is adding another such program into the mix, that's meant to increase the number of students in the state who transfer from community colleges to four-year institutions, according to past reporting. The program, which is in partnership with One Million Degrees, a Chicago-based nonprofit supporting community college students, will provide academic coaching, financial assistance, career services and other support for a cohort of low-income and first-generation college students at select community colleges. And it's not the only community college program aiming to reduce barriers to college access — as the University of Illinois pilot prepares to launch, a state proposal to allow community colleges to offer bachelor's degrees in Illinois is being met with headwinds and opposition from four-year institutions. The governor's office and supporters from community colleges say such a program could eliminate financial and commuting barriers to students who need to stay close to home and can't transfer to a four-year institution. Many four-year schools are critical of the proposal. But, while the four-year degree proposal hangs in the balance, the University of Illinois pilot is set to move forward with its plan to help a selected group of students through their transfer to one of the university's campuses in Chicago, Urbana-Champaign or Springfield. The first cohort is slated to launch in spring 2026, according to a news release about the program, and the second group in spring 2027. As of mid-April, One Million Degrees had identified some mid- to larger-sized community colleges that can support 80 Pell grant-eligible students for the pilot program, senior director of academic programs and partnerships at the University of Illinois Gretchen Lohman said in an email statement to The Beacon-News. The pilot program will last for three years, with one community college per University of Illinois school, and then could continue or expand. The selection process is being spearheaded by One Million Degrees, according to Lohman. Among the factors in selecting community colleges are their geographic location and existing partnerships with U. of I. schools. The University of Illinois' enrollment has grown steadily in recent years, according to data from the U. of I. system. In fall 2024, new transfer students made up 4% of its enrollment. As for the state's community colleges, transfer was the largest type of program offered per 2024 data from the Illinois Community College Board, accounting for five out of every 10 credit students. And seven out of 10 students who earned a transfer degree or certificate in fiscal year 2024 said they were intending to transfer to a four-year school. All degree programs at community colleges saw decreases in enrollment between 2020 and 2024, but transfer programs saw an increase in enrollment between 2023 and 2024, per the Illinois Community College Board report from December 2024. In the Aurora area, the College of DuPage's total enrollment saw a net increase from 2020 to 2024, despite a dip from 2021 to 2023, and had a total enrollment of over 41,000 in 2024. Waubonsee Community College saw a similar dip, but its enrollment in 2024 remained about the same as in 2020, at around 15,400 students. For full-time, first-time students who began studying at Waubonsee in 2020, 41% graduated within 150% of the 'normal time' for completing the program they were enrolled in, while 21% transferred out, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics. For the same time frame, the College of DuPage saw 24% of its students graduate and 30% transfer out. Waubonsee, with campuses in Aurora, Sugar Grove and Plano, and the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn don't know whether they'll be selected for the U. of I. pilot program, but officials at both schools said offering a wide variety of programs can only benefit their students, to add to their existing portfolio of transfer and mentorship programs meant to help make the transfer process easier for Aurora-area students. Waubonsee, for example, has partnerships with numerous schools to facilitate students' transfer process: from Aurora University and Northern Illinois University in DeKalb to several Chicago schools, including ones in the University of Illinois system, to out-of-state colleges like Arizona State University. The new U. of I. program would provide one more option, she said. 'Schools that we know students are interested in, such as U. of I., anytime that they are reaching out to us to make transfer easier, we are going to work with them as best we can,' Waubonsee's graduation and transfer coordinator Sarah Kocunik told The Beacon-News. 'Because I don't want a student to think they can't come to us because we don't have a specific agreement.' University of Illinois also has its own transfer programs — for example, the 'U. of I. System Transfer Guarantee' program grants any student who graduated from an Illinois high school, earned at least 36 transferable college credit hours, has a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher in their transferable coursework and meets the university's English proficiency requirement guaranteed admission to a University of Illinois system school, according to a January news release from U. of I. The program originally applied only to students transferring from Illinois community colleges, but has since expanded to Illinois high school graduates from colleges or universities nationwide, according to the University of Illinois. The new U. of I. program might provide 'more intentional' mentorship than some of the existing programs, said Justin Hardee, the manager of the College of DuPage's transfer services center. Like Waubonsee, the College of DuPage offers a number of existing partnerships with four-year schools in Illinois and beyond, including some guaranteed admission programs. These kinds of programs give students 'a little sense of ease,' he said. 'There is definitely an information gap that's there for some students,' Hardee said. 'The interesting thing with transfer is there's not always a unified process. … They're not required to complete the associate's degree before they transfer. They could transfer at any time, and, as a community college, we're here to help students with their goal.' And different schools have different deadlines, processes and application requirements, Hardee said, which can further complicate the process. 'The transfer process, I feel like, it wasn't necessarily the hardest thing — the hardest thing really is getting organized for the transfer process,' Lagunas Delgado said about his experience applying. 'Making sure you're keeping on top of your studies, as well as keeping on top of the deadlines needed to submit your application.' It's been the same for Liliana Olson, 19, of Wheaton. She's about to complete her associate's degree this spring and will be transferring to DePaul University in Chicago with a scholarship. Figuring out how her credits transfer required 'a lot of website-digging,' she said at a transfer event at the College of DuPage recently. 'It was a lot of back-and-forth between COD's website and DePaul's website.' But she said DePaul and the College of DuPage having a partnership and transfer guides available helped. 'I think that a lot of stuff was pretty streamlined,' Olson said. 'Whereas, I was looking at some other private colleges …and I think that that was a little bit harder if they didn't already have that … relationship with them.' Managing deadlines, transfer credits and other logistical details is also an opportunity for 'learning self-discipline, and self-dependability,' Evril Bollaboina, 20, of Bolingbrook, said recently. Bollaboina started college at North Central College in Naperville, but transferred to the College of DuPage this year, with plans to transfer back to a four-year university in the fall and study neuroscience or psychology. 'It's your responsibility to keep up with yourself,' Bollaboina said about the transfer process. 'You've got to make sure you're a step ahead of that for yourself, and not expecting … people available to you to help you keep up with everything, or make sure you're doing everything or have completed requirements.' But the hope from officials at local community colleges is that programs like the U. of I. pilot can not only help materially bridge some of those gaps and logistical challenges, but also make those deadlines and responsibilities feel a bit less stressful. 'It helps students feel more confident,' Kocunik said about initiatives like the new University of Illinois program. 'When students can look on our website, or even parents can look on our website, and say, 'Well, you know, they've got this specific agreement.' It just adds to that confidence, and it makes their time (at a community college) maybe a little easier because they're not worrying about, 'Oh, when I finish here, are there going to be any issues?''
Chicago Tribune
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Tours planned at Waubonsee Community College's downtown Aurora campus
Waubonsee Community College is inviting prospective students, families and community members for tours of its Aurora Downtown Campus at 18 S. River St. on Tuesday, April 1. The free event will feature guided campus tours in English and Spanish at 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., school officials said in a press release. A Resource Fair will begin at 4:30 p.m., providing those attending the opportunity to connect with bilingual staff and support services to learn about admissions, financial aid, academic programs and more, officials said. There will be a prize drawing for a free class (up to a $500 value) at the event, according to the release. Waubonsee's Aurora Downtown Campus provides transferable general education courses, associate degrees and certificate programs, on-site tutoring support, and academic and career planning, officials said. The campus is also home to the college's Latinx Resource Center and the Adult Education Program, according to the release. For more information and to RSVP for the upcoming tours, go to Free art workshops planned To celebrate 15 years, Aurora Alley Art Festival will be hosting two free public workshops leading up to the Aug. 30 event, including one coming up in April. On Tuesday, April 15, Alley Art Festival will host a World Art Day workshop facilitated by Aurora artist Cherylyn Gnadt, event organizers said in a press release. Gnadt will lead attendees in creating inspirational Inner Hero Cards from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Mutual Ground, 418 Oak Ave. in Aurora, according to the release. On Saturday, May 10, Alley Art Festival will celebrate World Collage Day from 2 to 4 p.m. at Water Street Studios, 160 S. Water St. in Batavia. Collage artist Bryan 'Dadasoulface' Joseph will go over the history of collage and participants will be able to create collage art, the release stated. Registration is not needed for either art event. Seating and materials will be available on a first come, first served basis while supplies last, organizers said. The events are open to all ages and abilities. For more information on the Alley Art Festival, go to Program to focus on hospice, palliative care The St. Charles Public Library will host an informational program called 'Hospice and Palliative Care for You or Your Loved One' at 1 p.m. Thursday, April 3, at the library, 1 S. Sixth Ave. in St. Charles. Kristin Tosaw, an advanced practice nurse in palliative care, will explain the difference between palliative care and hospice, according to a press release from the library. She will discuss eligibility, and the course of care available. Hospice care is a type of end-of-life care that is provided when a person is nearing the end of their life, typically with a prognosis of six months or less to live, according to the release. Palliative care, on the other hand, is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and suffering associated with serious illnesses, but it is not limited to the end of life, event organizers said. To register for the program, go to or call 630-584-0076. Children can help illustrate calendar The city of Geneva's Student Government Committee is once again inviting elementary students to illustrate a calendar highlighting the importance of trees in the community, according to city officials. The art contest is open to Geneva students in first through fifth grades, according to a press release from the city of Geneva. Children can use crayons, colored pencils or markers to create their tree artwork on an 8½- by 11-inch blank sheet of paper, officials said. Landscape orientation is preferred. The submission deadline is Thursday, May 22. Parents can enter one original piece of artwork per student in person at Geneva City Hall, 22 S. First St., or online through the city's website at Those interested can go to the Parkway Tree Calendar Student Art Contest web page at the site for submission forms and more information. The city's Student Government Committee will review the submissions to determine which entries, selected from multiple grade levels and schools, will be included in the calendar, officials said. Winners will be honored at a future Geneva City Council meeting and will receive a free copy of the calendar when it is published during the summer, officials said. Knox Presbyterian Church hosting art exhibit A Lenten art exhibit featuring the works of the Rev. Shawna Bowman is being presented from Monday, April 14, to Friday, April 18, at Knox Presbyterian Church, 1105 Catalpa Lane, Naperville. Bowman, an artist and pastor at Friendship Presbyterian Church in Chicago, will display a series of works that provide an opportunity to walk through the final events of Christ's life and resurrection. 'This body of work is meant for us to explore the ways power is not only misused and abused in our current systems and realities but also point us to the promise that evil and death never have the final word. This is why there is also an Easter Station included in this series,' according to a description of the artwork. The free exhibit is open to the public and can be found in the church's main sanctuary. Viewing times are 1 to 8 p.m. April 14, 15 and 17, 1 to 6 p.m. April 16 and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 18. The self-guided experience also includes a brochure that will describe the art and provide questions for reflection, organizers said. This is the second year Knox Presbyterian Church has offered the Lenten art experience. Its event last year featured artists who were members of the church. For more information, go to
Chicago Tribune
18-02-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Experienced Sam Kerry helps carry load as Kaneland wins first conference title in 20 years. ‘She's a coach's dream.'
When Kaneland pulled up Sam Kerry to varsity as a sophomore, Brian Claesson said it was only after having several discussions with his coaching staff about the decision. Once Kerry arrived on the scene, however, she started to earn more opportunities, many of them important. And along with that elevated role and extra responsibility came internal strife. 'I was really afraid of making mistakes my sophomore year,' Kerry said. 'Now, I just try to let it go and not get down on myself. The biggest thing is staying positive throughout the game. 'I think the mental part is just as hard as the physical part. I can only thank my teammates for picking me up when I'm down.' All things have pointed up as a senior for Kerry, a 5-foot-8 guard/forward who has emerged as a reliable second scoring option behind senior guard Kendra Brown for the Knights (22-9). Looking back to that sophomore season, the physical part started catching up to the mental part for Kerry, a Waubonsee recruit. She then took another big leap last season as a junior. 'She's a coach's dream,' Claesson said of Kerry. 'She's being more vocal. When you talk about being a coach on the floor, she understands everything we're doing. 'She does all the little things fans don't realize. She's a huge part of our team.' Claesson said the strides Kerry has made have been a pleasant surprise even to him. 'Going into her junior year, we knew she had talent, but she took a jump we didn't see coming,' Claesson said. 'She keeps surprising us. Our success lately has correlated with her play.' Brown and Kerry have been playing together since they were little girls. This season, they have helped lead the Knights to their first conference championship in 20 seasons. Kaneland also is riding an eight-game winning streak heading into the Class 3A Crystal Lake South Regional, where the Knights will be looking for their second straight regional title. And Kerry has been a key. 'It's really cool seeing how she's improved just confidence-wise on the court,' Brown said. 'That's a huge thing for her. On the court, she brings scoring ability and a mentality to win. 'She's really competitive in practice and pushing all of us. It's nice to have that going for us going into the playoffs.' Kerry's success has led to reaching a lifelong dream by committing to play basketball in college. 'Once I finally got it all figured out, I felt so much better,' Kerry said. 'It definitely feels great. It feels like all of it happened for a reason. All the experiences, good and bad, had something to do with me getting here and I'm really happy about it. 'There's a lot less pressure. I already achieved the goals I wanted to achieve. This is all extra.' Brown, a Judson commit, and Kerry feel the Knights have unfinished business. And they're savoring this time together. 'Those two being our only seniors who play, they're enjoying the moment,' Claesson said. 'They realize they don't have a ton of time left and they're taking advantage of it.' Kerry, meanwhile, likes the way things are set up for Kaneland in the postseason. With the Knights playing their best basketball at the right time, hopes are sky high. 'Going into the season we weren't sure how it would go, but so many girls have stepped up,' Kerry said. 'I'm really excited for the postseason and what we can do. 'I think we've gotten prepared by the tough games we played this year. I think we learned a lot from those games.' Originally Published: February 17, 2025 at 9:20 PM CST
Chicago Tribune
05-02-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Oswego East alum Patrick Robinson makes prediction for Waubonsee. And it's coming true. ‘Have to go undefeated.'
Waubonsee Community College's Patrick Robinson wasn't trying to be Nostradamus. Or was he? The Oswego East graduate almost called the record-setting winning streak by the Chiefs. In the midst of a long knee injury rehabilitation, the 6-foot-4 forward left Missouri-St. Louis. Last spring, he was taking classes at Waubonsee and reacquainted himself with the school. Coach Lance Robinson, no relation, initially recruited Patrick Robinson, who was injured in practice late as a freshman and said he was limited to 'garbage time minutes' for a team loaded with veterans as Missouri-St. Louis reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division II Tournament. And then he came back home and attended Waubonsee. 'I'd pass him every day going to class, say 'hi' and let him know we could use him,' Lance Robinson said. 'He ended up coming to all our second semester games.' Patrick Robinson witnessed Waubonsee's bittersweet finish with a tough loss in the region final, followed by news the Chiefs (28-5) didn't receive an at-large berth for the national tournament. 'Coach,' Patrick Robinson said he told Lance, 'we'll have to go undefeated then next year.' To date, the Chiefs have come pretty close to winning them all. Waubonsee dropped its season opener without Lance Robinson coaching because he had been ejected from that loss in the region final. The Chiefs, however, haven't lost since that game. The latest in a program-record 23-game winning streak came Tuesday night with a 96-82 victory over visiting Oakton at Sugar Grove. Patrick Robinson didn't play Tuesday, sidelined after rolling his ankle last Thursday in a 131-115 win over McHenry that set the program record for points in a game. He's expected to return at 7:15 p.m. Thursday for an Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference game at Elgin. How have the Chiefs done it? It started with Lance Robinson receiving a bonus. Christian Meeks, Patrick Robinson's former teammate at Missouri-St. Louis, decided to join him and transfer to Waubonsee. 'It was like a package deal,' Lance said. 'I knew if I could get one to come, I might get the other.' Meeks, who redshirted his first year at Missouri-St. Louis, then saw limited minutes as a redshirt freshman and wasn't happy with his situation either. The 6-5 forward and Homewood-Flossmoor graduate has emerged as the Chiefs' scoring leader with a 15.2 average. Meeks and H-F had gone head-to-head with Patrick Robinson and Oswego East as seniors in high school at the Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic. It was the Wolves' lone regular-season loss in a record-setting run that ended with a double-overtime loss to Bolingbrook in a sectional final. 'That's my guy,' Patrick Robinson said of Meeks. Robinson added he would be delighted if they could go to another four-year program together. First things first, however. Both are strong inside-out players who combine with two returning guards from last season to give Lance Robinson a strong core. Shooting guard Zach Hayslett, who's from Memphis, averages 14.9 points. Point guard Aboubacar Sidibe, who's from Milwaukee, averages 12.3 points. Patrick Robinson follows at 10.9 points for the Chiefs, who have seven players averaging 8.4 points or more. Waubonsee shares the ball and shoots the 3-pointer with equal efficiency. The Chiefs are ranked fourth nationally in averaging 21.4 assists and second nationally with 244 made 3-pointers. Patrick Robinson is a prime example, and he and Meeks bring out the best in each other. 'Patrick is kind of like a big wing, so to speak,' Lance Robinson said. 'He can score inside-out. He's one of the best inside players in the area. He's also shooting 35% from three, and he's good at defensive positioning and some other things you wouldn't notice unless you coach. 'When I put them on opposing sides in practice, the defensive intensity definitely picks up. They push each other.'
