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On Saturday, Feb. 29, the Wabash Valley College bass team hosted a bass fishing workshop with Major League Fishing, Bass Pro Tour angler Bradley Roy. The event was held in the Brubeck Arts Center Auditorium with around 100 anglers and fishing enthusiasts in attendance.

More than 400 students from area high schools filled Wabash Valley College’s Brubeck Arts Center Theatre for the 7th annual health care career expo and cadaver surgery on Feb. 21. The annual event, which is hosted in conjunction with Wabash General Hospital, allowed students to hear from industry professionals about their specific roles in the medical field, tour Wabash Valley College’s life sciences and nursing facilities and watch a total knee replacement surgery performed on one of the college’s cadavers.

Ířşě±¬ÁĎ has acquired new equipment for its Welding Program through a U.S. Economic Development Administration Grant. An OMAX Water Jet machine, two Lincoln Electric downdraft tables and 11 Lincoln Electric welders have been acquired for student use. Instructor Curtis Marshall said the new items will give students experience utilizing the state-of-the-art equipment they will encounter in the workplace.

Lincoln Trail College recognized Crawford County’s young artists at this year’s annual Celebrate Art! Event on March 5. The annual event invites high school artists to submit their work for a competition and also brings the artists to the College to hear from a professional artist. Crawford County high school students submitted 61 pieces of art for this year’s Celebrate Art! competition. The artwork was on display in the Library and was judged by Gregg Bonelli, Kelly Mullins, Brent Todd, and Winter Harmsen. They judged the work based on creativity, composition, and technique.

Paul Schnarre has been a fixture of the Wabash Valley College athletic department since 1973, when he was hired as the head baseball coach. He later became WVC athletic director in 1976, a position he held for 37 years before stepping down in 2013. Now, after 36 seasons as the head softball coach, Coach Paul Schnarre, the All-Time wins leader in NJCAA History, has made the decision to step down at Wabash Valley College.

The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program named Wabash Valley College as one of 150 community colleges eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America’s community colleges.  Based on strong and improving in student outcomes—including in learning, completion rates, employment rates and earnings, and equity—15 percent of community colleges nationwide have been invited to apply for the Aspen Prize.

Infrastructure improvements related to the Truck Driving program at IECC’s West Richland Center are underway thanks to a U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development grant providing $300,000 (50% of the $600,000 total funds). Construction of a concrete ramp and pad that connect to a new loading dock are timely investments as The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the economy will need more truckers as the demand for goods increases.

Wabash Valley College’s Radio/TV department’s TV station, News Channel 15, has been nominated by the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System for the national award “Best Community College TV Station.” In addition, student Tristan Thomas has been individually nominated in the category “Best Video Sports Report.”

Wabash Valley College is pleased to announce its honors list for Fall Semester 2019. To be eligible for the CEO’s Honors list, a student must have a GPA of 3.90–4.0 based on a 4.0 scale and must have been enrolled for at least 12 semester hours for the Fall Semester.

Ířşě±¬ÁĎ student Sutton Dunn, of Olney, has been elected to serve as the new student representative to the Illinois Eastern Community Colleges Board of Trustees. He will be seated during the April meeting. Dunn is a 2019 graduate of Richland County High School where he played basketball, football and track. He was a member of the high school Boys O Club, Science Club and Spanish Club.