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Eric Badger came to Lincoln Trail College late in life. He found himself out of a job after the company he was working for was bought out by another company. He turned to Maureen Hays and the CEFS organization to begin a new career and enrolled in classes at LTC in September of 2019. “It was a lot of work at the beginning,” says Badger. “There was a lot of paperwork that I had to fill out, but it went quickly thanks to the help of Maureen.” 

The website Medical Assistant Advice ranked Lincoln Trail College’s Medical Assistant program among the top 15 offered in the state of Illinois. The website is designed to give students interested in a medical assisting career a place to find up-to-date information on education and careers. Of the 40 programs available in Illinois, Lincoln Trail College’s program ranked 15th. Medical Assistant Advice looked at colleges offering certificates, degrees, and diplomas. LTC offers both a certificate and an associate degree. 

Dr. Michael Patilla joins Lincoln Trail College as the Director of Music and Performing Arts Coordinator. He has a diverse national and international teaching and performance career. Dr. Patilla comes to LTC from Lake Land College, where he served as the Associate Dean of Correctional Programs. Before that, he was a music professor at Mississippi State University for 18 years. 

Lincoln Trail College is getting set to make some upgrades to the Rowland-Nicholas Natatorium. The first phase of the project will improve access to changing rooms and begin adding recreational features to the pool. Patrons of the pool will see some improvements in how they can use the facility. Plans call for two individual showers and a changing area. Previously, people that wanted to change had to either use an athletic locker room or a restroom at the College. 

On July 13 – 16, 2021, the Illinois Eastern Community Colleges TRIO Student Support Services program took 30 of its participants to Washington D.C. Travel was by charter bus so in two days, the group was able to visit many of the D.C. landmarks. TRIO SSS is a program that is 100% funded by the U.S. Department of Education to help students that are first-generation, low-income, or have other qualifying barriers to completing their education. The program offers many services to assist students with basic college requirements and increase college retention and graduation, and transfer rates.

The Lincoln Trail College Athletic Department produced 41 student-athletes that earned All-Academic honors from the NJCAA. Six teams earned Academic Team of the Year honors. “This is a great honor,” says Athletic Director Kevin Bowers. “It is a very important part of our culture that our student-athletes work hard in the classroom as well as in their sports.”

Lincoln Trail College is planning a variety of different Community Education Classes throughout the Fall. LTC’s summer Community Education offerings wrap up with a Herb and Botanical Extractions and Infusions class that begins August 3. Instructor Nicole Martin will teach the class about flower and herb infusions that you can do yourself. Students will learn how to create their own lotions, salves, and oils. The class is on August 3, 10, and 17 from 6-8 p.m. each night. 

Lincoln Trail College Summer Theatre Director Brennan Seth Tracy announced the cast for the College’s production of Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl. Eurydice reimagines the classic myth of Orpheus and Eurydice not through Orpheus's infamous pilgrimage to retrieve his bridge, but through the eyes of its heroine. Dying too young on her wedding day, Eurydice must journey to the underworld, where she reunites with her father and struggles to remember her lost love. With contemporary characters and plot twists, the play is a fresh look at a timeless love story.

The new Crawford County Recreation Center will be a reality at Lincoln Trail College. The Illinois Eastern Community Colleges Board of Trustees gave their approval for the project in May of 2018 and gave the green light to move forward on the project based on local fundraising at their May 2021 meeting. Now the facility can start moving forward in the pre-construction process.