Dick Brown, SRC Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee

Born in 1943 in Canton, this CHS graduate was one of the earliest students at Canton Community College, graduating with an associate degree in 1963.

While at CCC, Brown was a two-sport athlete in both baseball and basketball, but especially excelled in the latter. In his freshman year on a team that went 18-8 on the season, he averaged 18 points per game. He followed that up with an All-American season as the country’s fourth-leading scorer at 27 per game (in the pre-three-point-shot era), leading CCC to a 27-4 record. He went on to play on the baseball team for a year and on the basketball team for two years at Western Illinois University and earned an All-Conference honor in basketball.

Brown credits working at his family’s restaurant, Brown’s Snappy Service in Canton, for helping to prepare him for his career as a teacher, coach, and administrator. He also recognized a strong desire to be around young people and to help them develop their own athletic skills.

Brown began his teaching and coaching career in Colchester, but in 1969, he headed to Avon Unit School District #176 to launch a career that would span over 40 years. During his time there, he taught both P.E. and driver education, served as the school’s Athletic Director, and took on an additional title as Dean of Students.

Brown was awarded the “Teacher of the Year” award twice, helped to organize Avon’s Jaycees chapter, and was active in the Lion’s Club, serving as Treasurer for two years. He’s also an inductee onto the A-Town “Wall of Fame” and was inducted into the Canton Little Giant Hall of Fame for basketball and as a member of the 1961 CHS baseball team, which finished third in the state.

Brown and his wife Judy reside in Elkhart, Ill. He is the proud father of Shelley, Angie, Chad, Jodi, and Courtnee, and he is the proud grandfather of 11 grandchildren. In retirement, he enjoys playing golf, watching sports, and watching his grandkids grow up.

Bonnie Swedell, Distinguished SRC Retiree Award

Born in Morrison, Ill. in 1942, Swedell was so strongly influenced by her high school business teacher that, after attending Western Illinois University for business on a full academic scholarship, she chose the same career.

Despite it being a time when many women got married and began family life rather than furthering their own education, Swedell earned her bachelor’s degree in 1964 and began teaching at Wethersfield High School in Kewanee, Ill. before moving to Macomb to continue teaching there. She also filled the roles of yearbook sponsor and junior class sponsor.

Swedell was recruited to fill a part-time position at SRC, joining the staff in 1986. She enjoyed it so much that, when working both jobs became too much, she chose to remain at SRC. She was known for developing close—almost motherly—relationships with students and coworkers alike. She was named SRC’s Employee of the Year in 2011 and served in several roles. In her final role as an advisor in SRC’s TRIO program, she helped first-generation college students and other students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

After a bout with cancer in 2010 left her at higher risk for severe illness, Swedell’s doctor recommended that she retire at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to lessen the risk to her own health. This left her one year shy of reaching her goal of 35 years of service to SRC and SRC’sstudents.

Though her beloved husband Lennie passed in 2022 after 57 years of marriage, Swedell remains extremely proud of their sons, Dave and Steve; her educator daughter-in-law, Ashley; and her grandchildren, Audrey (also an educator) and Blaine, who is a current SRC student and fifth- generation family farmer.

William Thomas, Distinguished Alumni Award

A Fulton County native and 2008 recipient of the CCC/SRC Alumni Achievement Award returns this evening to accept the college’s highest award, the Distinguished Alumni Award.

William (Bill) Thomas graduated from SRC in 1974. While he was here, he was a member of Phi Theta Kappa and participated in, among other things, Reader’s Theatre. A history major (with minors in theatre and political science) at Eureka College, Thomas graduated summa cum laude in 1976 as a member of the Alpha Chi Honor Society.

Thomas earned a Master of Arts degree a year later from The University of Chicago and did Post-Master’s Study in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Wisconsin from 1980 to 1981, also serving as a Teaching Assistant responsible for the supervision and evaluation of history student teachers.

An educator himself, Thomas began his career in 1977 at Stockton (Ill.) Community Unit School District #16, teaching social studies, U.S. history, and drama at the high school and middle school levels. In 1982, he became the Associate Director of Admissions at his alma mater before returning to the public school system as Principal for Olympia Community Unit School District, overseeing the ECE-6 grade levels.

In 1993, Thomas left the classroom for good and became Senior Partner and Chief Operating Officer of The Laurasian Institution, a not-for-profit educational foundation focused on the design and administration of international and cross-cultural educational programs. In 2008, he became the CEO of Teleologic Learning Company, an LLC that designs, develops, and produces online learning products.

He currently serves as Executive Director of the Logan County Economic Development Partnership and is the Chairman of the Board of the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership, as well as the Director for the Illinois Route 66 National Scenic Byway Program Board. Also a member of the Illinois Route 66 Association, Thomas was appointed to the 12-member National U.S. Route 66 Centennial Commission by President Biden in 2022.

Thomas and Christine, his wife of 40 years, live in Atlanta, Ill. and are the parents of Rachel, Grace, and Noah, and the grandparents of Talin and Abel.

Larry Peterson, Outstanding Service Award

After graduating from Canton High School, where he played baseball and basketball, during the height of the Vietnam War, Larry Peterson put his college career on hold to enlist in the United States Army. Upon completing his training requirements, he was deployed to Vietnam.

While there, Peterson’s infantry was attacked, and he was hit in the arm and the leg by gunfire. With broken bones, he attempted to help others before evacuating on foot. He was airlifted to a hospital in Japan for medical care and remained there for two months before returning back to the U.S. for further care. For the final eight months of his service, he was assigned as a mail clerk at Ft. Leonard Wood.

While working at Caterpillar and on a two-month early-out, Peterson chose to attend night classes at SRC beginning in 1968. He received 120 hours of credit — enough, he jokes, to probably receive two degrees — and earned his degree 10 years later, in 1978.

After being laid off from the strip mine, Peterson began working as a mail clerk at the Canton post office in 1980. He worked in this role until 2007, which gave him the opportunity to play both basketball and softball, and to volunteer for the Little Giants Booster Club and coach youth/school sports.

Along with his close friends Bob Barnes (basketball) and Mike Walters (baseball), Coach Pete became a mainstay in Canton sports and a positive role model in the lives of many young people. Together, they helped to bring some success to both programs, with both teams having 20+ win seasons during their tenures, with the basketball team winning the Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament twice.

Peterson made the Dean’s List while at SRC, but he’s also been honored with recognitions that include a Purple Heart, the Combat Infantry Badge, Vietnam Service Medal, two Gold Stars, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the Little Giant Booster of the Year. He’s a member of the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, the Purple Heart Association, the Combat Infantry Association, the VFW, AmVets, and the National Purple Heart Hall of Fame.

The proud father of Clint Peterson and Shana Rudd; the proud stepfather of Taylor Steck; and the proud grandfather of Charlie and Izabelle Peterson and Parker and Beau Rudd, Peterson lives in Canton, Ill., with his wife, Krista. The two have been together for 23 years.

Julie Reeder, Alumni Achievement Award

With a maiden name of “Dalmasso,” Julie Reeder is no stranger to this event.  However, this year, she becomes associated with this event in a new way — as an Alumni Achievement Award recipient.

A native of Canton, Ill., Reeder graduated from Canton High School in 1995 and, like many other members of her family, immediately enrolled at SRC.  She earned her Associate of Science degree in May 1997 and went on to attend Illinois College in Jacksonville, IL, from which she graduated in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

Reeder immediately put that degree to use in Peoria, working for Affina for two years as a Junior Accountant before her promotion to Account Manager. At Affina (now HGS), Reeder helped to build and maintain relationships with Affina clients with data and ideas to improve their businesses, including providing profitability analysis and identifying new opportunities for services.

In 2005, Reeder brought her professional talents back to Canton, joining Graham Health System as a Senior Accountant.  She worked her way up Graham’s ladder, serving as Decision Support Analyst from 2006- 2015 and Director of Accounting from 2015-2017, before her promotion to Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer for Graham, her role since 2017.

In her current role at Graham, Reeder, one of six on the GHS administrative team, is responsible for ensuring the overall financial health of GHS, an organization with net assets totaling over $250 million and which is the largest employer located in Fulton County. Outside of work, she’s also been involved with many local organizations, including the Health and Wellness Connection of Fulton County, the Little Giant Booster Club, the YWCA of Canton, and Traveling Baseball, Traveling Softball, and JFL Boards.

Reeder and her husband Troy have two children, Maddie, a junior at the University of Illinois, and Drew, a senior at CHS. Reeder also holds a Master of Business Administration from Kaplan University, which she completed in 2009.

Dr. Kayla Miller, M.D., Alumni Achievement Award

Dr. Kayla Miller took her first course (a dual-credit course) at SRC in 2003, when she was still in high school. The appeal of staying close to home and remaining in her familiar environment—where she grew up in Havana, Ill.—led to her deciding to continue her education at SRC. She received Associate of Science and Associate of Arts degrees in May 2006.

Miller then continued on to the University of Illinois at Springfield as a biology major and received her bachelor’s degree in 2009, majoring in chemistry with a pre-medical concentration. She then earned her Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Illinois College of Medicine (in Peoria) in 2014. She completed her residency at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria in June of 2018.

Since then, Miller has worked at Mason District Hospital for Havana and Mason City Medical Associates as a physician in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics.  She also works as a Hospitalist for Emergency Physician Staffing Solutions, and as the Medical Director for the Mason City Area Nursing Home.

In what spare time she has, Miller is eager to give back to the community. Currently, she’s serving as a physician preceptor/mentor for students completing their IM/Pediatrics residency at OSF, and in the past, she’s been involved in Bradley University’s mentorship program for premed students.  She’s an avid supporter of St. Jude activities—both as a runner and as a volunteer—and has participated as an active member of Beta Sigma Phi, a community service organization for women.

Miller is married to her husband, Aaron (also an SRC graduate from the Diesel Power Systems Technology program), and is the proud mother of Jack (age 10), Nolan (4), and Everett (2), and the proud stepmother of Brooklyn (15). She enjoys spending time with her family, studying, reading, exercising, traveling, dining, and attending sporting events.

Dr. Anthony Roberts, D.C., Alumni Achievement Award

At VIT High School, Roberts expanded his vocal and instrumental gifts in music. He first learned the trumpet, but when a dentist informed Tony he needed braces, which would interfere with his playing, he switched to the bassoon.

After graduation in 1983, Roberts attended Spoon River College from 1984-85, earning the credits needed to attend Palmer College of Chiropractic.  Rather than moving to a larger city to start his career after graduating in 1989, he returned to Havana and opened his own practice, which has provided chiropractic services to babies, those in their 90s, and all ages in-between for the past 34 years. He and his family also operate Airbnbs around the Havana area.

Roberts is also recognized in equestrian circles nationwide. After attending several horse competitions around the country, he was asked to examine a horse competing in a 2012 Mustang Million event. Although he had never worked on horses before, this experience led him to enrolling in equine/feline/ canine seminars. He now successfully treats two-legged and four-legged creatures of all types.

Robert contributes to Central Illinois communities by serving on various boards including the SRC Foundation, the Fulton County Playhouse, and currently as Chair of the Fulton County  Rehabilitation Center board and the Vermont Christian Church Board. Roberts is equally known for his extraordinary musical talents and is in high demand. He excels at the piano, taught himself the concert harp, plays the trumpet, and will attempt about any instrument that intrigues him. He’s seen on piano benches in many churches, plays piano, keyboards, and harp for a variety of community, high school, or college events, and directs musical shows for all the major theatre groups in the area. He has been invaluable to the Spoon River College Community Chorus and to Western Illinois University. He even traveled to Haiti to teach music to the children there.

Stephanie and Wesley Carithers, Alumni Achievement Award

Growing up in the Astoria area, Stephanie (dual degree, 2000) and Wes (Agriculture Business Management, 2001) both attended Spoon River College.

Stephanie was a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and participated in the SRC Theater production of Rumors as a cast member. She continued her education at Illinois Central College to achieve a third associate degree (in applied science, Physical Therapist Assistant program) and at Belmont University in Nashville, TN, where she ultimately earned a Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy. She graduated with honors from both institutions.

After returning home, Stephanie worked in the area skilled nursing facilities and at Culbertson Memorial Hospital in Rushville. She has been rewarded with several honors in her field, including being named Culbertson’s Employee of the Year in 2022. She currently serves as Academic Advisor and Student Health Coordinator at Astoria Unit School District #1, where she’s also a coach for the Dance Team. Stephanie is an avid hiker and rockhounder and enjoys spending time outdoors and at school events. For the past ten years, she’s been a runner for St. Jude.

During his time at SRC, Wes was named Vocational Student of the Year and was also a member of Phi Theta Kappa, maintaining a 4.0 GPA. He has worked for Boehm’s Garden Center in Rushville and at Helena Chemical Company, but he currently teaches agriculture and shop classes at Astoria High School. In his spare time, Wes serves as supervisor for Astoria Township and enjoys fishing, hunting, rockhounding, woodworking, and gardening.

Together, the pair own (since 2016) Orchid Hill Farm near Lewistown, IL., an orchid that gave both of them many fond memories of their youth. In both 2019 and 2022, apples from the orchard (paired with Wes’ skill cider production) earned the orchard both First Place Illinois Cider and First Place National Cider at the Illinois State Horticulture Society’s annual National Sweet Cider Contests.

Stephanie and Wes have four children, Casey (16), Brayden (15), Nikita (12) and Cole (7).

Help SRC Students Rise: #GivingSPOONday Kicks off Season of Giving

With the rising cost of gasoline, goods, services, and cost of living, financial need among SRC students has never been greater.

That’s a point that Spoon River College Foundation Director Colin Davis wants to make sure is known.

“Nationwide, nearly 80 percent of community college students work to support their education, and still, at SRC, nearly 90 percent of our first-time, full-time students receive financial aid,” said Davis.  “Half of SRC students who responded to a survey indicated they had experienced food insecurity.

“We know that the next generation of leaders is here at SRC and ready to rise to the top, but how can you rise if you’re fighting and scrapping just to tread water?”

But there’s another point Davis wants to make sure is known – that YOU can help SRC students rise.

And the opportunity is quickly approaching.

#GivingSPOONday, SRC’s version of Giving Tuesday, the worldwide day of giving that kicks off the holiday season, is Tuesday, Nov. 28.

“Giving Tuesday is like Black Friday or Cyber Monday, but instead of getting things, you give things,” said Davis.  “Not only does it help to raise funds to help local students rise, it also brings more awareness about the SRC Foundation and the ways it supports SRC, its students and staff, and our communities.”

The SRC Foundation has set a goal of 300 separate gifts to be raised in the campaign, which ends at 11:59 p.m. Nov. 28. The campaign promotes giving online at www.src.edu/givingtuesday, but cash or check donations are gladly accepted, too.

“The best thing about #GivingSPOONday is that every gift counts toward our goal, so it doesn’t matter how much you give,” Davis said.  “Even if you can only give a dollar, that dollar can purchase a meal or snack for a student who is facing food insecurity.”

To the SRC Foundation and to local students, this campaign matters.  Donations to #GivingSPOONday in previous years have kept over 100 students from potentially having to drop out of college and helped the SRC Foundation nearly double what it offers in scholarships annually from even a few years ago.

The #GivingSPOONday campaign will be conducted through direct mail, peer-to-peer methods, online marketing and social media, and email.  In addition, many local businesses and organizations get involved by sharing #GivingSPOONday posts on their social media.

“Many Spoon River College students, employees, and friends will be sharing our campaign via email and on their social media pages. If those that they share with also share, we have the potential to reach thousands of people,” said Davis.

“Because this is our biggest fundraiser of the year, it’s vital to student success, and we can’t fall short.  Our goal is lofty, but reachable.  Every time we’ve bet on the generosity of our communities, we’ve been rewarded.  We hope that this time is no different.”

To make your gift or to learn how you can get involved, visit www.src.edu/givingtuesday, visit the Spoon River College Foundation Facebook page (www.facebook.com/spoonrivercollegefoundation), or call (309) 649-6395.

Spoon River College Celebrates National First-Generation Day November 8

Spoon River College celebrated National First-Generation Day November 8, which is the day when the Higher Education Act of 1965 was signed by President Lyndon Johnson, providing federal funding with a goal of strengthening resources and making college more accessible to all students.

It is estimated that 55% of college students identify as first-generation, meaning that their parents did not complete a four-year college or university degree. In the fall of 2022, 46% of the students at Spoon River College were first-generation students.

Jill Olson, director of the TRIO Student Support Services program at the college, said that can have a significant effect on students as historically, first-generation students have lower retention and graduation rates than continuing-generation students.

“They are less likely to be familiar with college processes, like the FAFSA and how to get financial aid in place. It can be overwhelming, and TRIO helps students navigate these systems and processes. Helping at risk students overcome as many of these barriers as possible increases their chances of successfully completing a college degree or a certificate program.”

Olson and TRIO advisors Brandy Chasteen and Johna Lawens held cake and punch celebrations on the Canton and Macomb campuses to mark the occasion, with all students and staff invited, and shared profiles of students who were first generation college attendees on the TRIO SSS social media pages. Free bowling was also offered to all SRC students at Linn Lanes in Canton and at College City Bowl in Macomb.

TRIO is a federally funded program designed to help students overcome social, academic, class, and cultural barriers in higher education. Participants in the program are provided with personalized advising for career, transfer, and degree planning, and workshops covering topics ranging from personal financial literacy to time management and study tips are offered. Professional math and science tutors as well as peer tutors are available for both one-on-one and group study opportunities.

TRIO advisors place an emphasis on preparing students to transfer, aiding in selection of the correct transfer classes to take and traveling with students to visit four-year universities. Eligible transfer students who are TRIO members can have their application fees to their four-year schools waived.  Cultural outings, including to museums and art exhibits (at no expense to students), are part of the program, and members regularly participate in community service projects.

“Our off-campus trips enable the TRIO students to connect socially with other students, while exposing them to experiences they may have never taken part in on their own,” said Olson.

TRIO participants are also eligible for an exclusive scholarship program and have access to a private computer lab and study space, free printing, and are able to borrow textbooks, graphing calculators and voice recorders. In 2020, the program introduced a laptop lending program that has been highly utilized by students.

“TRIO works with each student where they are at,” Olson said. “If the student wishes to use all our services, we are happy to cater to that. If they only need transfer assistance, we can provide that for the student. Each student’s academic journey and needs are different, and we work to meet each student’s individual needs while they are at Spoon River College.”

“Our goal is to improve the academic success of our students so they can successfully graduate and transfer to a four-year university. Since this program was initiated in 2010, we have served close to 1,100 students.”

To learn more about the TRIO program, visit www.src.edu, or contact Jill Olson at jill.olson@src.edu or 309-833-6029.