A Return to College with a New Focus: Ag Student Laurel Keyt

“One of the joys of being an agriculture teacher is helping students figure out what their future career looks like,” said Jeff Bash, Ag teacher at Spoon River College.

Laurel Keyt of Hanna City is one of those students. Keyt currently works full-time at the Jubilee Café in Kickapoo and enjoys the job, but her heart is leading her back to her roots. That has led her back to Spoon River College, this time with a clear vision of her future career.

“Laurel came to SRC out of high school and wasn’t able to determine what her future looked like. She stepped back and took a few years off, and then came back, very determined to become a high school agriculture teacher.”

On track to complete her remaining SRC classes in the spring semester, Keyt will then transfer to WIU to major in Ag education, and she’s excited for the day when she’ll be the teacher in the classroom. “I anticipate teaching at the high school level, but would also like the opportunity to reach out to students not yet in high school. Early exposure to ag education is a great way to build up high school ag programs. The earlier you get them excited, the better.”

Keyt will be focusing on a bachelor’s degree when she enrolls at WIU and currently doesn’t have a desire to teach at the college level, but earning a master’s degree one day is on her list “just because I’m a believer in life-long learning.”

Besides a new career to look forward to, Keyt’s heart is leading her back to her roots in another way. “My parents still operate the farm where I was raised, and now my husband Justin and I are currently in the process of joining my late great-grandpa’s farm partnership and taking on a major role with it.”

Keyt noted that her grandmother and great-uncle were ready to hand over the physical labor required in a farming operation. “At one time, the farm had livestock. While we currently rent our pasture out, we would eventually like to run our own cattle again on the family land.”

The excitement Keyt feels, for both her future career and for getting back to the land, is obvious, even though she’s aware of the hard work ahead. “It can be overwhelming to think about the labor required for the farm as well as attending school, but I know it will work out and will be worth all the hard work.”

For Bash, it’s not just a joy to help a student find their future, it’s part of his job. “That’s what we do here in the agriculture program at Spoon River College.”

Spoon River College Ag student Laurel Keyt poses with her replica of a 50-head feedlot shipping and sorting pen layout for her Animal Science class taught by Jeff Bash. The assignment? Create a farm related structure using a design by Temple Grandin, a well-known animal behaviorist (and autism activist) who has set the standard for designing humane live-stock handling facilities that aid in keeping the animals calm as they pass through the chutes.

Jansan Davis: November Student Shout-Out Recipient

​Jansan Davis of Chillicothe was the recipient of the Student Shout-Out for November at Spoon River College, and received a $100 Visa gift card. Davis was recognized by Makenna Barker, SRC advisor and volleyball coach for “being the kind of student you want in your classroom, the kind of athlete you want on the court, and the kind of person you want as a representative of Spoon River College.”

“I have heard from several students that Jansan is a great tutor, and I have witnessed her character as her coach for two years now,” said Barker. “She’s a helpful leader on the court as well as in the classroom, maintaining a 4.0 GPA. She treats her coaches, professors, and teammates with respect, and is one of the most caring people I have ever met. She is a great asset to Spoon River College.”

Davis serves as a Student Ambassador, a peer tutor in the Learning Resource Center, is a member of the SRC Snapper volleyball team, and was a recent recipient of the Illinois Community College Faculty Association scholarship. She plans to transfer to WIU and wants to be a speech pathologist.

The Student Shout-Out is an initiative that encourages any faculty or employee to nominate a student who deserves a special shout-out. “The reason can be big or small, but the important thing is that we hear about the positive and helpful things our students are doing,” said Abby Beck, TRIO advisor on the Macomb Campus.

Cassidy Miller Named to Region 24 All-Region 2nd Team for Volleyball

Spoon River College student-athlete Cassidy (Locke) Miller has been named to the Region 24 All-Region 2nd Team for volleyball. A graduate of Canton High School, she is in her final year at Spoon River College.

While playing at Spoon River College, Miller has amassed impressive stat lines. Ranked number one in solo blocks across all Division II NJCAA schools, Miller contributed 154 kills in the fall 2021 campaign. Her career numbers stand at 245 solo blocks, 278 total blocks, and 489 kills.

SRC volleyball coach Makenna Barker says the sophomore team captain is also one of the biggest leaders on the court. “During pre-season training, Cassidy was a constant cheerleader and helped push her teammates to finish some brutal work outs. I can count on her to pick up her teammates no matter what. I’ve seen her do it during games, during practices, and during conditioning. She doesn’t know how to give less than 110%.”

Besides being a dedicated athlete willing to put in the hard work, Miller is also enrolled in the college’s nursing program. “Cassidy is one of the most dedicated athletes I have ever coached. She has one of the highest work ethics that I have ever seen,” said Barker. “The nursing program is an incredibly difficult program for any student, and even more so for a full-time collegiate athlete. It takes extra diligence and perseverance.” On top of all of that, Miller also spent extra hours working with her personal trainer, Randy Davis, to increase her vertical, stamina, and core strength.

Barker said Miller has been known to recruit her teammates for help with studying. “Cassidy had to memorize a whole amalgam of different things when studying for her Head to Toe oral exam. Her teammates were the test subjects, and we all helped her remember the correct wording and made sure she was going in the correct order. It was cool to see the whole team surround her and help her through.”

The college’s volleyball had a record of 15-18 on the year and earned a #6 seed in the District tournament. The Snappers put together their best season since the program’s beginning in 2019, but saw the 2021 season come to an end in a loss to Heartland Community College, who went on to win the District Championship and eventually the 7th place title at the National Tournament.

“Building this program is only possible because of athletes like Cassidy,” said Barker. “We have been fortunate to have a couple of players honored with All-Region awards throughout these last three years. We are headed in the right direction and are always pushing to better the program. First in and last out athletes, like Cassidy, are the athletes that we are going to build this program around. I am so happy that Cassidy chose to continue her academic and athletic careers at Spoon River College. She is going to be greatly missed on and off the court.”

Fast Track Registration with Extended Hours Begins January 3

Spoon River College in Canton and Macomb will offer Fast Track Registration starting Monday, January 3 through Friday, January 14, to facilitate registration for the 2022 spring semester that begins Tuesday, January 18.

During these two weeks, the college will be open until 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesdays, and prospective students will be able to apply, test, and register in one day. An appointment is not necessary, but a valid ID is required.

Financial Aid staff will be available during the extended hours to answer questions and assist in the aid process. Tuition must be paid or enrollment in an automatic payment plan must be established when registering. For more information about financial aid options, deadlines, and setting up a payment plan, visit the Spoon River College website at www.src.edu or call 309-649-7030 or 309-833-6073.

Regular 16-week classes and the first session of 8-week classes begin Tuesday, January 18. A 12-week class session begins Monday, February 14, and the second session of 8-week classes begins Monday, March 21.

For more information about financial aid options, deadlines, and setting up a payment plan, visit the Spoon River College website at www.src.edu or call 309-649-7030 or 309-833-6073.

The course schedule can be viewed on the College’s website at https://portal.src.edu/ics. For more information about the registration process or to make an appointment with an advisor, call (309) 647-6400 in Canton, (309) 543-4413 in Havana, (309) 837-6069 in Macomb, and (217) 322-6060 in Rushville.

Dual Credit Visits Scheduled for District High Schools

Eve Zimmerman, dual credit coordinator at Spoon River College, will be reaching out to students in district high schools to share information about the College’s dual credit program, which allows eligible high school students to take college level courses.

Visits include both virtual and in-person, and the following have been scheduled. Additional schools and times will be announced as they are scheduled.

Astoria: In-person Dual Credit Night visit on Wednesday, March 16 at 6 p.m. at the high school.

Lewistown HS: Virtual Dual Credit Night, Thursday, February 25 at 6:30 p.m. using Google Meets. Interested students should contact Kerry Hatfill for more information.

Rushville-Industry HS: Virtual Dual Credit Night on March 23 at 7 p.m. Interested students should contact Holly Acheson for more information.

West Prairie HS: In-person Dual Credit Night visit on Monday, March 1 at 11 a.m. at the high school.

Dual credit classes include transfer education courses such as English and Communications as well as career technical courses like welding and nursing assistant. They may be taught at the high school by high school teachers who have a Master degree, or at the College by college faculty.

Depending on the class and the high school, students may also be able to earn both high school and college credit for a particular class. The dual credit program offers cost savings on tuition, and scholarships are available through the SRC Foundation.

For more information email eve.zimmerman@src.edu or call 309-649-6221.

Be the Light: #GivingSPOONday Kicks Off Season of Giving

Though there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel of the pandemic, SRC students remain in great need of financial support.  In fact, the need 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.  “Fifty percent of SRC students who responded to a survey indicated they had experienced food insecurity.  That was prior to COVID-19, and the pandemic has only made things more difficult for our students.”

But there’s another point Davis wants to make sure is known – that you can be the light at the end of their tunnels.

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. 30.

“Giving Tuesday is the charitable organization’s response to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and #GivingSPOONday offers a fun way to “snap” into the season of giving,” said Davis.  “It’s a crowdfunding idea that we hope will not only bring new donors to the Foundation, but also more awareness to more people about the mission of the SRC Foundation and the many ways it supports the college, its students, its 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. 30. The campaign promotes giving online at www.src.edu/givingtuesday, but cash or check donations are gladly accepted, too.

“Any gift, whether $1 or $1,000, counts toward our goal, and donors can choose how they want the funds to be used,” Davis said.  “But all gifts, no matter the size or how they are used, help break down the barriers that stand between our students and completing their educational goals at SRC. Gifts to the area of greatest need are especially appreciated, because they help the Foundation more quickly address student needs at SRC.  For example, those gifts enabled us to establish the Emergency Hardship Fund and purchase laptops for SRC students when the pandemic began.”

To the SRC Foundation and to local students, this campaign matters.

“#GivingSPOONday has become vital to the SRC Foundation’s mission, and how much we’re able to help students depends on the success of this day,” said Davis.  “Gifts to #GivingSPOONday have helped us provide more in scholarship funding than ever before and keep 53 students enrolled with our Emergency Hardship Fund since the pandemic began.  But there are many more students who need our help, and we can do more if our friends support this campaign, including helping more students who aspire to enter the medical field and help us to put this pandemic behind us.”

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 pages, and Hy-Vee in Canton will be asking their customers to “round up” their purchases, with the proceeds benefitting the campaign.

“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.  “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.

10th Grade Career Expo Provides Career Options and Info

Approximately 160 sophomores from around the area attended the 10th Grade Career Expo at Spoon River College in Canton on November 12, where 35 professionals representing a range of career fields from art to wildlife found interactive and engaging ways of capturing the students’ attention while providing an overview of the work involved in their professions.

It worked well, and students queued up to learn how to perform an intubation, pitch a business idea to get a bank loan, try their skill at welding, solve the logistical puzzle of moving products, and more.

The goal was to not only show students the wide range of career fields available to them, but to also allow them the opportunity to see what they are drawn to. “Just being able to see all the different careers allowed me to think thoroughly about what I want to do,” said one student, while another said she had learned a lot. “It opened my eyes to what I like. All of the stations had different impacts.”

That’s exactly the feedback SRC advisor Brandi Ketcham, who organizes the event, wants to hear. “Events like the 10th Grade Career Expo are so beneficial to area students. Even as sophomores, many are still undecided about what they want to do after high school. SRC wants to give the students an opportunity to explore different careers to give them a better sense of reality and help them prepare for a future once they graduate.”

Businesses represented at the expo were Advanced Rehab, Camp Big Sky, Canton Area Chamber of Commerce, Canton Police Department, Carl Sandburg (Dental Hygiene & Medical Imaging), Carthage Veterinary Service, Cook Medical, Fulton County EMA, Fulton County Farm Bureau, Fulton-Mason Crisis Service, Graham Health Services (Lab, Marketing, Medical, and Pharmacy), Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Life and Leadership Coach-Barb Claxton, Martin Tractor/John Deere, Maurer-Stutz, MidAmerica National Bank, Spoon River College (Art, Agriculture, Computer Information Systems, Diesel & Power Systems Technology, Health Information Management, Logistics, Nursing, Welding), Spoon River Media, WIU (Head of Movement and Stage Combat, Speech Language Pathology), and the YWCA (Childcare).

Students attended from Astoria, Canton, Cuba, Lewistown, and Spoon River Valley high schools. Pictures of the event can be viewed on the Spoon River College Facebook page.

CCC/SRC Alumni Association Awards Reception

The Canton Community College/Spoon River College Alumni Association hosted their annual Alumni Association Awards Reception and Athletic Hall of Fame Induction November 6 at the Canton Campus.

Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Pamela Wilson, DrCH, Med, LVT, MCHES, earned her associate degree from Spoon River College in 1977, a bachelor’s in zoology from SIU Carbondale in 1979, and a master’s in Health Education from the University of Texas in 1991. In 2019, she was recognized with an Honorary Doctorate in Community Health from SIUC for her devotion to protecting public health, especially through her work at Texas’ Department of State Health Services, where she was part of the state’s Oral Rabies Vaccination program that eliminated the domestic dog/coyote and Texas fox rabies variants.

During her career in veterinary science and health education, Wilson has received the H.E.A.L.T.H. Award from the Texas Department of Health, the Humane Educator Award from Texas Animal Control, and the Veterinary Technician of the Year Award of Special Merit by the Texas Veterinary Medical Association. Wilson has also authored several books, articles, and professional publications. She currently works in Zoonosis Control at the Texas Department of State Health Services in Austin, and is an adjunct for Austin Community College in veterinary medical terminology.

Wilson received the SRC Alumni Achievement Award in 2002 and delivered the college’s commencement address in 2003. She also delivered the address at SIU’s College of Science and College of Agricultural Sciences earlier this year. She is the daughter of Bill Wilson, who taught biology at Spoon River College for 25 years and who was the 2012 recipient of the SRC Distinguished Retiree Award.

The Outstanding Service Award was presented to Paula Grigsby, who attended Spoon River College before earning her bachelor’s degree in business administration at WIU. That degree helped her launch Paula’s Acrobatics & Aerobics and Paula’s Tumbling Tornados, which later became Canton Fitness Center. She taught tumbling and exercise classes at her facility, which also housed weight-lifting equipment and tanning beds.

In 1987 Grigsby was hired as the program director of the Canton Family YMCA, in 2000 she became the associate executive, and in 2009, Grigsby became the executive director. Along the way, she brought the Tumbling Tornados to the YMCA and built it into an elite, nationally-known tumbling, trampoline, and double-mini team. Her awards include being named the United States Tumbling Association’s Coach of the Year in 1991, 1993, and 1996, and being named to the USTA’s Hall of Fame in 2019.

Grigsby serves on the Kiwanis, Rotary, and Graham Hospital Board, and with the First Christian Church. She has also served on the Chamber of Commerce Board, and was part of the committee that brought the Veterans’ Memorial to Lakeland Park.

Grigsby and husband Dave have two children, Jenni and James (Boomer), and eight grandchildren (soon to be nine).

Dr. Roland Pettit, a native of Wyoming, Il, was the recipient of the Distinguished SRC Retiree Award. He graduated from Wyoming Community High School in 1950, attended the University of Illinois, with a stint in the Army, and obtained his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in 1956. He returned and completed his Master of Science in Agriculture Education in 1971, and later obtained his Doctor of Education from Nova Southeastern University.

Pettit credits growing up on a farm and his involvement in agricultural organizations for leading him toward a career in ag education, which began when he helped launch a new ag program in Galena, and then a few years later, went into the feed and fertilizer business. He was the president of Western Fertilizer in Wisconsin when he came to Canton Community College in 1969 to launch another fledging agriculture education program. He retired from CCC in 1988, and began working for the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of International Marketing where he traveled frequently. He specifically mentions Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, France, and Italy as memorable experiences. Pettit remains active in the Canton community, including at the Wesley United Methodist Church.

Alumni Achievement Awards were presented to Nancy Anderson, Klinton Briney, Scott Brown, Brian Fengel, Chris Helle, and Lindsey Larson.

Nancy Anderson, originally from Farmington, owned her first dance studio at age 16, flying to Chicago regularly to attend Dance Masters classes while still a student at Farmington High School. After graduating high school, Anderson attended morning classes at Canton Community College and taught dance in the evenings, and it was at CCC that she met her husband Bill.

In 1975, Anderson returned to what had become known as Spoon River College to earn a nursing degree while she continued to run her dance studio and raise two daughters. She maintained a 4.0 GPA and received the “Nurse of the Year” award. She was also chosen as part of a group to represent Canton in a national television show, “Almost Anything Goes.”

In 1983, Nancy, Bill, and their family moved to Urbana, Ohio, and she opened the Nancy Anderson Dance Studio in 1994, offering tap, ballet, and tumbling lessons to students ages 4 and older.

Anderson is a certified Dance Masters of America Teacher, a member of the National Dance Association and The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation and Dance, and is a Certified Aerobics instructor. She has choreographed for the Fulton County Playhouse, the Canton Friendship Festival pageant, and for plays at Urbana High School for over 20 years.  She teaches a group of Senior Tappers in Urbana as a community service, and they won first place at Nationals in Florida.

Nancy and Bill enjoy traveling and spending time with their two daughters and five grandchildren.

Klinton Briney, originally from Lewistown, launched a web design business at the age of 10, which he credits with helping to develop the passion that led to his career in sports and entertainment marketing and public relations. After taking dual credit classes at SRC, he studied business marketing, sports entertainment, and public relations at Butler University, graduating with his bachelor’s degree in 2006. While at Butler, he took part in several internships, including one at MTV in New York City.

Briney has worked for now-retired Indy 500 driver Sarah Fisher and NASCAR. In 2010, he founded his own Los Angeles-based company, BRANDed Management, a sports/entertainment marketing and public relations agency. He represents celebrities and athletes and teaches them how to handle media, secures sponsorship and endorsement deals, and manages some of the biggest events in the entertainment and sports industries.

Briney has also developed brands for celebrities, athletes, and corporations, and has helped plan events and promotions associated with The Today Show, Susan G. Komen for the Curt, the Indy 500, the White House, and the Super Bowl. He has also published three books, and was a finalist for the 2012 White House Empact100 List of “The Top Entrepreneurs Under 30.”

Briney and wife Natalie live in Los Angeles.

Scott Brown, a 2003 Canton High School graduate, loved computers from an early age, and credits a dual credit class he took at SRC with fueling his interest in technology and leading to his career. He was just 19 years old when he founded TimbukTech in 2004, a technology consulting firm where Brown serves as owner and president.

Brown first opened a location in Macomb in 2004, then opened his first storefront in Canton a year later. By 2009, TimbukTech had moved to its current location on Randolph Street in Macomb, and by 2014, had moved to a larger location on East Chestnut in Canton.  In 2016, TimbukTech expanded to a third location in Washington. The company has become a leader in the business technology sector in Central Illinois and it continues to expand.

In August of 2020, a high-profile search for a missing person prompted Brown to contact Chris Helle, director of Fulton County ESDA, to offer his help. He purchased and donated a drone equipped with thermal imaging, which has been used regularly in Fulton County and other counties across the region in emergency situations.

In 2021, Brown was recognized as the Canton Area Chamber of Commerce’s Business Person of the Year for his professional efforts, the growth of TimbukTech, and his service to the community.

Brian Fengel, a 1983 Canton High School graduate, first came to SRC with the intention of being a welder. He earned that welding certificate, but also ended up taking a variety of other courses. His interest in law enforcement came after a family member was victim to a scam and after completing an internship with the Canton Police Department through SRC. He joined the Bartonville Police Department in January 1990, and became the Chief of Police eight years later.

Fengel is a 2001 graduate of the FBI National Academy, and he also graduated from the Northwestern University Executive Management Program.  During his tenure as Chief, he served on the Illinois Silver Search Task Force, AMBER Alert Task Force, and Elder Abuse Task Force, and he worked the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.  He established the Bartonville Police Explorer program, and also established the Bartonville Safety of Seniors Program.

In 2012, Fengel was recognized as the State of Illinois’ Elderly Service Officer of the Year, sponsored and presented by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. In 2014, he was elected the fourth vice president for the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police Board of Directors. He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and has served on several boards, including the Public Safety Office Medal of Valor Review Board, which operates under the Department of Justice, following his appointment from the United States Congress in 2015.

Fengel retired in 2019 after 29 years in law enforcement to become the Director/Coordinator of the Central Illinois Police Training Center, where he coordinates training for more than 50 law enforcement agencies. He is an adjunct professor in criminal justice and criminal investigate at ICC for almost 20 years.

Fengel resides in Peoria County with his wife Tanya and their two children Emily and Blake. He remains active in Kiwanis, Shriners, Lions Club, and other community service agencies.

Chris Helle graduated from Farmington High School in 1997, then earned an associate degree from SRC with the goal of pursuing a career in criminal justice. Instead he went into the family business, Sawmill Hydraulics, and was key to helping the business grow into a national brand. He was named the 2010 Small Business Exporter of the Year for his efforts.

At the same time, Helle was discovering a passion for public service, first serving as the emergency services director in his hometown and helping build Farmington’s efforts into a top-notch program. He was recognized by the Governor of Florida and by FEMA for his role in providing support in the aftermath of the 2004 hurricane. He was also recognized locally by the Fulton County Board and was appointed as the director of the county’s Emergency Services and Disaster Agency (ESDA), and 911/Emergency Telephone Coordinator, positions he continues to hold.

Helle serves on the Illinois Search and Rescue Advance Team, and was recognized as a 2004 Volunteer of the Year in Emergency Management and as a 2013 Neighborhood Hero. Under his leadership, Fulton County ESDA has become the premier Emergency Services Agency in Illinois, with highly trained volunteers that can support and command full-fledged disaster recoveries.

Helle has written and received multiple grants for the county and for local governments and agencies. His leadership has organized and unified all local first responder agencies, allowing them to utilize each other’s expertise. In his role as ETSB (Emergency Telephone Service Board) Coordinator, he oversaw a remap of the county, the process of renaming roads, and building a communication network that keeps Fulton County residents safe.

Last but not least, Helle has built a large social media fanbase through his accurate and comprehensive weather and disaster notifications, along with some help from Trash Panda, the temporary foster cat that became a permanent resident of the Helle household and unofficial mascot of Fulton County ESDA. Helle and his wife, Stacey, have two teenaged children, Maddie and Ryan, and continue to live in Farmington.

Lindsey Larson is “an enthusiastic teacher, talented performer, committed social activist, and dedicated mother of triplets,” wrote Larson’s nominator for her Alumni Achievement Award.

While a student at Canton High School, she served as Drum Major for the CHS marching band, performed in numerous plays, musicals, and Madrigals, reached the IHSA State Speech Competition in Poetry, earned First Princess in the Friendship Festival queen competition, and still found time to take dual credit classes at SRC.

Larson’s time as a teenage volunteer with special needs children and adults at KARE led her to Northern Illinois University where she earned a degree in special education. She taught in DeKalb, continued performing in local theatre, and met her future husband, Josh. After their marriage, the couple moved to Washington, where Larson taught special education while earning her master’s degree from Xavier University.

Larson is currently a GED instructor in the Adult Education program at Spoon River College. She also serves on the board and teaches at The Breathing Tree Yoga Studio in Canton, continues to participate in the SRC Community Chorus, and organizes local Live Life Full fundraisers, raising tens of thousands of dollars for Prader-Willi Research.

The couple returned to Canton following the birth of their triplets – Hannah, Gwendolyn, and Elliot. Larson credits her background in special education with being her primer for advocating for her own special needs child, life as a GED instructor, and life as a community member who works to help lift others up and realize their own potential.

The 1964 Canton Community College baseball team was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame during the reception. 

Team members are Bill Anderson, Chuck Bentley, John Doolan (deceased), Mike Frisch (deceased), Ron George (deceased), Ed Hoffman, Carroll Herman (deceased), Dick Kautz (deceased), Jack Meyer, Jasper “Jay” Parrish (deceased), Rich Prosser, Paul Swiger, Ken Walker, Ed Warner, Randy Welch. Coach Harry Smith (deceased) and Manage Lee Baker.

The team was the 1964 NJCAA Region IV Champions and NJCAA Illinois State Champions

After a solid regular season, the 1964 Canton Community College men’s baseball team got hot at the right time and won the NJCAA Region IV Championship en route to being the NJCAA State Champions of Illinois. No CCC or SRC baseball team has ever advanced further into postseason play.

Outstanding Service Award Recipient Paula Grigsby

The Executive Director of the Canton Family YMCA, Paula Grigsby is a Canton native who has dedicated much of her life to bettering this town and the youth who have grown up here. But that love for Canton is also part of the reason why Paula ended up at SRC to begin with.

She was Salutatorian of the CHS Class of 1972 and came to SRC after a stint at Bradley University as a young wife with a new baby and a goal to stay on track with her education. She credits her time at SRC with helping to keep her on a path to getting her degree.

Paula attended SRC in 1973, 1974, and again in the summer of 1979. During that time, she was an Administrative Secretary for Graham Hospital and a tumbling instructor at the Canton YWCA, where she started her tumbling team. She became a mother again in 1981. In 1982, she completed her bachelor degree, with honors, in business administration at Western Illinois University.

That degree helped her launch Paula’s Acrobatics & Aerobics and Paula’s Tumbling Tornados, which later became Canton Fitness Center. She taught tumbling and exercise classes at her facility which also housed weight-lifting equipment and tanning beds.

In 1987, she was hired to work at the Canton Family YMCA as a Program Director, her role until 2000, when she became Associate Executive. She became Executive Director in 2009 and has remained in the role since, guiding all aspects of the YMCA.

Along the way, she brought the Tumbling Tornados to the YMCA and built it into an elite, nationally-known tumbling, trampoline, and double-mini team. Among other awards and recognitions she’s received, she was the United States Tumbling Association’s Coach of the Year in 1991, 1993, and 1996 and was named to the USTA’s Hall of Fame in 2019.

She remains active in Canton, serving on Kiwanis and Rotary, the Graham Hospital Board and with the First Christian Church. She has served on the Chamber of Commerce Board, and was part of the committee which brought the Veterans’ Memorial to Lakeland Park.

Paula and her husband of 49 years, David, have two children, Jenni and James (“Boomer”), and eight grandchildren, with a ninth on the way later this month.

Distinguished SRC Retiree Award Recipient Dr. Roland Pettit

​Roland Pettit was born in 1932 in a farmhouse near Wyoming, Illinois. After graduating from Wyoming Community High School in 1950, he attended the University of Illinois, with a stint in the United States Army, and obtained a Bachelor of Science in agriculture in 1956. He returned and completed his Master of Science in agriculture education in 1971, and later obtained his Doctor of Education from Nova Southeastern University.

He credits growing up on a farm and his involvement in agriculture organizations for leading him toward a career in agriculture education, which began in Granville and then Galena.

Roland helped to launch a new ag program at Galena, and, after a few years, went into the feed and fertilizer business. Roland was the President of Western Fertilizer in southern Wisconsin, but the classroom eventually called him back.

Despite opportunities at John Deere, he chose to come to Canton Community College in 1969. He helped to launch another fledgling agriculture education program, and again, it quickly felt like home. He made lifelong friendships and helped shape hundreds of lives before retiring in 1988.

Unfortunately, with professional success came personal tragedy. Roland and wife Bernice divorced in 1983, and he lost both sons — Dan in 1999 at age 30 and Tom in 2019 at 53. His longtime companion, Sally Pletz, passed away unexpectedly early in 2020. In a life full of experiences, he counts those as his most excruciating. But there were plenty of good experiences along the way, as well.

After retiring, Roland got a job with the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of International Marketing, helping to find markets for exporting Illinois’ farm products and natural resources. He traveled frequently and specifically mentions Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, France, and Italy as memorable experiences.

Today, Roland remains in Canton, with plenty to keep him busy. He recently sold his rental properties but remains involved with SRC and in the community, including Wesley United Methodist Church, and he enjoys working around his home.