Lincoln Trail College will hold a concert on November 2 at 7:00 p.m. at the Zwermann Arts Center Theater. The concert will feature performances by the LTC Trumpet Choir, the Statesmen Singers, and the LTC Jazz Band. “Since this concert will be close to Veterans Day, we wanted to perform some music to pay tribute to our veterans and America,” says Dr. Michael Patilla. “The Trumpet Choir is performing The Star-Spangled Banner and the Statesmen Singers are performing The Pride of America.”

The website Online Schools Guide rated Lincoln Trail College as the sixth-best online community college in the nation for 2022. They rated community colleges offering online or hybrid degree programs. Their rankings are based on the number of programs offered followed by cost, student reviews, and salary.

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.