College rankings agency Intelligent released its list of the best community colleges in Illinois and they rated Lincoln Trail College as number five. They also gave LTC the award of Best for Transfer Students.   “I’m proud to see this ranking and I’m not surprised,” said Illinois Eastern Community Colleges Chancellor Dr. Ryan Gower. “The faculty and staff at Lincoln Trail College are dedicated to the success of our students and it shows. Organizations like Intelligent recognize the quality of education available at LTC.”  

February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month and Lincoln Trail College is joining other community colleges across the state in celebrating the importance of preparing the workforce for in-demand jobs. CTE programs offered at Lincoln Trail College provide students with hands-on training and real-world experience in a variety of industries.  

Four Lincoln Trail College students are running to serve as the Student Representative on the Illinois Eastern Community College Board of Trustees. The position rotates between the four colleges in the district and this year is LTC’s year. Guadalupe Amicone, Madisyn McIntosh, Sean Stone, and Abigail Vaughn are vying for the seat. The election takes place on February 22 and 23 in Williams Hall.  

Barbara Shimer and Cary Schiller, co-directors of the spring theater production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific at Lincoln Trail College, have announced the cast.   South Pacific is adapted from the Pulitzer Prize winning novel "Tales of the South Pacific" by James A. Michener and will be performed on the LTC Zwermann Theater stage March 24, 25, 31 and April 1 at 7 p.m. and March 26 at 2 p.m.

Cyndi Boyce has been named the new Dean of Instruction at Lincoln Trail College. Boyce had been serving as the College’s Interim Dean since the summer.   Boyce, who has been an instructor at LTC since 2006, says serving as the Dean of Instruction will help students, faculty, and staff at the College. “Serving as the Dean of Instruction gives me the opportunity to better the educational experience for our students while also providing the support that our faculty and staff need to excel in their positions.”  

Lincoln Trail College has released its academic honor lists for the Fall 2022 Semester. Three lists have been established by Illinois Eastern Community Colleges to indicate students who have achieved academic excellence. They are the Chancellor’s Honors List, the President’s Academic Honors List and the Dean’s Academic Honors List.   To qualify for any of the honor lists, a student must be enrolled full-time (12 hours or more) and must be taking college-level classes.  

Guitarist Ben Gateno will perform a free concert at Lincoln Trail College on February 16 at 7:00 p.m.  A native of southern Minnesota, guitarist Ben Gateno earned Master’s and Doctoral degrees in performance from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. Following graduate school, Ben studied for one year with renowned teacher and performer Antigoni Goni in Brussels, Belgium. After his return to the US, Ben spent five years performing extensively as a member of the Minneapolis Guitar Quartet.

Lincoln Trail College will host its annual Trivia Night on February 1 at 6 p.m. at the Statesmen Grill. The competition will consist of ten rounds with ten questions in each round. Trivia questions will cover all areas of knowledge, including geography, entertainment, music, history, literature, sports, current events, and politics.  Teams can be made up of three to six people and the cost is $50 per team. The fee includes mulligans and snacks and drinks will be provided. 

The Arts at Lincoln Trail College announced the plays for the 2023 Children’s Summer Theater program. Once again, there will be two productions: Willy Wonka Kids and Newsies, Jr.   Kids entering 1st-4th grades in the fall of 2023 will perform Willy Wonka Kids on June 22 and 23 at 7 p.m. at the Zwermann Arts Center Theater. They will rehearse Monday through Friday from 9-11 a.m. May 29 through June 23.  

The Arts at Lincoln Trail College is proud to announce auditions for the 2023 LTC Theater production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “South Pacific,” under the direction of Barbara Shimer and Cary Schiller and the musical direction of Yvonne Newlin.  Open auditions will take place Wednesday and Thursday, January 18 & 19 in the LTC Theater beginning at 6 p.m. Central Time.  The performances will be on March 24, 25, 26, 31, and April 1.