SPRINGFIELD – Several students who contributed to The Lamp while at Lincoln Land will be graduating this spring.
The Lamp wishes all graduates the best of luck, but it is very proud of all who contributed.
Here is a look at The Lamp alumni:
Nathanael Herbert
Nathanael Herbert will graduate and continue his studies at the University of Illinois Springfield, where he plans to major in media communications.
Herbert was not only a contributor to The Lamp, he also was crowned homecoming king at Lincoln Land, which he said was an honor.
He also was involved with the Jacksonville Activities Board.
Herbert enjoyed the friendships he created with students, as well as faculty and staff, he said.
Working the front desk at the Jacksonville campus, he remember “having great conversations with Jennifer Meyer, going into Jan Terry’s office for laughs and lessons on life and being the leader of JAB with adviser Keri Mason.”
Herbert, who was homeschooled and graduated in 2012, started at LLCC in the fall 2013.
At Lincoln Land, Herbert said his favorite classes were Political Science 101 and Sound Design 1.
Herbert wrote a story about the music program’s new audio certificate, which he recalls as a highlight of his reporting.
“I have been abundantly blessed during my time at Lincoln Land,” Herbert said. “I cannot say enough on how the professors and staff teach and pour into us students because they want us to succeed. Lincoln Land is a school that has opportunity and community as the foundation. I will miss Lincoln Land, but forever hold onto the wonderful memories that have been made here.”
Herbert hopes to use his skills in media for Christian purposes.
Justice Council
Justice Council plans to take a year off after graduating in order to save money before transferring.
The 2014 Glenwood High School graduate wrote columns for The Lamp in the fall, and he said his favorite was about voting in America.
“Even though I did not write too many pieces, I enjoyed the time I spent writing for The Lamp,” Council said.
Council counts his favorite classes as Introduction to Philosophy and Mass Media and Society.
“I really enjoyed being a part of the honors program,” Council said. “I got to meet a lot of good people, and it helped me build as a person.”
Council hopes to study public relations.
“I would love to own my own Public Relations firm,” Council said. “I really like the idea of image promotion for companies and individuals. They give me a vision of what they or their company are all about, and I present it to the world in a way that rally’s people behind their vision.”
Stephen Ortega
Stephen Ortega will graduate and transfer to University of Illinois Springfield to study media communications.
Ortega both wrote and took photos for The Lamp.
Ortega took on the project of taking photos for a special “Where Is It?” contest in the first edition of The Lamp in the fall 2014.
He spent time looking for the right angle on familiar sites to challenge readers to figure out where they are located.
Ortega said his favorite story for The Lamp was in “The Lump,” the April Fools edition of the newspaper. He wrote multiple stories for it, but his favorite was about Lincoln Land moving to California.
The 2013 Springfield High School graduate started at Lincoln Land in the fall 2013.
His favorite classes were English 099 with Ashley Green, Photography and News Writing.
“My best memories (at Lincoln Land) were when I could help out with The Lamp newspaper and having friendly, helping professors,” Ortega said.
Ortega hopes to move to California to work for the media or film.
“If you work hard and never give up, you can make it anywhere,” Ortega said. “LLCC is a great college and remember to study, study, study to get the best grade.”
Jordan Minder
Jordan Minder plans to study psychology with a minor in art. She is still considering transferring to University of Colorado Boulder.
The 2014-15 assistant/visual editor for The Lamp, Minder said she most enjoyed writing about one of Thom Whalen’s paintings.
“A lot of people here know Thom, and getting to know him on a more personal level through this article was really fun and memorable for me,” Minder said.
Minder graduated from Sacred Heart-Griffin in 2013 and started at Lincoln Land in the fall.
Minder would pick Greg Murray’s English 102 as a favorite.
“It wasn’t even that I liked writing,” Minder said. “Though I despised writing at the time, the class dynamic was absolutely eye-opening. This class made me realize that though rubrics may exist, there are no rules or limits when it comes to writing, or anything else, for that matter.”
Minder said she is still trying to figure out what she will do. Being young, she hopes to explore her options.
“I wouldn’t have traded my two years here at LLCC for anything,” Minder said.” I am trying to figure out where I’m supposed to go and what I am supposed to do in life, which I know many of you can relate to. Being here really shaped me and helped me into some sort of direction, even though I am unsure of which way that direction is going. All of my professors were outstanding, and I encountered so much opportunity that I don’t believe I would have gotten anywhere else.”
Ryan Wilson
Ryan Wilson, the editor for The Lamp in 2014-15, will graduate and transfer to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he plans to study broadcast journalism.
Wilson aspires to do play-by-play sports announcer for college or professional athletics, but he would most like to be an announcer for NBA games.
The 2013 Auburn High School graduate started taking classes at Lincoln Land during the summer 2012, but he began full time in the fall 2013.
Wilson said his favorite class was speech with Brenda Protz, who “kept the class fun and interesting. Her class helped me in many aspects, not just speaking in public. She sparked my interest in journalism.”
Wilson counts as a favorite memory at Lincoln Land was leaving campus to attend the Illinois Community College Journalism Association conferences.
“It was neat to speak with other aspiring journalists like me,” Wilson said. “The two-day trip was fun and a great learning experience. As the conference offered several journalism-specific seminars.’
Wilson added: “Lincoln Land has been a great school for me. It has definitely provided me with the necessary tools to succeed in school and beyond. I am very thankful that I chose to come here.”
