DACC to Confer Degrees in Virtual 2020 Commencement Exercises
Danville Area Community College will confer over 400 degrees and certificates during virtual Commencement exercises broadcast via YouTube Friday, May 22, 2020 at 7PM at https://tinyurl.com/DACCgrad and repeated on WBUI-TV Channel 23 Saturday, May 23 at 11:00 a.m. The broadcast will be available on the YouTube channel for viewing after the Premier.
Over 400 graduates, earning Associate degrees and certificates during the Fall 2019 or Spring or Summer 2020 semesters, submitted photos to participate in this year’s ceremony.
Students who have a cumulative grade-point average of 4.000 graduated with the designation summa cum laude and were awarded a gold tassel, gold cord, and a medallion. There are an unprecedented sixteen such graduates in the class of 2019.
Dalton Ross Beddow Catlin IL Criminal Justice AA
Jacob R. Bergstedt Hoopeston IL Philosophy AA
Annabella Falanga Torre Del Greco, Italy Physical Therapy AA
Maria Francesca Falanga Torre Del Greco, Italy Interior Design AA
Kari Jo Free Danville IL Nursing AAS
Dylann C. Hall Georgetown IL Pre-Vet/Animal Science AGS
Steffanie A. Higgins Danville IL Business Administrative Technology AAS
Garrett Joseph Lashuay Oakwood IL Health & Physical Education AA
Sarah A. Nehring Peoria IL Health Information Technology AAS
Tracie Toinette Sanders Danville IL Accounting AAS
Victoria Santillana Hoopeston IL Computer Programming & Web Design AAS
Ashton C. Sawyer Catlin IL Psychology/Sociology AA
Lacey Jo Steinbaugh Georgetown IL Elementary Education AA
Donna Marie Thomas Danville IL Accounting AAS
Leslie Ann Van Camp Catlin IL Early Childhood Child Care AAS
Bernard W. Walkup Kentland IN Radiologic Technology AAS
Graduates of distinction will be recognized during the Commencement broadcast. In addition to the summa cum laude candidates, those with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.750-3.999 will graduate with the designation magna cum laude and will wear a gold tassel and a gold cord; and those with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.50-3.749 will graduate with the designation cum laude and will wear a gold tassel. Students’ ability to be recognized at the graduation ceremony is based on the cumulative grade-point average calculated at the end of the fall semester prior to the spring ceremony.
The broadcast will include remarks by Executive Vice President for Instruction and Student Services David Kietzmann, who is retiring in June after a 50-year career at Danville Area Community College. Also included will be the awarding of an Honorary Degree on Richard “Dick” Cheney, long-time friend of the College who has been a student, coach, faculty member, administrator, and a member of the Board of Trustees, and is currently serving on the DACC Foundation Board.
The DACC Class of 2020 is full of extraordinary people. The group includes twins from Italy who played on the Women’s Basketball team and both ended up as Summa Cum Laude candidates, and a Marine Master Sergent currently stationed in North Carolina who completed his degree completely online while deployed multiple times despite hostile environments and sketchy Internet connections. This group of graduates has persevered through not only the normal trials and tribulations of college, but the added burden of completing their education completely online – whether they liked it or not — during a pandemic.