SSC Foundation Elects New President, Readies for Tom Dreesen & Scholarship Drive

Posted on July 27, 2017 by Webmaster

SOUTH HOLLAND, IL – The South Suburban College Foundation (SSCF) recently held its annual meeting at South Suburban College (SSC) in South Holland to review and close fiscal year (FY) 2017 and to elect new membership and officers for FY-18.

Two new representatives will be joining the SSCF Board of Directors: Helen Y. Gant-Farley, of Advocate Medical Group, and John A. Velez of BMO Harris Bank. Ms. Gant-Farley, is the Regional Director of Operations for the Advocate Medical Group, a position she has held since June 2015 when she moved to Illinois from Pennsylvania. With over 10 years of financial experience, Mr. Velez is the Bank Manager for BMO Harris Bank at the South Holland office. He joined BMO Harris Bank in 2010.

Additionally, the Foundation elected a new slate of officers including new President Tim Woloszyn, MB Financial Bank; Vice-President Susan Cox, First Midwest Bank; Treasurer John Kasperek, Jr., John Kasperek Co., Inc.; and Executive Committee members Patrick Rush, SSCF Executive Director; Robin James, Providence Bank; Cindy Doorn-Nylen, Docter’s Interior Landscaping; and Don Manning, SSC President.

“Thank you to the Board of Directors for your vote of confidence and your continued support of this important organization,” said Woloszyn. “I would also like to personally thank Cindy Doorn-Nylen for her incredible leadership during the past two years. I look forward to our continued growth to provide more opportunities to students at SSC.”

The SSCF also reviewed fundraising successes and scholarships awarded of the past year. Its two major fundraisers–the fall Scholarship Donor Drive and the spring Showcase Gala helped the Foundation to award over $100,000 in scholarships, with an additional $12,000 in special assistance directed to SSC students through the Carol Manning Student Assistance Fund and Rocky Clark Memorial Fund (for students with challenges).

“Thanks to our board of directors and countless supporters, the South Suburban College Foundation had a successful year fulfilling its mission to support student success,” said Pat Rush, Executive Director. “The coming year will be especially critical to SSC and we will aggressively pursue additional support beginning with our Tom Dreesen performance on September 23rd, our ongoing $90-for-90 capital campaign, and our fall scholarship drive.”

The SSC Foundation is a philanthropic, not-for-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors composed of 22 of the south suburban area’s business, civic and community leaders. The SSCF has now awarded over $1,900,000 in scholarship awards since 1989.

For more information about the SSCF or to donate to scholarship opportunities or capital projects, visit www.ssc.edu/foundation or email foundation@ssc.edu.

Tom Dreesen to Perform Special “From Here to Hollywood” Show at South Suburban College

Posted on July 18, 2017 by Webmaster

SOUTH HOLLAND, IL – South Suburban College alumnus Tom Dreesen is putting together an unforgettable show titled “From Here to Hollywood” to be held in the Kindig Performing Arts Center on the college’s main campus in South Holland. This special one-night show will take place on Saturday, September 23, 2017, at 7:30 p.m. in the college’s 400-seat Kindig Performing Arts Center. General Admission Tickets are just $30 and there are limited $500 Premier Row Sponsorships available including 10 tickets with an after-show Meet & Greet.

In this unforgettable performance, comedian Tom Dreesen will take you from his childhood of shining shoes in bars in his hometown of Harvey, Illinois, hearing Frank Sinatra on the jukebox, to one day touring the nation as Sinatra’s opening act, flying in his private jet and staying up with Frank till dawn, night after night. He takes you to Frank’s last performance and the last song he ever sang and then to his last days on earth. Dreesen’s keen insight to arguably the greatest career show business has ever known, and the lessons he learned from the legendary star, promises to move the audience!

Dreesen is a proud Thornton Junior College (TJC) alumnus with appearances on the Tonight Show plus guest hosting for David Letterman.

The show is sponsored by – and proceeds to benefit – South Suburban College Foundation. (Tickets are tax-deductible.)

Purchase tickets online from www.ssc.edu/foundation or call 708.596.2000 x2463.

The Kindig Performing Arts Center is located at 15800 S. State Street, South Holland, IL 60473.

Not Thrownin’ Away My Shot

Posted on July 17, 2017 by Jacqueline Perez

I am going to share a few helpful tips on how to stay on track with your goals in the next two blog entries. I know that I am still young and have hardly experienced life to be giving advice, but I can communicate what I have found to be useful. I also hope that someone can take away a piece of my advice and use it for their own situations. By exploring the MySSC Portal, I was able to establish my safety net at South Suburban College.

By taking the time to actually look into my SSC portal, I found some very useful tools to help keep me on track. The ACADEMIC PLANNING section, which appears under the WebAdvisor Self-Service Menu, is one of the most important sections that I strongly urge everyone to take a look at! Making a list of my future classes has made each registration less complicated. In a strange way, I felt like I had something in order in my life for once.

The first tool I used was the PROGRAM EVALUATION, located under the ACADEMIC PLANNING section. It will lay out everything that you have taken and the classes you are currently enrolled in. This will also breakdown what areas have yet to be completed.

I made sure to print out a copy for my personal record, so I can keep track of what I need to register for the upcoming semesters. Just a heads up, if you previously failed a class, it will also let you know if it has any impact on your GPA. Let me just say that I had an upsetting wake-up call looking back at grades, so this has been an enormous reason on wanting to stay focused.

Now is the time to dive into the PLAN COURSES section! There is a total of eight clickable links, but the one I focus on is the Create/Add to Worksheet.

This is the area where you can build your own plan of what you will need to complete your degree, and how many credits each will be worth. Personally, I spent more than two hours researching classes and putting together a plan.

Another quick note, just because you create a plan, it does not mean that it is set in stone. You can modify your list of any or all courses until you are satisfied. I often find myself going back to make sure I still feel content with my choices. I am highly aware that a planned out worksheet of future classes does not guarantee that someone will remain on track. However, these are tiny steps I’ve taken to stay on my course. I am sure that everyone has their own plan, and I would love to hear about how you select classes. Don’t be afraid to stop me in the hallway and share your story!

“May your choices reflect you HOPES, not your fears.”

-Nelson Mandela

Upcoming Court Reporting Open House at SSC’s Oak Forest Center

Posted on July 10, 2017July 24, 2017 by Webmaster

OAK FOREST, IL–South Suburban College (SSC) is hosting a Court Reporting Open House on Thursday, July 27, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., in Oak Forest Center Room 5190. The Open House will showcase this profession which offers a wide-open job market and excellent income potential.

Court reporting is an interesting, challenging career which offers a flexible work schedule, and excellent income potential ($64,672 average yearly income). Broadcast captioners can earn $70,000+ and may work out of their homes. The use of sophisticated computer equipment has broadened the nature of the profession. Our program focuses on the theory behind it all, with an emphasis on Judicial Reporting.

There is a severe shortage of reporters in the Chicago area. The Court Reporting Open House is the perfect opportunity to get an overview of SSC’s Court Reporting/Verbatim Technology program, certified by the National Court Reporters Association. You will be able to talk with a certified court reporter and see a demonstration of real-time writing.

To RSVP or for more information call (708) 596-2000, ext. 3217 or email LCooke@ssc.edu The Oak Forest Center is located at 16333 S. Kilbourn, Oak Forest, Illinois.

Fall Registration is in Progress at South Suburban College

Posted on July 6, 2017July 10, 2017 by Webmaster

College-Wide Open House Coming to South Holland August 3rd and a Free Class also is now available to first time credit students.

SOUTH HOLLAND, IL – Open Registration for the Fall 2017 Semester at South Suburban College (SSC) is in progress. Fall classes begin Monday, August 21st at the college’s Main Campus and Oak Forest Center. The schedule is available online at www.ssc.edu.

SSC will also host a College-Wide Open House on Thursday, August 3rd from 4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. featuring tours, demonstrations, and information about the college’s wide range of options, programs and student services. Prospective students 18 and over will be entered in an Open House Raffle for: 1st prize $300 Visa Gift Card, 2nd prize $200 Visa Gift Card, 3rd prize $100 Visa Gift Card.

Representatives from our new Latino Help Center will be available to offer excellent customer service to prospective and current students and parents by providing interpretation (English/Spanish).

SSC is now offering a Free Class to first time credit students who reside within South Suburban College District 510, qualify for our Lake County, IN or Chicago regional rates or work for an employer within South Suburban College District 510. The Free Class applies to tuition only, and does not apply to courses of more than 5 credit hours. Individuals must not be receiving any state or federal financial aid or employer subsidies. More information is available at www.ssc.edu/freeclass

Our Dual Credit option saves parents and students time and tuition money. Your child can earn credit for both high school graduation and college credit at the same time. Dual Credit at SSC is completely free and is a great opportunity for your child to get a jump start on their college education. Dual Credit is only available for specific high school courses. For more information, please contact your child’s high school counselor.

Students who wish to use financial aid as payment for fall classes must have an official high school or GED transcript on file. Official transcripts must have a school seal and graduation date on them. Transcripts can be hand-delivered to the Admissions Office or mailed to: Office of Admissions (15800 South State Street, South Holland, IL 60473). If a transcript is hand-delivered it must be in the original sealed, unopened envelope.

Prospective students should complete the Online Application Form at www.ssc.edu to begin the enrollment process. New students will receive an SSC email account and a “My SSC” Username & Password via email which will allow access to the online schedule and class registration. The My SSC Portal also allows students 24-hour access during college closed periods.

The complete upcoming open house schedule at SSC is as follows:

Court Reporting Open House, Thursday, July 27th, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., Oak Forest Center, lcooke@ssc.edu
Paralegal Studies Open House, Tuesday, August 8, 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Oak Forest Center Room 5190, jcieslik@ssc.edu
SSC College-Wide Open House, Thursday, August 3rd, 4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Main Campus, www.ssc.edu

Contact the Office of Admissions at (708) 210-5718 for enrollment information. SSC’s Main Campus is located at 15800 South State Street, South Holland, Illinois. The Oak Forest Center is located at 16333 South Kilbourn Avenue, Oak Forest, Illinois.

South Suburban College to Host Paralegal Open House at Oak Forest Campus

Posted on July 6, 2017July 10, 2017 by Webmaster

SOUTH HOLLAND, IL – South Suburban College will be hosting an Open House for its Paralegal Program on Tuesday, August 8, 2017, from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. in Room 5190 at the Oak Forest Center.

Attendees will learn about an exciting career that is expected to grow 18% through 2020 according to the US Department of Labor. Information will be provided about SSC’s Paralegal/Legal Assistant curriculum, including the Associate Degree and certificate programs. In addition, former students from the program, working as paralegals, will be present to answer questions.

The curriculum prepares students to work in a variety of legal environments including civil and criminal litigation, insurance, banking, public and governmental agencies, law offices and corporate legal departments. Emphasis is placed on the development of core skills in legal research and writing techniques including compilation and analysis of data, understanding legal vocabulary, law office technology, and preparation of legal documents.

“Whether you are looking for a change in your career path or looking to begin a career, this is an excellent opportunity for anyone who has an interest in the law,” says Jason Cieslik, J.D., Coordinator for the Legal Studies Program.

SSC has the only American Bar Association (ABA) approved paralegal program in the Chicago Southland region, giving graduates a huge advantage when entering the workforce. The college also requires that all of the instructors in the program are lawyers or judges to ensure the quality of instruction.

While the majority of the paralegal classes are offered at the Oak Forest Center (conveniently located at 16333 South Kilbourn Avenue), some classes are offered online and some are offered at the Main Campus in South Holland.

For more information, please contact Mr. Jason Cieslik at (708) 596-2000, ext. 2579 or email JCieslik@ssc.edu.

South Suburban College Offering Speech Language Pathology Assistant Degree

Posted on July 3, 2017July 10, 2017 by Webmaster

SOUTH HOLLAND, IL – South Suburban College is offering an A.A.S. degree in the exciting field of Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SPA). An SPA is an emerging paraprofessional support person who has completed the academic requirements of an accredited two-year program. They assist a certified Speech-Language Pathologist in treating people who have speech-language and communication disorders.

As a clinician, SPAs can work in various settings: schools, private practice, healthcare settings and in Illinois, primarily in early intervention. An SPA may conduct the following tasks under the supervision of a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP):

Assist the SLP with Speech-Language hearing screenings and assessments (without
interpretation).
Follow documented treatment or intervention plans developed by the supervising SLP.
Document student performance and report information to the SLP.
Assist with clerical duties, research projects, and collect data for quality improvement.

South Suburban College prepares graduates of the SPA program to become eligible for licensure with the State of Illinois. This license is required in order to work in any setting in the state. After completing the necessary requirements for the AAS degree one may obtain licensure from the state of Illinois by successfully passing the licensure test and paying the application fee. The Speech-Language Pathologist Assistant field is predicted to grow 21% 2014-2024 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), is listed as #20 in Best Health Care jobs (U.S. News rankings) and has salary ranges of $28,000-$63,000. Need another reason; the opportunity to improve the communication and ultimately quality of life of individuals is a reward in itself!

For more information regarding this program, please call David Frazier, Coordinator for the SPA Program at (708) 596-2000, ext. 2204 or email DFrazier@ssc.edu, or visit the Allied Health Department Office in room 4457. For more information about all of SSC’s programs, admissions and registration, please visit www.ssc.edu or contact the Admissions Office at (708) 210-5718.