Grace Finds Her Place at ICC

When Grace transfers to Iowa State University this fall, she knows she will be ready for whatever comes her way.

Through opportunities and mentorship offered to her as an ICC student, she feels more capable than ever in her chosen fields of history and anthropology, which she fell in love with during high school.

“ICC has taught me to branch out of my comfort zone and try and pursue new challenges that I wouldn’t have done before.”

Grace, ICC Student

Her dream is to continue her education all the way to a doctoral degree and become a museum curator in Washington, D.C. In support of this goal, she will be taking an independent study course, ICC 220, providing her with a summer internship at the Peoria Riverfront Museum.

Grace says her internship would not have been possible without this course, which she credits ICC Professor David Thompson with helping to create. “Professor Thompson has encouraged me to work harder, not only in my life, but also to motivate my friends and other students,” Grace declares.

She attributes her growth to the unwavering support of various faculty, administrators, and fellow students. Many factors went into Grace’s decision to attend ICC, but one of her biggest considerations was the smaller class sizes, allowing for more one-on-one instruction time with the professors.

She also knew she could obtain the same high-quality education at ICC for a fraction of the cost of attending a four-year university.

To top it off, Grace has felt at home while attending Illinois Central College: “ICC is a wonderful community college that is welcoming of each and every student. It truly feels like I have a family here.”

Now at the end of her ICC journey, Grace expresses gratitude to ICC for making the process of transferring “so incredibly easy” for her.

She advises others, “College is where we all learn new responsibilities and new challenges that make us who we are, so make the most of it and try new things.”