INA, Ill. – Rend Lake College has no shortage of degrees and certificates to choose from, and there’s something for everyone. But that story is different for one Southern Illinois student who decided he couldn’t just choose one – he needed them all.

Austin Ellison of Belleville graduated last week with eight Agriculture-related credentials, becoming the second Agriculture student to complete such a feat. Though many courses overlap between the credentials, Ellison still completed upwards of 135 credit hours, or more than 40 classes, at RLC.

Those credentials include five degrees: Agriculture Business, Agriculture Mechanics, Agriculture Production & Management, Diesel Technology, and Heavy Equipment Technology; and three occupational certificates: Agriculture Mechanics, Agriculture Production & Management, and Diesel Technology.

Agriculture graduate Austin Ellison of Belleville accepted his diplomas Saturday morning from RLC Board of Trustees Chair Randy Rubenacker.
(ReAnne Palmer/ RLC Public Information)

Ellison works part-time on his family’s farm as well as in the heavy equipment industry. His decision to attend RLC – a school farther away from home than for most – wasn’t one he made lightly.

“I knew I wanted to farm when I was real little. Honestly, I never planned on going to college. I was just going to stay home and work, but then I started working for a neighbor in heavy equipment, and they wanted to know what my plans were,” said Ellison. “I decided then that I wanted something more than just a high school diploma. I wanted to learn more about agriculture and the heavy equipment side. I wanted something new.”

For the past three years, Ellison has been chipping away at the many classes he needed to graduate, taking full-time class loads in addition to his two part-time jobs. He also secured spots on the Spring and Fall 2017 Vice Presidents’ lists for a high grade point average.

“We farm at home and I work in the heavy equipment industry. I’m in it every day. I knew I wanted to take some business classes to better myself and that they’d help with our farming operations. It was a good way to expand my knowledge at home, combined with the mechanical side, to help with work and maintenance. It just dawned on me that I wanted to get a little of everything, that I wanted to get them all,” he said.

Now after graduation, Ellison is returning home to farm and continue working in heavy equipment with plans to take over the family farm in the future when his dad decides to retire and step back. He said, though it took a while to complete, he would recommend the same path to others in similar positions.

“If someone is in a situation like me where they work at home on a farm, but also in the industry, I’d say go and get the best of both worlds. It’s the business side plus the mechanical side,” said Ellison.

Kathy Craig, Agriculture Associate Professor, said Ellison was a standout student in all of the programs. In 2017, he was named the Agriculture Production Outstanding Student of the Year at the end-of-the-year recognition banquet. This year, he earned a similar honor at the same banquet as the Agriculture Mechanics Outstanding Student of the Year.

“Austin was a great student. He rarely missed class and was very determined from the very beginning that he wanted to complete all five degrees,” said Craig.

To learn more about RLC’s Agriculture programs, visit www.rlc.edu/asat/12-academics/divisions/applied-science-technology.

INA, Ill.  – Summer and fall classes are filling up fast in Rend Lake College’s Medical Assistant program. Interested students are encouraged to look ahead to the beginning of the program this fall by getting ahead this summer.

Students can get a jump start in the program by taking the entrance examination and two classes during the summer. The entrance exam, called the Psychological Service Bureau (PSB) exam, is a five-part, computerized, timed test that is a requirement for the application process. Students interested in the Medical Assistant program can test at 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 23.

The PSB test costs $30 and is due at the time of registration, which must be done in person at the Testing Center, located in the Administration Building.

Students can then lighten their fall class load by enrolling today in two summer classes that are program requirements to graduate: Healthcare Terminology (HECO 1202) and Anatomy & Physiology Fundamentals (ALH 1201).

RLC’s Medical Assistant program includes a degree and certificate options to give students exactly what they need to join this fast-growing industry. The Associate in Applied Science degree prepares students to work under the supervision of physicians in offices, clinics, and other medical facilities. These individuals perform both administrative duties and clinical tasks – ranging from scheduling appointments to taking and recording vital signs.

Students who complete the degree program can sit for the national certification examination and also earn the Medical Assistant credential, which consists of 36 credit hours over two semesters, plus on-the-job practicum.

Graduates will find the medical assistant industry to be growing at a rapid rate. By 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states there will be an additional 183,900 jobs across the country, a growth of 29 percent. The BLS also reports “most medical assistants have postsecondary education.”

For those looking to continue their education past RLC, graduates can transfer seamlessly to either Central Methodist University or Southern Illinois University Carbondale via articulation agreements with RLC. These students will begin a four-year degree in junior standing at the university level.

RLC’s Medical Assistant program was recently accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. To learn more about the program or to enroll, contact RLC’s Allied Health Division at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1769 or email ah_info@rlc.edu.