Illinois Central College Celebrates 2,243 Graduates at 2025 Commencement Ceremony

by Amanda Lewis

East Peoria, IL (05/19/2025) — Illinois Central College (ICC) proudly celebrated the achievements of 2,243 graduates during its 2025 Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 17, at the Peoria Civic Center. Family members, faculty, staff, and community supporters filled the Exhibit Hall and joined virtually via livestream as the graduates were recognized for earning more than 2,389 degrees and certificates. This year's graduates include eleven high school students from Dunlap, Eureka, Peoria, and Washington who graduated simultaneously with both their high school diplomas and their associate degrees and 113 graduates who received more than one degree or certificate.

ICC President Dr. Sheila Quirk-Bailey thanked the graduates for being a source of inspiration to college employees. She said, "We know each and every one of you came to ICC to change the trajectory of your lives and the lives of your families. And it has been an honor for everyone at the College to watch each of you write your own success stories. We hope you know our number one goal is to ensure everyone who walks through our doors is successful. Your future has been our priority. You are what matters to us most."

The ceremony also recognized exceptional achievements:

Emily Bandy was named Transfer Student of the Year.
Kayin Turner received the Applied Science Student of the Year award.
Faculty honors went to Steven Amstutz, Emergency Medical Services Instructor, and Lowell Edwards, HVAC Instructor.
Keiton Hamilton, vice president of the Student Government Association and president of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, delivered an inspiring student address.
Doug Oberhelman, retired chief executive officer of Caterpillar, gave the keynote speech.

A recording of the ceremony is available at icc.edu/event/commencement-2025/.

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Illinois Central College is a two-year community college with campuses in East Peoria, Peoria and Pekin, Illinois, providing a high-quality, affordable education to prepare students to enter the workforce or to transfer to a four-year institution. ICC is the 2020 awardee of the National Community College Charles Kennedy Equity Award from ACCT, a 2022 and 2025 EDA Good Job Challenge Institution, and the Lead College for the state of Illinois' Workforce Equity Initiative. ICC also conducts original research in agricultural fields, including water quality and soil conservation. For more information, visit icc.edu.