Every graduate has a story about their journey to East Central College. The students below shared their stories with ECC President Dr. Jon Bauer in the weeks before graduation on May 14.
There were setbacks and tumult for some students, but they stood tall, persevered and graduated alongside their peers in the Class of 2022.
Below are just a few of the stories from the 168 students who walked across the stage during the graduation ceremony, and a total of 484 students who earned degrees or certificates.
Alyce Koch
My East Central story.
When I graduated high school in the fall of 2020, I had big plans to go away to a school and play volleyball….and then COVID hit, and all those plans had to be shifted and changed. Luckily in high school I completed the A plus program and was able to attend ECC.
I continued my athletic journey with ECC’s volleyball team for my freshman year but during sophomore year, I decided I was done with the sport. Because of ECC, I have completely shifted my life. I knew what I wanted to study but I now am a completely different person than I would be if I had gone to the original school I had planned to go to. I will now be graduating in May and I have plans to attend Maryville University and continue my studies in their Speech Pathology and Audiology program.
I am so thankful for my parents for always encouraging me to keep going whenever I am faced with a hardship and having unwavering support when life throws me off course a bit. ECC has given me wonderful opportunities and I am so thankful I decided to attend!!
Kimberly Counts
I knew in high school I wanted to continue and get a higher education. East Central has been a great place to get my foot in the door. East Central accepted A+, which was a big plus for me. The affordability of East Central is also nice.
Every time I came to visit ECC the staff was always friendly and welcoming, which is something I really enjoyed. I was previously worried about coming from a small town (Bourbon) that might not have taught me at a high enough level. I was surprised at how well I was doing at ECC. ECC gave me confidence and made me realized higher education isn’t out of my reach just because I came from a small town. I also love the smaller classes here. I love that you can get the one-on-one help here so easily.
I have been able to take different classes her and get a feel for what I like learning about. One professor that has had a lasting impact on me is Rachel Howard. I have taken many other classes and loved them all. I loved being able to participate during her classes. She is someone I very much strive to be like. I value my education and work hard because I know it makes my parents happy to see me having every opportunity they did not.
My parents have worked hard to be able to give me this opportunity. In August I plan to continue my education at Columbia College in Columbia, Mo. I plan to double major in HealthCare Management and Business Administration.
Lydia Otten
Through high school, I always thought I was going to go to a 4-year university. I didn’t even think about a 2-year college. My parents encouraged me to go to ECC. It is very affordable and I get to live at home for another 2 years.
This has allowed me to save up for when I go to Missouri State University. I don’t like to brag, but I can say that I won’t be the typical broke college student, because of East Central! I am definitely going to miss ECC!
One teacher, in particular, who has made the past two years enjoyable was Mr. (Greg) Stotler! I had him almost every semester and he takes the time to get to know all of his students. We are not just another student to him. The whole college is like this and it is going to be an adjustment when I head to Missouri State. I am proud to say I was part of ECC!
Travis Nicks
I started ECC back in 2006 as a young immature student and didn’t finish the first time. I then returned as a student in 2009 and attempted to finish. I kept struggling with figuring out what I wanted to do. Finally, as a 34-year-old I returned now as an adult.
I was welcomed back as if I never even left, I was encouraged to finally finish my degree. I had some tough courses and some great teachers along the way. Matthew Gifford taught me about what it means to do the right thing at the right time for the right reason.
I feel like ECC has impacted my life for the better. ECC has prepared me to finish my associates degree and to pursue now my bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management at Lindenwood. While I may have never been a perfect student Lindenwood was impressed with my drive to finish my degree and I thank ECC for allowing me to return and finally finish.
Claire Birke
East Central College has given me the confidence and independence I need to succeed in life. I never thought that going to college close to home was right for me. However, this has proven to be one of the best choices I made for myself! I was able to further my professional career while pursuing higher education. I couldn’t have done it without my wonderful advisor, Jenny Kuchem. She was and is so supportive of me and helped me figure out my future plans.
Blair Bowers
First, let me start with how excited I am to be finally here graduating, but let me tell you how I got here. My name is Blair Bowers, and I have worked endlessly for the last two years being both a full-time student, and a full-time worker (working 7 days a week!), I have dedicated my time to becoming a honors graduate (which I’m super proud off) and will be transferring to Goldfarb to complete my RN-BSN.
There have been classes that I have literally cried my way through but felt so accomplished when passing. During this last semester it was particularly trying for me, as my fiancé and I had our first little one “Carson” born April 21,2022.
Working 7 days a week, completing my class work for the particularly challenging class A&P 1 & 2 (Anatomy & Physiology), while being pregnant and delivering this semester was the dedication, I knew I had, but the dedication that ECC helped instill in me. I appreciate everything East Central college has done for me, and the great teachers the school has put in my path. Truly a great experience and one I’ll never forget.
Jennifer Shaw
I am honored to be a part of ECC. I am a non-traditional student that waited too long to go back to school. I was scared, financially strapped, and working jobs I hated.
Your staff showed me I could succeed. From the moment I took a tour and applied I felt welcome. From my first day in my first class, to my last just around the corner I would testify to having the best set of instructors in the country.
They helped me achieve my college dreams. I can only hope I can make an impact on other students they have made on me.
Emily Stevens
The need for affordable classes is what drew me to ECC.
I’m really grateful for the single intro to SQL assignment at the end of the Microsoft Access course. That one assignment was so fun and interesting that I told my fiancé “I wish that had been the whole class” his reply was “well it can be”. Thus, I switched my major to the CIS program to learn more about computer coding.
The HTML / CSS course was the decider of my CIS career path and now I’m excited to jump into the world of UX/UI development and have started continuing my skills with the Google Certificate in UX/UI. SQL and HTML/CSS courses were my favorite, but I do wish there were also other coding languages available for learning, like Python and JavaScript.
Anna Schwein, she clearly cares about student learning and was so encouraging and motivating along the way. She’s a perfect model of a teacher and I am so grateful the experience of being her student.
Elizabeth Gardner
In 2020, my husband retired from the army and had to transition to civilian life which meant looking for a civilian job. What was offered was hardly enough to support a family of four. We came to ECC looking to see what he could do to add to his degree. It turns out that I was the one that ended up signing up for classes to finish what I started years ago when I was in my late teens.
Steffani (McCrary), was very helpful in getting my transcripts transferred and get me registered for the classes I needed to finish my degree. At the age of 53 some would say “why bother” but for me it means, No. 1 being an example to my two teenage children and No. 2 for myself, to finish what I started.
I have learned that I actually love to challenge myself and my capabilities to expand my knowledge. The one teacher that inspired me the most was Professor Tanner. He was encouraging and always available for all his students if they needed help.
I am so excited to finally walk across the stage and receive that hard earned degree! Thanks ECC for making this happen!
Abigayle Toth
When I was first applying for colleges I was so set on going to a big university out of state. I had my whole life planned out and felt that because of that I did not need to go to community college. When I graduated high school in 2020, I set off to Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. I was so excited, my dream school, in a beautiful state. Little did I know the Lord had other plans for me.
After a hard semester of classes and trying to fit in on a big campus, I finally had to make the decision to come home. Community College still was not on my radar, I figured I could come home and just go to a local university, but after receiving my final grades from the semester at Liberty I realized that was out of the picture.
I finally made the decision to go to East Central College and that is where this story really starts. I remember when I first met with my advisor and I was so nervous because not only had I had decided on a totally different career path, but I was coming in with defeat that I was not cut out for college and that I would be judged because of how terrible my transcripts looked. But I was so wrong, my advisor was so sweet and made sure I felt encouraged that I could do this even though it started out rough.
Getting started was a little rough, not only did I graduate high school when COVID first hit, but I didn’t learn how to “do college” during my first semester either, so I had to figure out how to study and how to make sure I showed up to class on time and actually listen and take in what the professor was teaching about. I felt so encouraged that I could finish school after that first semester because I had received passing grades and all my professors were so encouraging and willing to put in the time to help me pass and get the most out of the classes.
I would say East Central has impacted my life by showing me that I can do it and that life is going to have bumps in the road and won’t always be easy, but if I take it one class period at a time, I can accomplish college. I feel like that goes for life to, you can only take it day by day and not worry what the next day has planned.
My plans after graduating ECC are going back to Liberty University as an online student to study Business Administration with a cognate in Marketing and Sales Management. I also have an internship with Sherwin Williams as a sales representative and sales management intern, so I can further my career in a company and field that I am passionate about.
One of my favorite memories at ECC is when I took ecology with Professor Keith Pulles and we would go outside to do labs and I remember we found a tree frog during one of the labs and he was so interested in it and he kept trying to take a selfie and all of the kids in the class were making fun of his selfie skills. Another memory I have that I love is when I took Government and I volunteered to be one of the lawyers for the mock trial we did, and I ended up winning the case. All the students after class came up and made sure I knew I had killed it and that I needed to be a lawyer.
People who have influenced me along the way are my parents and my grandpa because they have never stopped believing in me even though I didn’t always believe in myself, and they have always been my biggest supporters in everything I do. Another person who has influenced me is Professor Hanneken because she has always encouraged me to do my best and she would always go out of her way to make sure she was doing what she could to help me succeed in the courses I took of hers.
Thank you.
Kylie Phinney<
East central has given me an easy way to complete classes, I have had the freedom to think about my degree and the teachers and staff have helped me along the way. I came to ECC after I moved back home from Michigan, it is close to home, and I have A+. My favorite memory of ECC was the pumpkin smashing in the fall when we threw the pumpkins off the bridge. I am going to Maryville University in the fall for Psychology. I hope to become a psychologist.
Udanthi Walker-Wallace
East Central has impacted my life greatly. I have learned so much about not only myself, but also educationally. My plans after I graduate are to continue going to Ozark Community College in Springfield and getting into the nurse program and hopefully becoming a specialist in gynecology. My favorite memory at East Central was winning 3rd place in the Poetry Contest. My mom and certain instructors who were passionate about teaching, have been my influence along the way.
Lyndsey Graczyk
I have attended East Central for four years – I completed two years of prerequisites before starting the Associate Degree Nursing Program in 2020 and am now scheduled to graduate next Saturday!
I chose ECC because the Nursing program is ranked one of the best. Many nurses I know and have the pleasure to work with attended ECC and spoke very highly of the program. After completing the program myself, I can attest to this sentiment.
During my final semester of the Nursing program, I participated in the Earn While You Learn Program, which allowed me to complete my clinical experience in the specialty area of my choice, the Emergency Department. I found this incredibly beneficial because it allowed me real-life experience in the department I will work in as a graduate nurse. It also enabled me to put my knowledge into practice and the ability to utilize and expand upon my skill set.
I also chose ECC because it is close to home. I am an older student in my thirties, a mother of 4, and work full-time nights. As a mother of a special needs child, I needed to be available at a moment’s notice and attending ECC allowed me to do that. I would not have been able to obtain a degree in Nursing without the availability of this institution in the community.
My experience throughout the last four years has been great. The instructors I had the privilege to learn from are incredibly knowledgeable. While completing my (prerequisites), the flexibility of online classes was beneficial given my busy home life and work schedule.
Macy McKinney
My parents really wanted me to go to ECC because of the A plus program. However, I did not want to go to ECC because I was afraid of missing out on the full “college experience” and with graduating high school in the heat of COVID, I never really got any of that closure with those people I grew up with. So that really put a damper on my first year of college.
Now, looking back at it, I am so so so grateful that they made that decision for me. I’m two years into college with absolutely NO debt! I’ve made so many wonderful friends here at east central and I am sad that we are all going different to places now. I have a lot of good memories from being here, so picking a couple is challenging.
This past semester I took a film photography class and the first few weeks of it were very difficult because learning how to actually work a film camera and developing your photos… well… let’s just say that was beyond stressful. But it turns out that that was my favorite class I’ve ever taken at ECC. I made a lot of new friends in there, my teacher Krista Frohling was nothing short of an ASTOUNDING teacher, and not to mention, I now know how to take awesome pictures with a film camera AND use the dark room. Another memory I’ll never forget is whenever we had the power outage on campus. ECC when it’s completely dark is pretty spooky.
I also took Journalism all semesters when I was here and worked for the school magazine and newspaper. Leigh Kolb was a really good shoulder to lean on whenever I was having any issues with school or even myself. She is for sure the reason I still want to pursue a career in journalism. ECC to me means that you can still get an amazing college experience even if you’re not at a big university. You just really need to put yourself out there and everything will go great!
Grace Simcox
I am graduating with my associates in the art of teaching. East Central was not my first-choice school. I was planning on attending a four-year university right out of high school. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, I thought it would be easier and safer to attend a school closer to home. I am so glad I made this decision!
I was very discouraged and felt disconnected from my peers though the pandemic. East Central College did absolutely everything that they could to help me get the experience I wanted from my college experience. I have not only learned so much about teaching but also a lot about myself in these two years.
I want to say thank you to Mr. (Greg) Stotler for always encouraging me and making me more confident in what I am doing! He does everything in his power to make sure his students are where they need to be, handling everything that is thrown at him calmly and makes it a positive. He is one of the people I will look up to not only as an educator but as a person that I want to be! East Central is a great steppingstone and I am very grateful for the opportunity it has given me!
Dora Bell
I initially decided to attend East Central College because of the wonderful theatre program here. However, after becoming involved with numerous extracurriculars (theatre, the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, the Cornerstone, and the Student Government Association) I realized that opportunities were bountiful at ECC. The chances of making beloved life-long memories were just as plentiful.
I remember when Professor Austin first gave a tour of the catwalk to her Theatre Appreciation class. It was new, unfamiliar, and way too elevated for my comfort. However, after three semesters of performing onstage, stage managing, and prop design; the stage, backstage areas, and even the catwalk became a second home.
I served as Phi Theta Kappa’s Vice President of Public Relations during the Fall 2021 semester. After an officer’s meeting, Mr. Dixon released a butterfly on the outdoor landing of Buescher Hall. The other officers and I were quite excited to see the insect spread its wings and soar…but the butterfly simply flew to a nearby bush for a quick leafy snack.
I remember when a digital collage of mine was published in the Cornerstone. It was a series of memes I created for Professor Kolb’s Intro to Film Studies Class. I created one meme every week in honor of that week’s film, then it was displayed on the projector at the beginning of class every Monday. I’m proud that I had the nerve to share my poor Photoshop skills with my classmates in an effort to make German Expressionism more relatable.
My time as the Public Relations officer for the Student Government Association will be forever cherished, as well. Falcon Fest was a definite favorite event of mine. Even though the cotton candy we spun decided to go airborne and stick itself to the Art Club’s displays, it helped unite the student body after a year and a half of unprecedented and unpleasant times. It was the first time in (seemingly) ages that we were able to socialize safely.
I graduated from ECC in December, but I am overjoyed to be a part of this Spring commencement ceremony. Since earning my Associates degree in Communications, I have completed my first semester at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. My wonderful experiences at ECC helped me grow and thrive at UMSL. In fact, I was just elected for UMSL’s SGA senator, and I owe most of it to the confidence I’ve gained from working with Carson Mowery (Campus Life and Leadership Coordinator), Kevin Dixon (Phi Theta Kappa advisor), Leigh Kolb, Gregg Jones, Amanda Studdard, and Grace Austin.
I will cherish my time here forever. East Central may be a community college, but the education and experiences one gains from this campus is determined by one’s own effort and involvement. I would recommend ECC to anyone who wants a quality college education and a series of treasured memories. It is an enriching journey that truly aims for excellence.
Go, Falcons!
Thank you.
Hayley Revelle
So, my story is basically I went to St. Clair for high school and graduated in 2020, probably the worst year ever to graduate. I had my heart set on (a four-year university). I was going to be the one that went away to school and thrived, and I did, for a little bit. I wasn’t doing well in my classes and ended up getting put on academic suspension. I came home, after 3 semesters away.
I was ashamed for a long time, but then I came back to ECC. My professors have been so much help and much more personable than my (four-year university) ones. I feel like I can get one-on-one time and that they actually care outside of office hours. I’m now heading off to Missouri Baptist University unsure of what my bachelor’s degree will be in, but sure I’m making the right decision the second time around!
Madison Jolly
My experience at ECC has been phenomenal. When I first started in August 2020, I had only been on my own for about a month. I was forced to start fresh with my life and ECC has helped tremendously.
Throughout my experience, I have had teachers reach out to me and help me figure out the net steps in my life and for that I am forever grateful. I am now in the process of pursuing my absolute dream job of teaching middle school. As I move on to Missouri S&T and eventually my own classroom, ECC will always have a special place in my heart.
Thank you.
Julie Rodgers
I was a stay-at-home mother for 6 years before I ever dreamed of having a college career. Those years were precious, and near, and dear to my heart because it was all new. I had to learn what motherhood was about all through experiences and growing with my children.
One day as I was attending a Parents as Teachers session, a thought provoked me. (One of my most treasured hobbies was teaching my children and seeing them process, retain, and perform what they had learned.) Thought: I wanted to be an educator for not only my own children but for a classroom full! After weeks, maybe even months of prayer, I had an opportunity knock at my door, or should I say mailbox.
Our mail carrier brought a package to our door and went ahead and placed our mail into my hand. As I shut the door, I noticed a post card that was junk mail, so I threw it in the trash. As I walked away, I noticed I missed something on the floor. Could you believe it was a postcard from ECC? The card had something like “What are you waiting for? The time is now to register!”
I thought to myself surely this is a sign. Not even a few weeks later I opened the college acceptance letter with tears in my eyes!
That fall, I began my ECC journey as a stay-at-home mother with one child starting kindergarten on my first day of college ever! Call me crazy, but it was a struggle at first. It was all new to me, and taking classes online were certainly new since I graduated from high school more than 10 years ago at the time. I thought I made a huge mistake until one day I was reminded of my journey as a mother. It has been challenging but did I throw in the towel? No way!
It was shortly after that I started receiving positive feedback from instructors that I never thought would be the case. I kept maintaining satisfactory scores on coursework, and again I was heavily reminded that this, this right here is where I am meant to be!
I have worked so hard to earn a degree as a wife, mother, student, and future educator. ECC instructors have helped me push myself and persevere by helping me see just what I am capable of while building from those prior experiences.
I would love to thank Dr. Watts (English), Mr. Stotler (Education/Teaching) Mrs. Geisert (Early Childhood), and Mrs. Vogel (Education/Teaching) for inspiring me to grow while being myself. There were days where I felt so old compared to the other students, but these educators would redirect that thought during discussions.
I am ever so grateful to have had the opportunity to be an ECC student. Because of the wonderful experiences, I decided to transfer to CMU and continue my academic journey through their bachelor’s program as an educator.
Through all of this I have learned that not even a pandemic can cease the love for learning and supporting one another. I think that has really shaped me into the caring, patient, kind, and loving person that I am today, and I am overjoyed to share that with my own classroom soon!
Thank you for listening,
Donna Hall
I live 32 miles from both ECC and St. Charles Community College. So, I could have chosen either school based on the distance. The drive to ECC has less traffic, which was one of the biggest factors in coming to school in Union. The second factor for me was the size of the school. I was afraid I would get lost in crowd at SCCC.
- I have loved my time at ECC. The staff and faculty have been helpful, kind, and welcoming. I have always felt that each person I have encountered cares about my experience.
- I also believe you get out of each experience what you put into it. I have tried to be a diligent student and classmate. In return, I have had instructors and classmates return the favor.
- I want to add how much I appreciate Lorrie Baird. She has always been on top of my VA Chapter 35 benefits. I cannot tell you what a relief it was knowing that I would always receive my benefits on time.
- I learned to love Epic poetry, and poetry in general, thanks to Dr. Mahon. I took every class I could, that he taught, and that fit my schedule.
- My friends from PTK. I have worked with some fantastic people in our Chapter, who have all won my heart.
- Profesora Aramburu and Dr. Howard always make me feel as though I could accomplish any goal, I set for myself.
- (East Central mean to me) HOME, it feels like a place I fit in and belong.
I graduated high school in 1987. So, to say, I was a little out of game is no joke. My first semester at ECC was Spring of 2020. I am likely to be the only person who is thankful for COVID. On March 12, 2020, during my Oral Communications class, my retina detached in two places. March 13, 2020, I had emergency surgery to repair my eye.
March 17, 2020, my daughter brought me to school, since I had eight weeks with the bubble in my eye that meant no lifting and keeping my head parallel to the floor, only to be told in person classes were canceled. For me, this was an absolute blessing, because I had no idea how I would manage to get to and from Union on my own.
During the Fall of 2020, I had 3 more eye surgeries. All were successful and I still have my eyesight. And the remainder of my school year went off without a glitch.
Then we come to the Fall of 2021, we lost my oldest sister (57) to a stroke right before Christmas. Over Spring Break, I moved my father to hospice, and we lost him at the end of that week. My PTK family and instructors were all wonderful. This has been a stressful few months, since my family lives in others states.
I had not shared with my any of my extended family that I was back in school, due to lack of support. Their attitude is “why bother”. You are too old. To that I say, you are never too old to learn and never too young to teach. I have learned so much from my fellow classmates. So, when the young student is afraid to ask a question or express an opinion, I say “please do”. Many times, they have brought up something that I have never considered because it was not something that was relevant in my youth. I love learning from my classmates when they are not afraid to talk.
On a special note, on May 7, 2022, our daughter, Cynthia will graduate from UCM with her bachelor’s in Special Education K-12 Cross Cat. On May 14, 2022, while I am graduating from ECC, youngest daughter, Laura, will be graduating from State Technical College with her associate degree in Nuclear Radiation. So, this has been a special time for me to share my college experience with our youngest two children. I am also thankful for my daughters tutoring me in Statistics, without their help I would never have made it through with an A in the class.
Mikeyla Grable
East Central is the college both of my parents went to, and also the college I graduated from the first time. I love the teachers, and the students at the college. Everyone is so wonderful. I’ve made so many wonderful memories in the past few years. The main memory is how easily I was accepted back into jazz band and choir and treated like anyone of the other students. East Central means a lot to me, but it especially feels like a second home.
Andrea Hernandez
I came to ECC from the country of Honduras thanks to soccer. My experience has been great. I have met amazing people, including teachers and friends. Two of the most important people in my life I met at ECC, so I am extremely thankful. I have so many memories here that I will never forget, like making amazing friends from different parts of the world or traveling with the soccer team to different places. East Central is the beginning of my journey and I will be forever grateful for the experience.
Emily Moody
Although I was born in St. Louis, I grew up in Phoenix, Ariz. Late in 2019, while attending a community college out there and still undecided in the path I was wanting to take in life, I decided to move to Missouri in 2020 for a change of scenery; I have plenty of family out here so I figured it would be a good landing point while I explored the new world around me. I had planned to move in with my aunt in August and, while staying with her in Union, tour around universities in Missouri to see where I would like to continue my education.
In June of 2020, however, my aunt was in a life-threatening car accident. She likely wouldn’t be able to walk for a while, let alone work or continue her life how she had up to that point. It was a miracle she survived. At that point I decided to move to Union early to help her and my uncle keep their lives as normal as possible.
I wore many hats that semester: errand-girl, cook, day/night nurse, couple’s counselor, chauffeur to St Louis for my aunt’s doctor appointments, as well as helping with regular household duties like cleaning and yard work. Needless to say, my plans to tour Missouri went out the window and I ultimately took the semester off of as a whole.
I’d heard good things from my family about the music program at ECC, so come January I decided to try out it out. I still wasn’t entirely sure if music was what I wanted to go to school for, but I gave ECC’s program a shot, anyway. In hindsight, I could not have picked a better school for starting my AFA in Music. It was truly God’s will that I stay in Union and not look anywhere else; He knew exactly where I needed to go.
As of October of last year, after being practically bedridden for 16 months, my aunt is walking again. She’s gotten married since the accident, her and my uncle are living in their dream home together. She has taught me true perseverance and is still an inspiration to me every day. She’s even walking into my graduation on Saturday, a true example of courage and strength.
And me? I’m headed to Southeastern Missouri State University in August to continue my degree in Music Education. Looking back, there were times where the uncertainty of life took over my heart and I found it difficult to be appreciative of the situation; someone whom I love nearly died and I was taking on a role that I wasn’t sure I was meant to play, seemingly putting my life on hold.
But since moving to Missouri, and since attending ECC, I’ve learned the importance of family, friendship, perseverance, and how to truly trust in God. Trust the situation, no matter how hard it may be, because sometimes He has something bigger and better in store.
Between the staff at ECC (Jennifer Judd, Tim Sexton, Tamara Campbell, Connor Joyce, Jeremy Bates, Lisa Blackmore, and more), friends, family, and God, I’ve received the most support that I have ever had through any part of my life and I have no doubt that I was put exactly where I was meant to be.
