Faviola Ceja took a major step toward her goal of a career as a healthcare professional late last year. It was a significant accomplishment for a Waukegan woman who was never promoted from middle school to high school.

Now 35, Ceja is a single mother with four children, ranging in age from 4 to 17. A lack of a high school diploma did not prevent her employers at Walmart in Waukegan from recognizing her ability. She was hired as a cashier and quickly became a supervisor.

Just over a year ago, Ceja decided that she wanted her children to do better than her in life, but she had to set an example. She enrolled at the College of Lake County, with the goal of earning a high school diploma and getting on a professional career path.

“I wanted to break the cycle,” Ceja, the daughter of Mexican immigrants who cannot read or write very well, said. “I wanted to encourage my kids to go to school and do what I didn’t do. I had to do it for myself and for them.”

Ceja was one of 350 College of Lake County students who earned a degree or a professional certificate on Dec. 16 at the Grayslake campus, setting them on a path to a career or to further their education.

Though some CLC students arrive on campus directly from high school seeking a two-year associate’s degree before continuing to a four-year university to earn a bachelor’s degree, others are looking for career skills to find a good-paying, meaningful job.

Faviola Ceja and her two youngest children take a moment together at the College of Lake County’s midyear graduation ceremony, where she was one of 350 students to receive a degree or a certificate. (College of Lake County)

CLC President Lori Suddick said in an email Wednesday that one of the school’s goals is access for anyone seeking a hand up to a better life because the college is an “engine of social and economic mobility.”

“CLC meets our students exactly where they are and gets them where they want to go by providing personalized support along the way,” Suddick said. “Access to high-quality education empowers individuals to apply their talents in ways that transform their lives, their families’ opportunities and strengthens communities.”

A high school diploma is not an entrance requirement. Tasha Shell, CLC’s dean of adult education and ESL, said people matriculate to the school to get their high school diploma. Some are a course away, while others have a longer road.

“A lot of our students are looking for a different job or advancement at their current job,” Shell said. “They enroll in a certificate program, which we pay for.”

Some College of Lake County students take an academic route to an associate’s degree, while others pursue a certificate leading directly to the workforce, like these students at the Advanced Technology Center. (College of Lake County)

As Ceja walked across the stage in December, she received her certificate as a certified nursing assistant. Completion of her high school diploma is coming soon, and eventually she plans to become a nurse. Her road to becoming a healthcare professional had its turns.

While a sixth grader at Robert Abbott Middle School in Waukegan, Ceja was in an automobile accident and missed three months of class. She healed but was left with a scar. Classmates were not welcoming, she said.

“I got bullied, they called me ‘scarface,’” Ceja said.

Taking two years to complete sixth grade and another two years for seventh, Ceja said one of her teachers, whom she called “amazing,” took an interest and told her about Waukegan Community Unit School District 60’s Alternative Optional Education Center.

“What a difference it was,” Ceja said. “I felt more understood. I passed eighth grade and ninth grade. Then I got pregnant and started working.”

From time to time, Ceja said she thought about finishing high school. She finally made the move to enroll at CLC when she decided to set an example for her children. All four were with her at graduation as she received her CNA certificate. The diploma is coming soon.

Jeet Saini, CLC’s dean of biological and health sciences, said the CNA is a first step for people who want a career in the healthcare field. Many of the jobs are at long-term care facilities. There is help for job placement as well.

Jeet said a two-year degree in nursing has a variety of requirements, including a 2.0 grade point average at CLC and a number of science courses. There is also a medical assistant program, surgical technology, medical engineering, phlebotomy and health information technology.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/22/college-of-lake-county-graduation/