Celebrating 60 years of Sauk: How a community built a college and a lasting legacy

Sixty years ago, a determined group of local visionaries decided to turn an “educational desert” into a flourishing community college serving thousands each year.

As Sauk Valley Community College marks its 60th anniversary in 2025, its founders, leaders and supporters are reflecting on how a grassroots movement built a thriving institution from the ground up while continuing to shape futures across northwest Illinois.

The college’s roots go back to 1965 when discussions began among educators, civic leaders and residents about the need for a local junior college. One of the key figures behind that movement was Pete Dillon of Sterling, who would go on to serve as a founding member of SVCC’s first Board of Trustees.

“I was the first one to go to college in my family,” Dillon said. “When I came back [from school], I thought, wow, we’re kind of in an educational desert.”

“You can’t find someone who’s written a book on how to create a college. We were building something from nothing. But the people were genuinely committed to getting this thing done and we did it.”

—  Pete Dillon, a founding member of SVCC’s first Board of Trustees

Former SVCC board member Mary Ellen Wilkinson recalled the early work Pete did even before there was a board.

“He worked on recruiting representatives from the various communities, and then those people had to be elected,” Wilkinson said. ”So there was a process before there was ever a board.”

Wilkinson said a feasibility study alone took a year and involved 100 people from 10 school districts.

When it came time to make the college a reality, Pete literally sketched out the foundation.

“I designed it at 4 in the morning in my basement,” Pete said of the Ironsides building – the college’s very first facility – built while the main campus was still under development. “The idea was that we needed something that could be used while the campus was being constructed.”

To generate community support, Dillon organized open houses so residents could walk through the Ironsides structure while it was still being built.

“We had a few thousand people come through,” Pete said. ”You probably couldn’t get away with that today.”

That public engagement helped lead to overwhelming support in a 1966 referendum to officially create the district.

“At Sterling High School, when we voted that day, we had to turn away 400 people because they couldn’t get in to vote,” Dillon recalled.

Even the college’s name was a community effort.

“There was a contest to name the college,” current SVCC President Dave Hellmich said.

A third-grade student at Dixon’s St. Mary’s School, Michael Flanagan, submitted the winning name.

SVCC opened its doors in the fall of 1966 with 660 students. Today, it serves over 2,000 students each semester with a wide range of academic, career and community-centered programs, including associate degrees in art, science, or applied science in more than 35 areas and over 50 certificates.

During the 2024–2025 academic year, SVCC awarded 247 associate degrees, 446 career-technical certificates, and 129 credentials, totaling 822 awards.

Vice President of Academics and Student Services Jon Mandrell highlighted one of SVCC’s more recent accomplishments – launching a regional police academy.

“Public safety is a huge need. Our September class is already full,” Mandrell said. “There was a gaping hole for police training from central Illinois up to the northwest. We just kept asking and asking, and advocating for years until we were finally heard.”

The college’s commitment to meeting local needs does not stop there. SVCC’s Vice President of Advancement Lori Cortez said the college’s Small Business Development Center supports more than 200 entrepreneurs and small businesses each year.

“Whether it’s to start up a business, keep their business going, or help them retire and transfer it to someone else, we’re here,” Cortez said.

SVCC is also helping local high school students invest in their futures.

The college’s Impact Program helps local high school students pay for their tuition when they complete volunteer service hours. Last year, it was awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in Revitalization.

The college has also evolved beyond its original mission by offering select four-year degree options in partnership with universities.

“That wasn’t part of the original concept,” Wilkinson said, “But once you get your foot in the door and you see what’s possible, it makes a huge difference.”

Cortez agreed.

“Our data backs that up,” Cortez said. “Our retention rate here at the college is about 20% higher than other community colleges.”

Today, SVCC’s campus stretches across 150 scenic acres along the Rock River between Sterling and Dixon, a location that Pete helped negotiate during 30 days of daily visits and coffee with a reluctant landowner to seal the deal.

Looking back, Pete said none of the founding team had a playbook.

“You can’t find someone who’s written a book on how to create a college,” Pete said. “We were building something from nothing. But the people were genuinely committed to getting this thing done and we did it.”

Now 60 years on, Sauk Valley Community College is not only still standing, it is thriving, and still grounded in the values that built it: accessibility, persistence and a deep belief in what’s possible when a community comes together.

“You won’t find a better value in this world than a community college,” Mandrell said.