Post-pandemic rebound boosting Sauk Valley Community College’s student enrollment: school officials

Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon is seeing a steady boost in enrollment, part of a post-pandemic rebound that college leaders say reflects a growing interest in its workforce-focused programs.

Vice President of Academics and Student Services Jon Mandrell said the number of students has been climbing for the past three years – from 1,507 two years ago, to 1,586 last year and now 1,686 this fall. That’s about a 10% jump from last year alone.

“We’re traditionally somewhere between 1,500 [and] 2,000 students,” Mandrell said. “We’re excited that our initiatives toward public service workforce efforts are way up. That includes education, criminal justice and our health care programs. We’re seeing those programs have considerable growth.”

Mandrell said the increase is showing across the board – from first-time and returning students to transfers – and reflects a post-pandemic rebound.

“We’re seeing a lot of students come to us that are looking for help and channeling whatever that next career pathway is for them,” Mandrell said. “We have a class now just for that, to help undecided students, that launched last year.”

One major pull for the college is The Academy at SVCC, which offers high-achieving high school seniors the chance to take college classes while developing leadership skills; completing service projects; and participating in cultural, historical and scientific experiences. Students can earn transferable credits while completing their prerequisites.

This year, 15 students from nine area high schools are starting at the Sauk Academy. Dixon High School senior Keegan Shirley is one of them.

“It gave me the opportunity as a senior in high school to get a jump-start on some of my college classes, get some of those gen eds out of the way, and it’s also pretty affordable,” Shirley said.

The Impact Program also is boosting interest in SVCC. It covers up to three years of tuition and fees for local high school students who complete 100 community service hours and meet program benchmarks.

SVCC Vice President of Advancement Lori Cortez said Sauk is welcoming its first cohort of Impact students this fall – 16 students from Fulton and Prophetstown who enrolled in the program four years ago.

“They have done over 100 hours of community service right here in our area to be able to earn their tuition and fees,” Cortez said.

Cortez added that Sauk’s new sonography program is drawing more students as well. The program was designed to address workforce needs in local hospitals, and the college is renovating facilities to give students access to state-of-the-art technology.

Another standout for the school is its police academy – the eighth in Illinois – which opened to address challenges in accessing training and recruiting local officers.

“We have a full class, with 35 officers that graduate this month, and then another class starts next month, also with 35 officers,” Mandrell said.

Before the SVCC’s police academy was created, the nearest facility was more than two hours away, posing significant barriers for area law enforcement agencies. In 2021, representatives from SVCC and regional law enforcement began advocating for the program, and with support from the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, local agencies and elected officials, it received approval in 2022.

For some, Sauk is more than a stepping stone – it is a launching pad. Michelle Diaz, president of the Association of Latin American Students and a sophomore sonography student, said the school’s affordability and close-to-home location made it the right choice for her.

“My experience has led me to make connections with the president and the vice president,” Diaz said. “We help organize events, and it has led me to build a better leadership role here on campus.”

Alumna Annely Salgado, who started at Sauk as a dual-enrollment student in 2012, went on to work for the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers and now works for a couple on the Home & Garden Television cable channel. She credits Sauk’s programs and connections for helping her to succeed.

“My education at Sauk and my experience not only as a student, but also for AmeriCorps and other programs like the Association of Latin American Students, definitely helped me broaden who I was as a student and now who I am as a professional,” Salgado said.

Mandrell said the college’s growth reflects its core mission.

“It’s the access to education right here in our community, the relationships that we have built, the responsiveness to the community and the affordability,” Mandrell said. “Everything from our Impact Program to the financial assistance that we provide helps our students get on track, and also assists them with the support they need to be successful.”