INA, Ill. (April 5, 2019) - Eleven outstanding students and one Rend Lake College employee were honored this week during the 43rd Annual Agriculture Banquet at Rend Lake College. Faculty and staff celebrated the end of another successful year with students in the five agriculture programs on campus alongside family and friends.
During the banquet, numerous students were honored with gifts and awards, some serious and some not so much. The night culminated in eight program-specific outstanding student awards and two overall outstanding student awards.
Each of RLC’s five agriculture programs recognized outstanding students for being standout students throughout the year. The award winners are:
- Agriculture Business Outstanding Student of the Year: Jordan Hoppa (Waltonville)
- Agriculture Mechanics Outstanding Students of the Year: Kyle Bammer (Belleville) and Coty Boruff (Bartelso)
- Agriculture Production & Management Outstanding Student of the Year: Luke Winget (Mulkeytown) and Ryan Brockett (McLeansboro)
- Diesel Technology Outstanding Students of the Year: Trent Vosholler (Highland) and Kelby Burns (Coulterville)
- Heavy Equipment Outstanding Students of the Year: Colin Stumpf (Millstadt) and Hayden Anderson (Columbia)
The overall Outstanding Agriculture Student of the Year was awarded to both Mackenzie Trader (Scheller) and Jordan Eidman (Mascoutah)
Back row, from left: Heavy Equipment Technology Associate Professor Zack Vahlkamp, Diesel Technology Instructor Colin Jones, Trent Vosholler (Highland), Ag Mechanics and Diesel Technology Professor Mike Burris, Luke Winget (Mulkeytown), Ryan Brockett (McLeansboro), Jordan Hoppa (Waltonville), Kyle Bammer (Belleville), Hayden Anderson (Columbia). Front row, from left: Jordan Eidman (Mascoutah), Agriculture Professor Kathy Craig, Kelby Burns (Coulterville), Colin Stumpf (Millstadt), Mackenzie Trader (Scheller), Katie Newell (Bonnie), Taryn Chesnek (Woodlawn), Coty Boruff (Bartelso).
A member of the Rend Lake family was also honored with the Doug Leeck Service Award for providing exceptional service to students. Joy Fitts, longtime Administrative Assistant for the Applied Science Division and current CTE Support Specialist, was honored for being a positive force for many RLC students in the community.
Joy Fittts accepts the 2019 Doug Leeck Service Award
Trent Vosholler (Highland), left, and Jacob Korte (Belknap), right, present the Ag Department with a gift on behalf of this year's graduating class. The custom sign was cut and fabricated using RLC equipment.
For more information on RLC's Agriculture Department, check out rlc.edu/agriculture or call (618) 437-5321 Ext. 1261.