Home

Elgin business owner Erin Ramirez wasn’t always her own boss. After years of life experiences and a push from her husband, she found the courage to step into the entrepreneurial space. Ready to take the leap but unsure how to succeed, Ramirez found the Illinois Small Business Development Center (Illinois SBDC) at Elgin Community College, which became the lifeline she needed.

When Peggy Heinrich, EdD, became the ninth president of Elgin Community College, she was both honored and exhilarated. Heinrich, who is deeply committed to higher education and community service, views her new leadership role as the continuation of a personal journey that has evolved throughout her career.

Anala Thakkar, of South Elgin, Ill., is on track to achieve her mission to graduate with her Associate in Science degree in the summer of 2025. Before completing her degree, she accomplished a significant milestone by participating in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Community College Aerospace Scholars Program, which she was selected for in June 2024.

Gabriel Cabrera Ruiz, ’21, is living where he once never dreamed he would: New Haven, Connecticut. Ruiz found himself amongst the picturesque campus of Yale University, where he began his first semester in the fall of 2024 as an environmental studies graduate student.