Ellie McLaughlin, a senior, has been named Amboy High School student of the month for September.

The program gives students hands-on experience in welding, machining, and computer-aided design.

At the Whiteside Area Career Center in Sterling, students are not just learning about technology – they are taking it apart, putting it back together and coding their way into the future.

Babson Farms and the H.B.B. Foundation will support the 54 registered and future AFC students who will earn their tuition and fees at Sauk Valley Community College through the Impact Program.

Through hands-on projects in photography, graphic design, video editing and digital drawing, Whiteside Area Career Center students explore the tools and techniques used by professionals in the creative industry, all while building portfolios of their own.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Damien DuBois, a 2024 Dixon High School graduate, is training to be part of the U.S. Navy’s 125-year tradition of service under the sea.

While their classmates head to math or English, students at the Whiteside Area Career Center are taking part in mock trials and learning how to deescalate suspects – all as part of real-world law enforcement training.

Through this initiative, in partnership with the Dixon Rural Fire Department, the organization was able to purchase 13 kits to be distributed to schools in Dixon, Sterling and Rock Falls.

Sauk Valley Community College is seeking volunteer tutors for a free program in Dixon helping non-native English speakers improve their language skills and prepare for the U.S. naturalization process.