Office of the President

With the threat of severe weather looming over southern Illinois, John A. Logan College officials made the early call Thursday morning to postpone Friday’s graduation ceremonies. That decision proved prudent as tornadoes swept through the region Friday evening, causing widespread damage.

“We knew moving graduation was going to be inconvenient for our graduates, their families, and everyone involved,” said JALC President Dr. Kirk Overstreet. “I can’t say enough about all of our staff that jumped in to make this happen and give our graduates their special moment.”

Despite the last-minute shift to Saturday, turnout remained strong. An over-capacity crowd packed Brewer Gymnasium and the O’Neil Auditorium to celebrate the college’s fifty-sixth commencement ceremony — and the first ever held on a Saturday.

“Both ceremonies were very close to the number of graduates that we predicted would walk through the graduation,” Overstreet said.

Provost Dr. Stephanie Chaney Hartford opened the ceremonies by thanking those in attendance and acknowledging the hardships endured by the community during the storm. She asked for continued thoughts and prayers for those affected by the tornadoes and the first responders working through the aftermath.

The college hosted two ceremonies on Saturday. At 9 a.m., degrees were awarded for Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, Associate in Engineering Science, and Associate in Fine Arts. At 11:30 a.m., the Associate in Applied Science and certificate earners were recognized. Student speakers included Kaleigh Duncan and Braden Wright, both from Carterville.

Despite the challenges posed by the weather, officials and attendees alike praised the effort to ensure graduates were honored in a safe and memorable setting.

When Rob Craig wrapped up the fall semester at John A. Logan College, he never imagined the spring’s challenges. The Associate Professor of Electronics and newly named 2025 Outstanding Faculty Member would soon be called upon to lean heavily on his deep faith, adaptability—and heart for his students.

Craig, who teaches in the College’s Electronics Technology Program, typically looks forward to the spring semester. It’s when students begin grasping the material more confidently and when he gets to know them better. But just days before classes resumed, tragedy struck. George Bricker, Craig’s colleague and friend, suddenly passed away. Bricker had served the college for just over nine years as an associate professor of electronics and had developed the College’s Biomedical degree program.

“To be honest, the beginning of the semester was terrible,” Craig said. “I was emotionally wrecked, but I had to be strong for our grieving students, particularly our second-year students in biomedical electronics.”

Despite his own grief, Craig immediately stepped in to support Bricker’s students inside and outside the classroom. He took on the added responsibility of coordinating adjunct instructors and shouldering Bricker’s biomedical electronics course load, which is a subject Craig had little experience in.

It was a challenge the Marion native never expected, especially as someone who once doubted he’d ever attend college.

“My dad was a carpenter, and from a young age, I intended to do that,” Craig said. “I always had an interest in computers and electronics, but I didn’t think I could afford college.”

That changed after a visit to John A. Logan College with a friend, where he spotted a brochure for the Electronics Technology (ELT) program. He enrolled, excelled, and later transferred to Murray State University. After earning his degree, Craig held IT roles at UPS, a private construction firm, and Southern Illinois University before returning to JALC to teach.

Craig credits the college’s alumni and current students with helping him adapt quickly during the chaos of spring 2025.

“I have gone from not being able to hook up EKG leads to understanding it and knowing what all the pulses on the monitors mean,” he said. “And I could not have done that without the support of our past students.”

While the added workload could have been overwhelming, Craig leaned on his Christian faith and a commitment to work-life balance to keep going.

“I prayed on my way to work every day, turning it all over to God,” he said. “The comfort of knowing who was in control helped me through the semester.”

Craig also strives to model that same balance for his students. A devoted husband and father, he lives in Marion with his wife, Anne, his college sweetheart. They have two sons—Peyton, a JALC ELT graduate now studying aviation electronics at SIU, and Nathan, a high school senior who will attend JALC in the fall.

Away from the classroom, Craig collects and restores pinball machines, plays guitar, and competes in both pickleball and disc golf. He’s brought some of those passions to campus, founding the Black Jack Disc Golf Club and teaching an introductory pickleball class for adults over 50.

“In the classroom, it becomes boring and frustrating if it’s all work and no play,” Craig said. “A lot of the people in our program are comfortable indoors, and I feel it is important to get them outside.”

What began as a way to unwind became an opportunity to build community. The disc golf club, with its nine-hole course, has grown beyond ELT students into a campuswide group.

Craig’s hobby of collecting pinball machines has also opened doors for students. One of his classroom machines is a one-of-a-kind unit, and his industry connections have led to job opportunities for former students, such as Casey Butler, who was named the College’s 2025 Distinguished Alumnus.

While reflecting on the semester, Craig is proud of the college community’s accomplishments despite adversity.

“We healed, and solutions were provided,” he said. “The students didn’t get the quality of education they would have if George had been here, but it was close because everyone taught those classes with the intent to respect him, and we made it.”

Craig’s dedication didn’t go unnoticed. His colleagues voted to name him the 2025 Outstanding Faculty Member.

“I don’t deserve it,” Craig said quietly. “I just try to bring it daily because I care about these people and want them to succeed. I’ll get emotional at graduation because I’ve lived life with them.”

For Craig, the true reward comes not from accolades but from lasting relationships with students.

“At some point, whether on the disc golf course or in my office, it eventually spills out where they just need someone to talk to,” he said. “And I’m glad to be there to listen and help. But what matters the most is when I hear from them years later about new jobs, weddings, and baby pictures. That’s when I feel the most pride in what we do.”

Though Craig may believe he doesn’t deserve the honor, his impact tells a different story!

Jon Rivers, the first baseball coach at John A. Logan College who laid the foundation for one of the nation’s top community college programs, died this week at 81.

Rivers launched the JALC baseball program in 1969 and guided it through its formative years, helping transform the Vols into one of the top programs in the country. Known for his dedication on and off the field, Rivers later served as Chair of the Career and Technical Education Department, where he taught Drafting and Computer-Aided Design until his retirement in 2000. He spent a total of 32 years in service to the college.

“We appreciate the foundation Jon Rivers set for John A. Logan College,” said current JALC baseball coach Kyle Suprenant. “We had the pleasure of honoring him recently, and I know he was proud of all the program has accomplished.”

A graveside service is scheduled for Friday, May 16, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. at Rosehill Cemetery. Attendees are asked to arrive shortly before the service begins.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made in Rivers’ memory to the John A. Logan College Foundation/Baseball.