Illinois State Rep. Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City) said he was grateful to be the Lincoln' ChalleNGe Academy Commencement Exercise keynote speaker at Braden Auditorium in the ISU Bone Center on June 11.
In a June 15 Facebook post, Bennett celebrated the graduates of Class 57-22.
"The ceremony was inspiring! The stories were compelling. Every one of the 63 individuals developed new perspectives and new skills," Bennett wrote in the post. "Grateful for the work Directors Maurice Rochelle and Michael Haerr and their entire staff as they worked with each one of these individuals with love, support, and discipline. Focus on tomorrow! You can't change yesterday! Change requires courage! I am confident that the best for these graduates is yet to come! Congratulations!"
According to Central Illinois Proud, Director Michael Haerr told the graduates during the ceremony that "you will always be remembered for being the caring person to change yourself, to make changes in your life, and appreciated for the kind of person other people like spending time with."
The Academy wrote about the graduation ceremony in a June 13 Facebook post saying, "the ceremony recognized the achievements of the graduating class and what they have accomplished in the five months they attended LCA."
The program consists of a 22-week residential program, followed by a 12-month post-residential phase where cadets return to the community and work toward completion of their Individual Life Plans. According to the Academy's website, there is no tuition to participate in the program, and no expectation that the graduates will go into the military.
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