Warm regards,

Diane Stredde

Alumni Relations Coordinator   

NJCAA's Lea Plarski Award Recipient  

exemplifies sportsmanship, leadership, community service, academic excellence, athletic ability and achievements  

Cassie Dumoulin, "the most coachable and hardest working student I have had in my 30+ years of college coaching," says Coach McLaughlin

Cassie Dumoulin has finished her degree here at Elgin Community College (ECC), but her legacy will live on as one of the "most exceptionally well-rounded student athletes ECC has ever had", said Jerry Mclaughlin, ECC's women's basketball coach.   Dumoulin not only plays basketball, but volunteers for various charitable

organizations, her church, has a perfect grade point average, and is the oldest sibling of 10 children in her family.

Dumoulin's outstanding athletic ability, along with that of her teammates, has brought the Spartans an Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference ISSC champs in the 2011-2012 season.  The college has not held this title since 2003. Here are a few highlights of Dumoulin's athletic accomplishments:

• NJCAA All-American Third Team 2010-11 season
• Ranked 4th in NJCAA DII scoring leaders for 2010-11 season
• 5th leading scorer in the nation at 22 points per game
• Ranked 6th in NJCAA DII scoring leaders for 2011-12 season
• NJCAA Player of the Week (Jan. 23-29, 2012)
• Three-time Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Player of the Week
• Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Player of the Year (2011-12)
• First player (male or female) in ECC women's basketball history to score over 1,000 career points (1,393)
• ISCC All-Conference First Team (2011-12)
• Had the first triple-double in ECC women's basketball history in 2010-11 season (27 points, 10 steals, 10 assists)
• First two-time co-captain in ECC's history
• Lea Plarski Award  

Coach McLaughlin said," Dumoulin is the most coachable and hardest working student-athlete I have had in my 30+ years of college coaching."

On the academic side, Dumoulin has been on the ECC Dean's List every semester, currently holds a 4.0 grade point average, and has been an active member of Phi Theta Kappa. She plans to continue her education and will be studying Civil Engineering at University of Illinois in the fall of 2012.  

Dumoulin shared her philosophy of what success means to her. She said, "If you always work your hardest, and seize every opportunity, you will never have any regrets. You will never have to worry whether or not you have done your best."

Dumoulin is never too busy to take time to help others by volunteering for community service activities. She has donated her time to the ECC Foundation for various special events as a scholarship recipient, the V Foundation for Cancer Research, Intellectual Disabilities Fund Drive, Northern Illinois Food Bank, and Feed My Starving Children organizations, and is involved to a high degree with her local church, St. Charles Borromeo in Hampshire, Illinois.  

When asked how she balances athletics, her studies, and community involvement, Dumoulin said that her best advice to students is to "prioritize and be very organized with your time. Focus, hard work and sacrifices are what it takes. Sometimes you just have to stay home and work on homework instead of going out. If you want to be successful, all your hard work and effort will be rewarded."  

Dumoulin has set the bar high for students following in her footsteps, and for her nine younger siblings of whom some are already here or planning to attend ECC. Receiving the 2012 Lea Plarski Award, given by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), is a testament to her talent as this award is only given to one person in the entire country, male or female from every sport in the NJCAA for the 2011-2012 seasons.  She is an inspiration to all who know her.  

Diane Stredde 

Shirldine W. - "I'm getting married in July!"

Dustin V. - I want to give a special thanks to Gary Norden, Len Fitzpatrick, Susan Timm, Gary Christianson, and Beverly Augustine for being great teachers and influences.

Brianne D. -  "because I learned so much from them!" (Professor's Sharon Baker and Elizabeth Becker)

 Devora M. - "All my teachers are my favorite!" 

Clarita M. - Favorite Memory: "The friendly atmosphere, how everything was easy to find, with people to help you."  

Caitlin C. - "Ed Thomas for President!"  

Carlos A. - "Mr. Martinez is awesome!"    

Laura V. - "The biology faculty is amazing."     

Adam O. - "All of the teachers in the graphic design department are supurb and I have learned a lot from them."

Joanna H. - "Attending a field trip to Hamburger University."

Debbie P. - "Mrs Lange of Surgical Tech, hard teacher but fair, very knowledgeable.  Would take her again."

Dan D. - "Solar cooking demo for culinary event." 

Louis G. - "Dave Zacker was amazing."

Kelly I. - "Being a part of Phi Theta Kappa."

Kane L. - "Hanging in the Jobe Lounge." 

Jehra M. - "When I worked with a group in Speech 101 Class. We did an elementary volunteer activity to help kids understand cultures."  

Jaedyn O. - "Starting in the Nursing program Fall 2012 for my 2nd degree."

Kayla P. - "Volleyball :)" 

Lance V. - "Basketball, going to Colorado Christian in the Fall 2012." 

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