Beatrice Bonner

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum provides a number of ways for community members to be involved including their volunteer program. Director of Volunteer Services Jeremy Carrell and Volunteer Services Manager Melissa Blankestyn spoke to Community Voices about the importance of volunteers at the museum, their responsibilities, and their new VolunTEENS program which piloted this summer. They also talk about the training sessions the museum will be offering for new volunteers this fall.

The field of Medical Laboratory Science is facing a critical staffing shortage in the Springfield area community. Dr. Andrea Jensen, Program Director and Assistant Professor of Medical Laboratory Science program at UIS, spoke to Community Voices about the new bridge program at UIS created to address this shortage.

The Lifespan of a Fact is a 2018 Broadway play based on a book of the same name co-written by John D’Agata and Jim Fingal. The play surrounds an essayist and fact-checker as they grapple with the distinction between fact and truth. Actors Jakob Hankins and Laura Briggs spoke to Community Voices about the importance and timeliness of the show, which will run Sept. 26-29 in the Studio Theater at UIS.

Jason Hudy has performed worldwide, and on Saturday, Sept. 14, he will perform at the Kirkland Fine Arts Center. He spoke to Community Voices about his 20-year career, from working with Disney Cruise Lines to his TEDx Talk, “The Secret Behind a Magic Show”, and his experience catering to different audiences.

Erika Holst, Curator of History, and Amanda Bryden, Registrar of History and State Historic Sites at the Illinois State Museum, spoke to Community Voices about their current Route 66 Oral History Project. Commemorating the centennial of the road, they discussed the process of collecting 100 oral histories from those who experienced Route 66 in its prime.

Matt Pryer is a maintenance engineer at Sacred Heart Convent and a local metal artist. He spoke to Community Voices about how he got into metal art, his most recent metal art projects, and the passion he has for his work at Sacred Heart Convent. Matt also talks about an upcoming craft show happening in late September in collaboration with Springfield Carriage House.

Ron Silver is a composer and performer currently teaching at the University of Illinois Springfield. He spoke to Community Voices about his experience with experimental music, as well as his time as producer and director at New Music New College in Sarasota, Fla.

Susannah Scaroni is a paralympic gold medalist from Tekoa, Wash. She competes in wheelchair racing and will soon head to Paris to compete in the 2024 Paralympic Games. Scaroni spoke to Community Voices about life after her injury, adaptive sports and her time at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also shared her most memorable races and what she is looking forward to during the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.

Dena and Carina Gilley help Springfield area residents and businesses with sustainable organization and decluttering through Gilley’s Organizing. They spoke to Community Voices about their process, their mother-daughter dynamic and the impact of clutter on stress.

Melodie Parrish is the author of 8 Months of Hell: My Journey with PTSD . She spoke to Community Voices about the process of writing her book, as well as her experience with PTSD and traumatic brain injury.For more information visit: https://www.8monthsofhell.com/