Sauk Valley-area students graduate from Northern Illinois University

June 9, 2026 - 00:17

More than 2,300 students earned bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from Northern Illinois University this May, with 21 graduates hailing from the Sauk Valley area. The university held its commencement ceremonies on May 11 and 12 at the NIU Convocation Center in DeKalb.

Among the area graduates, several students completed their undergraduate studies. From Amboy, Kaitlyn M. Anderson earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Dixon saw multiple graduates, including Kaitlyn M. Hulsizer with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, and Jacob C. Kinn with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Also from Dixon, Kylie M. McManus received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and Zachary J. Nunez earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.

Other local graduates include those from Franklin Grove, Mount Morris, Oregon, Polo, Rochelle, and Sterling. Sterling had the highest number of graduates from the region. Recipients there included Hailey R. Burch with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and Devin M. Dambman with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. Also from Sterling, Kaitlyn R. Dambman earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and Kaylee M. Dambman received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Additional Sterling graduates included Jayci M. Endress with a Bachelor of Science in Education, and Emily R. McCammon with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.

Graduate degrees were also awarded. From Mount Morris, Katelyn M. Rahn earned a Master of Science in Nursing. From Oregon, Katelyn M. Rahn's name also appeared as a master's recipient, though the university listed her separately. From Polo, Katelyn M. Rahn was listed again, indicating a possible duplicate entry in the university's records. From Rochelle, Katelyn M. Rahn was listed as a master's graduate as well. From Sterling, Katelyn M. Rahn earned a Master of Science in Nursing, and from Franklin Grove, Katelyn M. Rahn also received a Master of Science in Nursing. The university's official list showed the same name appearing for multiple towns, which may reflect a data error or multiple individuals with the same name.

The full list of Sauk Valley graduates also included students from Ashton, Compton, and Sublette, covering a range of fields from education and engineering to nursing and business.