GALESBURG — Sandburg has announced the winners of its 2026 alumni awards. Brittany Clark, a 2009 graduate, was selected as the Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient, and Victor Dantas, a 2018 graduate, received the Pacesetter Award.
Clark and Dantas are also Sandburg’s nominees for the Illinois Community College Association’s Distinguished Alumnus and Pacesetter awards. The ICCTA award winners will be announced at the organization’s banquet June 5 in Lombard.
2026 Distinguished Alumnus Award
Brittany Clark ’09
Clark graduated from Sandburg with both an associate in arts and an associate in general studies. She then transferred to Indiana Wesleyan University, where she completed her bachelor’s degree in business.
Today, Clark is the owner of Snap Fitness in Sherman and serves as the statewide recruitment manager for the state of Illinois. In 2025, she was recognized for her outstanding contributions to state government as a recipient of the National Association of State Chief Administrators (NASCA) 20 Under 40 Award. She also continues to champion for community colleges like Sandburg and the students they serve.
“My life was shaped profoundly by my education at Carl Sandburg College," Clark said. "I enrolled at 17 after leaving an unsafe home, determined to change my circumstances. I didn’t know exactly what career I wanted, but I knew education was my path forward. Sandburg was local, affordable and, most importantly, became the first true community I had ever experienced.
"As a student, I served as Student Government Association president and student trustee, discovering my voice and confidence as a leader. Faculty mentors changed my trajectory. David Kellogg challenged me to be strong and self-assured, while Dan Yasenko expanded my understanding of career pathways and encouraged me to pursue opportunities in Springfield, guidance that ultimately shaped my professional future. Even my half-credit fitness courses planted seeds that would later grow into business ownership.
"I built a career dedicated to workforce development. Today, I lead innovative hiring initiatives and build partnerships that expand access to opportunity.
"Community college did more than educate me. It gave me stability, mentorship, leadership skills and belief in my potential. It transformed my life, and I remain committed to ensuring others have that same opportunity.” 
2026 Pacesetter Award
Victor Dantas ’18
A first-generation college student, Dantas arrived in the United States from his native Brazil with limited English proficiency. Through remarkable determination and self-discipline, he taught himself the language and pursued his education goals.
Dantas graduated from Sandburg in 2018 with an associate in arts and later transferred to Western Illinois University, where he earned his bachelor’s in supply chain management. Since then, he’s built a career defined by notable success in marketing and entrepreneurship.
As the co-owner of Clear Profits Digital Marketing in Monmouth, Dantas has helped generate over $80 million in results for businesses across a wide range of industries. The campaigns and brands Dantas has guided have produced over 1 billion organic video views and impressions nationwide, most notably with Judy’s Family Café. His work has elevated brand exposure and garnered recognition across major media platforms, including The New York Times, CBS News, WGN, nationally syndicated radio and podcast networks and even “The Jennifer Hudson Show.”
“I came to the United States from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on a six-month tourist visa,” Dantas said. “My only goal was to learn English. But as a tourist, I wasn’t allowed to take classes — so I taught myself. I learned by talking to people, making friends and spending hours in the Sandburg library reading everything I could get my hands on.
“During that time, I tried out for the Sandburg soccer team. I had just one month left before my visa expired and had to return to Brazil. Everything I hoped for depended on the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) test.
“I passed it in my final month.
“Sandburg gave me more than a degree. Soccer gave me structure. The classroom gave me confidence. For the first time since coming to America, I felt like I had a home. That changed everything. I earned my bachelor's degree at Western Illinois University, built multiple businesses, coached student-athletes and have given back to the places that gave so much to me. Today, my work has helped create jobs, bring tourists from across the country and put Galesburg on national television, newspapers and podcasts.
“And this is just the beginning.
I am proud to be from Galesburg. I am proud to be a Sandburg Charger. This city and this college gave me my start, and I plan to spend the rest of my career making sure the world knows what kind of people and opportunities come from here.” 