Everything RVC

All paths have led back to RVC for Darryl Watkins. He takes us through his experience from playing basketball at RVC to returning as an assistant coach under Misty Opat to returning yet again in his current role as Women’s Basketball Head Coach. He shares his philosophies on recruiting, coaching, giving back to the community, and making sure his student-athletes excel in the classroom. He tells us about all of the mentors who have taught him something valuable along the way, but how none were more important and impactful than his parents and grandparents.

Join us for this hysterical episode as we learn how Beef-A-Roo played a major role in Rachel deciding to take a class at RVC as a junior in high school. She speaks openly about how starting out at the university after high school wasn't a good fit, which led her back to RVC. She exudes her passion for teaching, and we learn what really blows her pedagogy socks right off. Currently Director of the Secondary Education Program at Northern Illinois University, Rachel is now playing a significant role in shaping future teachers. Stay until the end to hear about what made Rachel a less than perfect college roommate.

RVC Alumnus and passionate safety guru, Andy Stevenson, tells us how he road tripped to Alaska and ended up staying for 25 years. While in Alaska, Andy tried on many different career hats helping him build skills in leadership, industrial manufacturing, operations, sales, and inventory control. You'll also hear candid stories including how bad choices impacted his decision to make the trek back to Illinois and how a new relationship inspired him to try out Rock Valley College in his forties.

Associate Professor Konkol shares details on the college's exciting new Tech Bus initiative, and takes us on a ride through his diverse work life that has evolved from his family's farm to pastor to professor with interesting side jobs along the way, including auto body work, developing apps, and even writing children's books! He also lets us in on his family life and his proud role as "papa" to his children and grandchildren. 

MaryAnne tells us about a hidden gem at RVC, the RAISE program, and why her role as coordinator of the program has fulfilled her lifelong desire to educate and advocate for the underdog. She talks openly about redirecting her career path later in life to fulfill a personal desire to help people and why that was the best career decision she ever made. Finally, she introduces us to Lauren, a RAISE student who talks to us about how RAISE has impacted her life.

Dr. Amanda Smith takes us through her RVC journey that started as an ESL instructor and has included stops with Refugee and Immigrant Services and Adult Education, to leadership roles as an Academic Dean and now Associate Vice President. She shares some wonderful stories of students whose lives she has seen impacted, and we even find out the Breakfast Club character with whom she most closely identifies. Finally, she shares a very personal, and unforgettable, story that has led her to spread awareness on mental health issues and suicide prevention.

In this episode, Associate Professor of History Dr. Dan Blumlo shares intimate details about his childhood growing up poor in the Florida Keys and how his teachers inspired him to consider a career in history.  We learn about his uber-competitive passion for trivia and which aspects of history usually draw him in first.  He fascinates us by describing provocative books he assigns in class during the semester to invoke critical thinking and empathy for others.

Find out how Samantha's journey from pursuing an education in nursing to shifting to graphic design helped lead her from RVC student to RVC employee. She walks us through a day in the life of the "one woman show" running the college's Print Services department and what the print world has looked like during the pandemic. Finally, we discover how her willingness to unlearn things and never stop learning has been the roadmap to her better self. 

Amanda’s passion for helping new students get acclimated to RVC comes shining through in this conversation. We learn about her own journey in higher education and how she and the Getting Started Center help students navigate their first year at RVC through peer mentoring and student success workshops. As often happens on “Everything RVC,” her “Christmas tree moment” happens when she talks about her family.

This husband and wife duo has over 37 years of combined experience teaching psychology at RVC. They candidly share how they bring out the best in each other, how their teaching styles differ, and what they miss most about being in the classroom. They share great insight on their areas of expertise, including child psychology (George) and social psychology (Julie). We also find out how they met, how George turned Julie into a geek, and how Julie made George a kinder person.