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On the first day of class, I ask my criminal justice students, “Who wants to be a police officer?” Almost every hand goes up. I can sense their enthusiasm. They often tell me they want to help people and “make a difference”. As the semester progresses and we discuss some of the challenging issues facing today’s police, I ask the same question. Thankfully, many of the same hands go up. They are still enthusiastic; however, they are now beginning to understand just how tough the job of policing can be.

Do you like computers and technology? Are you intrigued by the way things move and function? Are you creative? Do you like to work with your hands? Do you like to use your mind to solve problems? Do you want to earn a competitive wage and benefits? Do you want to avoid racking up thousands of dollars in student debt going to a 4-year university to earn a degree you might not even be able to benefit from? Look no further! A career in manufacturing may be exactly what you are looking for.

People who want to attend college start their academic journey at many different places. Not all students are prepared for the rigor of college mathematics courses. The state of Illinois and colleges across the state are working to help those students get ready for college so that they can be more successful there. Waubonsee Community College is contributing to this effort of preparing students by offering a Math Bridge Program.

There is no doubt that having a college degree or certificate can increase your salary. Many people, though, may not understand that these increased salaries do not necessarily require a 4-year degree. There are many jobs and careers that have increased wages with a 2-year degree or a certificate that takes even less time.

Due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) you will likely notice a number of changes when preparing your 2018 tax return. This article will discuss the new tax rates, elimination of the personal exemption, the increase in the standard deduction, and changes to certain itemized deductions.

After nearly two years of classes in American Sign Language (ASL) and interpreting, the students of Waubonsee’s Interpreter Training Program (ITP) put all their skills to use.

They have explored the Deaf culture and have completed all the classes in fingerspelling and linguistics. With all of this complete, they are ready to bring it all together at an event called the Role Play.

I know no one wants to spend extra money, but there probably isn’t much else in your home that can be as deadly as a poorly working furnace. A reputable technician will do a lot of work to make sure you are safe, and make sure you don’t have preventable problems during the winter. Through regular inspection of your system, you should be able to avoid breakdown and be warned years before your furnace reaches the end of its life.

I became interested in history at an early age.  It was the summer of 1976, the year of the Bicentennial, and my young world was filled with parades, block parties and decorating neighborhood fire hydrants with red, white and blue paint.

I chose a career in education so that I could share my excitement about history with future generations. I am happy to say that my choice has been a rewarding one, as I have met thousands of inspiring and talented students who keep my love of teaching alive.

There I was, in a SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus…) like you see firefighters wear and a full firefighting outfit to go back down into the reactor plant to check for a steam rupture. I was put in this wonderful outfit because I was the chief reactor watch, and supervised the mechanical watch-standers of that reactor plant.  The reactor had been scrammed, the engineering spaces were hot (think sauna hot), and everyone had been evacuated. My “newbie” (newly qualified watch-stander) had reported to a steam rupture. While steam powers turbines, and powers your home through the electrical grid, it also quickly kills.... 

Today, I teach most of the classes in the Automation Technology Degree (AMT) Program at Waubonsee Community College.

Delivering quality health care cannot be done without collaboration. This occurs every day in a hospital when a doctor calls a specialist to identify the proper treatment for an issue or when a social worker plans a discharge based on the recommendations from a nurse. When each profession brings its specialized knowledge to the table, innovation and progress can occur. Over the last year, the health care and educational industries have collaborated in several ways to improve health care right here in the Fox Valley.