What was your program of study at Riverland? When did you attend?
I took the Legal Secretary program and also received my AA degree. I was enrolled from 1974-1976.
What is your career/job now?
I have worked for the Blooming Prairie Area Chamber of Commerce for the last 20 years as the Executive Director
How did the program help you prepare for the career you are in now?
It was not so much the Legal Secretary Program as it was all the classes combined, that gave me all the tools I have needed to work in many of the different types of offices I have been to in my working career.
What were some of the positive outcomes of attending Riverland?
I was able to meet some lifelong friends. College life at Riverland was affordable and at the time I had not a career picked out that I would have needed a 4 year college. Riverland was small enough where you knew many of the students in attendance. The college had everything a 4 year college had accept the dorm rooms. I lived with a group of girls close to the college in an apartment which worked out just as well as a dorm room at the school. Riverland had a lot of college activities with sports, theatre, the arts, and entertainment.
What would you tell others who may be considering Riverland for their education?
I would say it is a great place to go after High School especially if you have not made up your mind what kind of higher education you are looking for. It is extremely hard to go on to a college and end up with so much school debt that it takes years to get paid off. Going to Riverland can relieve you of some of that burden. You can graduate and start into the workforce with little or no debt. Or you can continue on to a 4 year college. I would highly recommend to anyone of any age to attend Riverland!
Was there a faculty and staff person who made an impact on you while you were at Riverland?
It was a very interesting time in history to be in college with the women’s movement going on and the Vietnam War. The faculty we had at Riverland were great teachers regarding these issues and helping us find where our place would be when we were done with school and out on our own.