Harper College will be closed Monday, September 1, in observance of Labor Day.
A co-production of Harper Alumni Program and WHCM Radio.
Listen in as Harper alumni share their stories , experiences , and life journeys. Through Harper Talks conversations led by Associate Professor of Communication Arts Brian Shelton , Alumni are invited to share how education, career successes and failures and human connection have impacted them along the way.
Harper Talks is a co-production of WHCM 88.3 Harper Student Radio and Harper Alumni Relations. WHCM students assist with editing and production of each episode. Original podcast theme music composed by former Harper College student Aidan Cashman.
Harper Talks episodes can be found on all podcast streaming services including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, or other platforms and downloaded below. Learn more about WHCM and support radio students.
Alumna Nicole Buchanan joins Harper Talks and discusses working her way up during her career which began at 15 years old at a McDonald’s restaurant to ultimately becoming Vice President, Operations with Bear Family Restaurants, which owns and operates 35 McDonald’s restaurants in the suburbs. Nicole talks about the Harper/Bear Restaurant partnership, shares about her time at Harper, and at the University of South Carolina. Listen to Episode 31
Andy-John Kalkounos is a restaurateur, actor, real estate professional, and currently serving as the Palatine Township Supervisor. Andy-John, a 2010 Distinguished Alumnus of Harper College, joins the podcast and discusses his varied roles, his Greek heritage, his experiences at Harper College as a piano and theater student, and the importance of being present in our lives. Listen to Episode 30
Harper alumnus Dr. Justin Harty, Assistant Professor of Social Work at Arizona State University, shares how Harper College was a pivotal starting point for his journey to PhD, his connection with the Harper professors that inspired his path, and his significant work and research in the field of social work focusing on fathers in the foster care system. Dr. Harty is a 2008 Harper College graduate. Listen to Episode 29
Elk Grove Village Mayor and Harper Alumnus Craig Johnson joins Harper Talks to discuss Harper’s generational impact on his family, the calling for public service, the life of a village mayor, and more. Mayor Johnson is a 1980 graduate of Harper College. He has served as the mayor of Elk Grove Village since 1997. Listen to Episode 28
Alumnus Jalen Little joins Harper Talks and discusses finding community, developing leadership skills, taking the least expected path, and helping prospective students discover the educational opportunities they have in their own backyard in his role as Admissions Specialist at Harper College. Listen to Episode 27
Recent Harper College alumni join Harper Talks for a conversation on why they chose Harper, their educational experiences as students, and where they landed in their careers. Alex Alexandrov (‘20) talks of the rigor of Harper’s Nursing program, the impact of scholarships, and her job as a registered nursing working with heart patients. Arman Rahman (‘16) discusses his time on the Harper Speech Team, finding his way to broadcast journalism, and his career as Reporter at WISC-TV in Madison, Wisconsin. Finally, Nick Wenzel (‘17) shares how chance meetings led to a campus internship that was a launchpad for his career in marketing and graphic design and his role as Visual Designer at Zoom. Listen to Episode 26
Harper alumna Leslie Van Wolvelear discusses why she chose Harper after high school, her path to being an accountant and passion for teaching it to others, her dedication to lifelong learning, and role as professor and Chairperson of the Accounting Program at Oakton Community College where she has pioneered gamification teaching techniques for her students. Listen to Episode 25
Alumna Dr. Shelomi Gomes lived in four different countries before arriving in the US and enrolling at Harper College as adult student. At Harper she excelled in her studies and became a national speech team champion. Dr. Gomes joins the Harper Talks podcast to discuss her unique path to Harper, making lifelong connections as a student, earning her advanced degrees, including a PhD in industrial organizational psychology, and talks about her career as an Executive Leadership Coach. Listen to Episode 24
Harper Talks welcomes alumnus Joe Plazak, a senior principal software developer at Avid Technology. Plazak reminisces about serving as a student trustee and talks about his unique career path in music, which includes being an artist, teacher, scientist and engineer, and how it all started at Harper College. Plazak received the Distinguished Alumni Award in October 2022. Listen to Episode 24