impact
Your community college
Vol. 2, No. 2
“Sweetheart, I want you to study something
practical. It’s a tough world out there. You
need a skill you can make a real living doing.”
~ Father to daughter in Raymond Benson’s Black Stiletto
Raymond Benson has been an actor, director, composer, critic,
computer game creator, authority on James Bond, and author of
more than 25 books, including two Tom Clancy tie-ins and nine
James Bond novels and film novelizations.
He’s also a part-time film-history teacher at College of
DuPage.
On the surface, it appears that Benson, 56, ignored the
advice that fictional father gave his fictional daughter Black
Stiletto.
But in reality, he epitomizes the career benefits of discipline,
lifelong learning, adaptability and resourcefulness. And for
COD’s Motion Picture and TV students and others pursuing arts
careers, Benson has one other piece of advice:
“You have to have passion. If you don’t get excited by it, you
shouldn’t be doing it.”
Benson’s passion has not only driven his career, but also led
him to COD.
While most COD faculty teach full time and bring advanced
degrees and on-the-job experience to the classroom, the College
also pursues working professionals who want to teach a class or
two and share their expertise with COD students.
Benson, for one, is grateful for the opportunity.
“Some colleges and universities don’t hire
potentially great teachers because they don’t
have a master’s,” Benson said. “Steven
Spielberg could not teach at many
“You have to
universities because he doesn’t
have a master’s. Certainly, if you
have passion.
have an advanced degree, that’s
If you don’t get
great.
But if you have extensive
excited by it,
experience in the industry, that
you shouldn’t
should
suffice.”
be doing it.”
Through his own life experiences,
Benson shows how far you can go
when you’re open to new possibilities.
Theater directing led to writing. Writing
theater led to writing video games. That led to the
nonfiction James Bond Bedside Companion, which led to writing
James Bond novels. Those, in turn, led to his own novels, and
projects with Clancy.
Of all his careers, Benson prefers writing books.
“You’re your own boss,” said Benson. “You don’t have to
answer to anyone. I start work when I want and I can work in
my underwear.”
But make no mistake, Benson’s a disciplined writer—first
outlining, then writing one scene per day. “If it’s a long scene, I
might be at it all day. If it’s a short scene, I might get done early
and go to a matinee movie.”
In addition to teaching film history at COD—from Edison’s
invention of the medium through key periods, directors and
films—Benson also gives back to the community. He plays
piano at his synagogue; performs occasional concerts; and for
the past six years, has teamed with friend and fellow film critic
Dann Gire to present “Dann and Raymond’s Movie Club”—
a discussion of films at public libraries in Schaumburg and
Arlington Heights.
As an arts industry veteran, Benson sounds much like the
father in his book:
“It’s a tough world to be in the arts,” said Benson. “You
have to make the commitment if that’s what you want to do—
because you won’t be happy doing anything else. You also have
to be willing, for many years, to live a lifestyle that’s subpar.”
But hey, if you’re disciplined enough, you just might get to be
James Bond or at least create a hot heroine in black stilettos.
Success is
No Mystery
College of DuPage :: impact :: cod.edu/impact
1
Cover and above photo by Lloyd DeGrane/special to College of DuPage
COD helps fill
critical needs
and keeps jobs
in the USA
“Through our Flexco Manufacturing
Certificate program, we encourage
our employees to attend College
of DuPage for six core classes that
will advance their careers as well
as make them more valuable to our
company. We’re really impressed
with the Manufacturing Technology
program and other educational
opportunities offered at COD.”
Sarah Schindlbeck, Human Resources, Flexco,
Downers Grove manufacturer of products that
enhance belt conveyer productivity
Demand
& Supply
At the beginning of each month, government
officials release a new jobs report. Of late, it’s shown
little growth in employment.
But in select industries, the demand for skilled
workers far exceeds the supply. As a result, there are
many high-paying jobs available to those with the
training to fill them.
Now more than ever, College of DuPage is
working hard to teach students who’d like to land
those jobs.
One area of tremendous need is manufacturing
technology.
“Manufacturing is coming back and the need
for skilled labor is very high,” said Manufacturing
Technology Professor Jim Filipek. “Sixty-five
companies contacted us last year alone looking
for multiple people. They just don’t have enough
workers to fill all the needs.”
To help students get the skills they need for
today’s advanced manufacturing jobs, COD offers
such programs as automated manufacturing systems,
drafting and design, manufacturing technology and
manufacturing engineering technology. Filipek says
starting salaries average $40,000 to $50,000 per year
with benefits.
Most of the students in these programs are adult
learners looking to add skills or change professions.
“Our students’ average age is 35,” said Filipek.
“Some are changing direction; some have four-year
degrees. With some majors it’s hard to get a job in
a good economy, let alone a bad one. Maybe your
passion is anthropology, but if you can’t get a job,
you have to do something else.”
Filipek says it’s frustrating when American
employers have to send work overseas because
there’s more skilled labor available.
“Because of retirements within the manufacturing
industry, advances in technology and our educational
system’s failure to prepare for that, there are not
enough skilled workers here, so employers have no
choice but to take the jobs elsewhere,” said Filipek.
Another area of tremendous need being
addressed by COD is commercial trucking. Industry
retirements, new license requirements and other
factors have left a gap estimated at 250,000 to
500,000 jobs.
COD’s new commercial drivers’ license training
program, developed with private-sector partner Bell
CDL Enterprises, has two levels of study—either a
four-week or six-week course—and a 100-percent
placement rate, most before graduation.
Program director Chris Bell said starting annual
salaries for trained, licensed drivers have jumped
from $35,000 two years ago to $53,000 today, with
bonuses possible for on-time delivery, accident-free
miles and other measures. Bell said long-haul drivers
willing to be away from home most of the year can
earn $100,000 to $150,000 per year.
At COD, Bell has had students aged 18 to age
71. Most are making a career change, he said, most
commonly from finance, construction and real estate.
Contrary to stereotype, the trucking industry is
not just for men.
“There are about 200,000 women drivers out
there,” said Bell, “and more being added all the time.”
Bell said COD’s program sells itself. “It’s pretty
appealing for people who’ve been unemployed or
underemployed to walk in, take a four-week or sixweek class, earn their license and have a good-paying
job even before they graduate.”
Other COD programs—for such jobs as
pharmacy technicians, dental assistants, veterinary
assistants, certified personal trainers, project
managers, dental hygienists and sonographers—are
helping meet industry shortages, too.
That’s why the White House and others interested
in U.S. economic recovery are touting the critical
importance of community colleges.
“In the coming years, jobs requiring at least an
associate degree are projected to grow twice as fast as
jobs requiring no college experience,” said President
Barack Obama. “We will not fill those jobs—or keep
those jobs on our shores—without the training
offered by community colleges.”
Get Ready
to Roll
“It’s pretty appealing for people
who’ve been unemployed or
underemployed to walk in, take
a four-week or six-week class,
earn their license and have a
good-paying job even before
they graduate.”
Chris Bell, director of COD’s new commercial
drivers’ license training program
2
Flexing
His Skills
John Moyolt of Romeoville applies what he learned at College of DuPage on the shop floor of Flexco, a
manufacturer based in Downers Grove. Flexco and COD are partnering to offer a company certificate in
metrology, metallurgy and machining classes, and an opportunity to earn a COD certificate or degree in
Manufacturing Technology. Moyolt, one of more than a dozen Flexco workers to take advantage of the
program so far, sees it as a chance to “move into the future.”
College of DuPage :: impact :: cod.edu/impact
3
Upper left and above photo by Lloyd DeGrane/special to College of DuPage
COD helps veterans like Jeff Priest make
a successful transition to civilian life.
Coming
HOme
At age 18, fresh out of high school, Jeff Priest joined the Marines. It wasn’t a spurof-the-moment thing. His father and both grandfathers had been military men,
so serving his country was something he always wanted to do.
As to why he chose the Marines, Priest said: “Their recruiter talked to me first.”
After basic training at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Priest did tours of duty in Iraq,
where he worked the Iraq/Jordan border crossing, then at the U.S. base in Okinawa.
It was in Iraq that he experienced the tough stuff: two buddies killed, nine
others injured, and always wary of roadside bombs.
After serving four years, Priest was, he says, “one of the lucky ones.” Some
friends helped him land a job delivering medical and surgical supplies. That led
to a warehouse job filling orders for similar products.
But he wanted something more. He wanted to continue serving others. He
wanted to be a police officer. So he did some online research and learned about
the hiring and testing process.
Wanting to work close to his Wheaton home, and learning of COD’s veteranfriendly programs, he signed on for classes and applied for a job.
Today, Jeff Priest is both a COD student and a COD police officer.
While he learned basic law enforcement through the police academy and field
training, “I’m focusing my associate degree in EMT/paramedic training,” Priest
said. “It’s not that I want to do that as a career, but I want to know more about
how to assist in various situations.
“Police officers are often on the scene before the medics. I saw situations in
Iraq where I could have been more helpful if I’d had more training. So I’m getting
that training now.”
Priest said many of his fellow military veterans face challenges in returning to
civilian life, the workforce and school. One of those changes involves structure.
“In the military, your day is planned for you from the minute you wake up
until you get off work at night,” said Priest. “But when you get out, you lose that
structure. Some veterans feel lost when it comes to figuring out what to do and
how to do it.”
Priest also said money and bureaucracy can be obstacles, too. “There are great
programs for veterans,” said Priest, “but the government doesn’t make things easy.”
Helping veterans through fiscal, physical, emotional and other transition
issues is where College of DuPage steps in—and why the school has been hailed
by GI Jobs magazine, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, the Illinois Department of
Veterans Affairs (IDVA) and others for its veteran-friendly programs.
“We applaud the exemplary efforts of College of DuPage on behalf of its
student veterans,” said IDVA Director Erica Borggren at a recent ceremony.
“Moving from the military back into civilian life and college can present many
4
Photo by Terence Guider-Shaw/special to College of DuPage
COD helps veterans return to the
Husband and wife Nick and Julia Parrott of Wheaton are veterans and COD students.
challenges for veterans, and COD’s leadership has demonstrated a lasting,
tangible commitment to helping veterans overcome these challenges.”
Among the COD programs hailed by the IDVA:
•Academic offerings, including courses taught by veterans and incorporating
military and veteran-specific topics. This includes a Veterans Counseling
Certificate—a first for Illinois—that offers specialized training for individuals
working with veterans;
• Dedicated faculty and staff who demonstrate their appreciation for the
College’s veteran community through projects and initiatives, such as the
annual U.S. Marine Corps “Toys for Tots” campaign on campus;
• Office of Veterans Services that provides a “one-stop shop” for veterans,
military personnel and their families. Resources include a full-time coordinator
for Veterans Services, a Veterans Lounge, and a veteran-student work-study
program.
Shelly Mencacci, COD Veterans Services coordinator, said many of the
school’s offerings have been developed in response to veterans themselves.
Photo by Terence Guider-Shaw/special to College of DuPage
e home front and the workforce
“They said they wanted a place to be together, so we developed a Veterans
Lounge—a place with computers, a TV and other resources,” said Mencacci.
“Most important, it’s a place where they can speak with each other, share
experiences and coach each other.”
“They said they wanted help finding jobs,” said Mencacci, “so on July 26, we
held our first-ever ‘Hire Our Heroes’ job fair.”
Mencacci said more than 70 companies with “all kinds of positions” signed up
for the Glen Ellyn campus event.
“These are firms looking for veterans because of their integrity, their
determination and other qualities,” said Mencacci.
But Dr. Janet Kamer—an Air Force veteran, clinical psychologist and
professor in COD’s new veterans counseling certificate program—says veterans
and those who would teach, hire and serve them must overcome occasional
challenges and misconceptions.
Finally, Kamer sees a need for more professionals—social workers, counselors,
faculty members—who understand what veterans and their families need and
who are trained to help. That’s why COD recently launched its first-in-thestate Veterans Counseling Certificate Program, which trains those interested in
serving the needs of military veterans.
“Our veterans are a tremendous resource for our nation and for employers
seeking skilled workers. But some need good advice, counsel and other services
to make the transition from active duty to the home front,” said Mencacci. “COD
is working hard to serve all these needs well.”
Among them:
Many veterans are older than traditional college students and have seen things
(death, injuries, poverty, abuse of women and children, etc.) that give them a
higher level of maturity. As a result, “many of the typical collegiate concerns
seem irrelevant,” said Kamer.
“It’s challenging for veterans. I have my military
obligation during school, and I have to miss
class and there are tests to make up, so I get
behind on some of my school work. I think it’s
important that civilians know that we’re around
them, and we’re normal people, too.”
—Julia Parrott, United States Air Force Reserve
Veterans have spent years steeped in military jargon filled with abbreviations,
acronyms and terms most civilians don’t understand. In making the transition to
civilian life, it helps to have someone who “speaks their language,” said Kamer.
Some employers, having seen stereotypes on TV and in movies, mistakenly
believe that many veterans have mental health problems—post-traumatic
stress disorder, etc. They also worry that veterans who’ve worked in a military
organization won’t transition well. Kamer sees part of COD’s job as separating
myth from reality and helping bridge the employer/employee gap.
Reaching Out to Vets
★★ Illinois has 782,700 veterans, according to the Sept. 2010 U.S. Census.
★★Of that number, 47,720 live in DuPage County.
★★Just over 1,000 current military or veteran students are enrolled at College of DuPage.
★★We offer a dedicated space in the Student Services Center, including a Veterans
Lounge, to provide personal assistance to veterans.
★★COD helps veterans with counseling and advising, academic guidance, career
placement, and benefits information and assistance.
★★College of DuPage also assists veterans with a textbook scholarship, an on-campus
chapter of the Student Veterans Association, and a veterans job fair.
★★We are the first community college recipient of the Governor’s Award for Excellence in
Education by the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs.
Veterans can contact the COD Office of Veterans Services for more information at
(630) 942-3814, or visit us on the web at cod.edu/admission/veterans.
College of DuPage :: impact :: cod.edu/impact
5
making an
A personal message from College of DuPage
President Robert L. Breuder
Dear Neighbors,
The times they are a-changin.’
Author Isaac Asimov once said, “The only constant is
change, continuing change, inevitable change. That
is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible
decision can be made any longer without taking into
account not only the world as it is, but the world as it
will be.”
At College of DuPage, we are change agents. We make
changes in the life of our college so that our students
may more effectively manage change in their lives.
That, of course, helps all of us manage change in our
state and community.
In this issue of impact, you’ll see examples of change
that works:
• U.S. veterans returning from war only to face
significant changes in their lives and careers;
• Business and community partners wanting and
needing changes in what colleges such as ours
teach and how;
• Students finding or changing jobs with the help of
COD training;
• Innovative COD programs, equipment and
facilities that change what and how we teach;
• A faculty member who serves as a role model of
adaptability for our students not only because of
his industry experience, but because his career has
evolved time and again.
Business coach and author Ron Ernst once said,
“We’re managing a river, not a dam.”
And so we are.
That’s why College of DuPage is continuously and
deliberately changing to serve the changing needs
of our students, the evolving requirements of
organizations that employ them, and the current and
future interests of the community we call home.
Sincerely,
Dr. Robert L. Breuder
President, College of DuPage
6
Photo by Terence Guider-Shaw/special to College of DuPage
impact
COD grads Kris (left) and Lisa Morton, national champions for the Chaparrals, now focus their energies and
talents on coaching future softball stars from grade school through high school.
Morton Girls are a
Diamond’s Best Friend
Sisters Kris and Lisa Morton, integral members of three national junior college softball champion
teams while students at College of DuPage, share a keen insight into how hard work and
dedication lead to success in and out of the classroom.
Their former COD coach, Deb DiMatteo, calls them “shining examples” who were “outstanding
athletes, team leaders and good students.”
Kris, a first baseman, helped the Chaparrals to a national runner-up finish in 1997, and knocked
in the winning run in the championship game the following year, while Lisa, a pitcher, was one of
the aces of a staff that led the Chaps to national titles in 2000 and 2001.
Today the two talented women share their skills and knowledge with young people throughout
the College district. Kris teaches at Pleasant Hill Elementary School in Wheaton, and is the assistant
varsity coach for a Glenbard South team that won the 2012 state high school softball championship,
the first in the school’s history. Lisa, an instructor for the Bulls/Sox Academy in Lisle and Glen Ellyn,
teaches the finer points of pitching to youngsters at camps, clinics and private lessons.
Lisa and Kris, both Glenbard South grads and 2006 inductees into the NJCAA Hall of Fame,
credit their parents for not only encouraging them to take up softball, but for being their biggest fans.
Kris remembers her dad pitching to them in the house with a balled-up sock when she was
3 years old, and Lisa emphasizes that her parents “threw them into everything” at the Glen Ellyn
Park District.
“My parents didn’t know what our talents would be,” Lisa said. “We just took a liking to softball.”
DiMatteo recalls Mr. and Mrs. Morton as “super parents.”
“They came to every game, traveled to see us play on road trips, and were genuinely sad
they didn’t have another daughter to bring to our program after Kris and Lisa graduated!” said
DiMatteo, a COD instructor with 27 years of experience as a collegiate volleyball and fast pitch
softball coach.
After their College of DuPage years, Kris and Lisa both attended Illinois State University,
where Kris earned a degree in physical education and Lisa a bachelor’s in recreation and park
administration. Lisa then went to Northeastern Illinois University to add a physical education degree.
“Both of us knew that after our playing careers were over,
we wanted to go into coaching,” said Lisa. “I felt like I had
the knowledge to share with youth in a sport I’m very
passionate about. It’s exciting for me, and it never gets old.”
Kris feels that her coaching philosophy borrows not
only from DiMatteo and Glenbard South head coach
Julie Fonda-Smith, but from others along the way. “I
was blessed with really good coaches. I’ve taken a part
of my dad, my youth coaches, my high school coach
and my college coaches. So I’m kind of molded into one,”
she laughs. As Lisa trains her future pitching prospects,
ranging from 8-year-olds to high school sophomores, she
tries to keep in mind how much young athletes look up to
their coaches at that level.
“We want to set good examples and be role models for these
young ladies,” she said, “just as my coaches, like Deb DiMatteo at
COD, did wonderful things for us.”
Cairo, Egypt – February 12, 2011: The day after 18 days
of protest forced Egypt’s president Hosni Mubarak to
resign, Egyptians filled Cairo’s Tahrir Square to soak in
their achievement. Some, like this man, walked around
displaying the “peace” or “victory” sign.
Post-Revolution
Possibilities
The first president to be elected
to a public university in Egypt,
Dr. Osama Ibrahim aims to
make Alexandria University an
international university.
Photo by Terence Guider-Shaw/special to College of DuPage
Alexandria University President Dr. Osama Ibrahim
shared his views at College of DuPage on April
19 about 2011’s Egyptian revolution and its role in
the historic “Arab Spring.” Friends and colleagues
eagerly shook hands with Ibrahim in the Culinary
& Hospitality Center Amphitheatre, offering words
of encouragement to the man who is committed
to elevating Egypt through education. With his
commanding presence and quick smile, Ibrahim is
the first president to be elected to a public university
in Egypt and was recently selected to serve on a
commission to draft his country’s new constitution.
As one of the major centers of the Arab Spring, the
political landscape in Egypt has undergone tectonic
change over the past year. Ibrahim cited the role
young people played in the overthrow of Egyptian
President Hosni Mubarak after 30 years in power.
“For 30 years, young people never experienced
democracy,” Ibrahim said. “But the revolution
proved that their generation was so frustrated that
they were not part of the decisions affecting their
lives. They were able to do what we thought would
never happen.”
Egypt now has the opportunity to change more
than its government. Ibrahim is dedicated to
using his leadership to reduce social inequalities
and strengthen Egypt’s labor market. “We know
College of DuPage :: impact :: cod.edu/impact
education is essential, but the purpose of education
is not to create intellectuals who don’t work,”
Ibrahim said, noting that students graduate knowing
they will be unemployed. “We have a big cluster of
university graduates who are unsuitable for jobs that
don’t require a university degree.”
Ibrahim has instituted two programs to help
students become more employable. In “3+2+2,”
“We know education is
essential, but the purpose
of education is not to create
intellectuals who don’t work.
We have a big cluster of
university graduates who are
unsuitable for jobs that don’t
require a university degree.”
—Alexandria University President Dr. Osama Ibrahim
students are encouraged to enter the workforce
as soon as possible. Students attend technological
universities for three years, then work with industry
for a year and receive an additional year of skill
transfer; if the student wants to return to school, he
may do so at any time to earn a two-year degree and
become a more skilled technician. Academically
talented students are challenged through “Centers of
Excellence,” which are dedicated to interdisciplinary
studies in specialized areas such as nanotechnology
and water treatment studies. Faculty of various
schools work together to share research and create
relevant programs that address societal needs.
Just as his own experience studying abroad
and working with colleagues from other countries
has proved instrumental, Ibrahim is eager to provide
this same opportunity for students. His goal is
to make Alexandria University an international
university. A series of collaborative degree programs
with colleges and universities around the world
places this goal within reach. “The whole world
is becoming global,” and Ibrahim believes the
university must respond accordingly.
The changes Ibrahim has introduced to
Alexandria University will not happen overnight, but
this new era in Egypt is fraught with possibilities.
“The revolution brought out the best inside each
of us,” Ibrahim said during his visit to College of
DuPage. “Now my obligation is to pay back the
university that helped me be who I am.”
7
impact Vol. 2, No. 2
425 Fawell Blvd.
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137-6599
Published July 2012 by the Office of Marketing
and Communications at College of DuPage
President
Marketing Director
Art Director
Dr. Robert L. Breuder
Laurie Jorgensen
Lou Demas
Associate Vice President Writers
Designer
of Marketing and
Jeff Elijah,
Mark Brady
Communications
Melissa Fraterrigo,
Joseph Moore
Bruce Hetrick
Direct all comments and questions to the editor at impact@cod.edu.
CAR-RT WSS
©2012 College of DuPage. All rights reserved.
Residential Customer
College of DuPage Board of Trustees
David Carlin
Board Chairman
Naperville
Erin Birt
Board Vice Chairman
Wheaton
Allison O’Donnell
Board Secretary
Winfield
Dianne McGuire
Naperville
Kim Savage
Darien
Nancy Svoboda
Downers Grove
Joseph C. Wozniak
Naperville
Olivia Martin
Student Trustee
Naperville
impact
Your community college Vol. 2, No. 2
In this issue
Success is No Mystery. James Bond novelist and part-time COD teacher Raymond Benson

Visit Us on the Web
We hope you enjoy this issue of impact and discover
something new about your community college.
There’s more to these stories, so be sure to check out
our impact web page for other highlights, photos
and video interviews.
cod.edu/impact
impact
epitomizes passion and resourcefulness in his many pursuits.
Demand and Supply. COD and local business team up to fuel employment growth and
advance careers.
Coming Home. Veterans turn to COD for academic and moral support after
coming home.
Morton Girls are a Diamond’s Best Friend. Champions as Chaparrals, sisters Kris and Lisa Morton
coach future softball stars.
Post-Revolution Possibilities. A university president in Egypt shares his views on the “Arab Spring”
with COD students and faculty.
Vol. 2, No. 2
Your community college
For COD teacher Raymond Benson,
Success Is
no Mystery