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.
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 Episode 23 - Joseph Plazak
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
Harper Talks Episode 22 - Drake Roberts and Anthony Tamras
Harper College 2018 alumni Drake Roberts and Anthony Tamras join Harper Talks to discuss their journey as students and entrepreneurs. Starting with an idea that formulated in their high school business incubator class, the pair discuss the pursuit of education at Harper College and DePaul while becoming full-fledged entrepreneurs and co-founders of DeoBlock, a company that specializes in reusable gym bag deodorizers.
Listen to Episode 22
Harper Talks Episode 21 - Erik Horvat
Harper Talks welcomes alumnus Erik Horvat who discusses his time at Harper College and his educational path beyond at both Purdue and Columbia. Horvat is the Managing Director, Head of Real Estate Americas at Olayan America. He discusses finding his way from accounting to real estate development and career milestones such as his lead role in the redevelopment of the World Trade Center. Horvat graduated from Harper College in 1993 and was honored in 2021 with the Harper College Distinguished Alumni Award.
Listen to Episode 21
Harper Talks Show 20 - Dr. Christopher Schneider
Dr. Christopher Schneider joins Harper Talks guest host Jeff Julian for a discussion about his profound impact upon academia, sociology, and his published work that discusses the connection between information technology and police work. Dr. Schneider graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Northeastern Illinois University and his master’s in sociology from Northern Illinois University after his time at Harper College. He is now a full professor of sociology at Brandon University in Manitoba, Canada after earning a doctorate in justice studies from Arizona State University in 2008. Dr. Schneider received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2021 and is involved in several community initiatives in Manitoba.
Listen to Episode 20
Harper Talks Show 19 - Brenda Knox
Harper Talks welcomes Brenda Knox, Founder and President of Financial Elements, Inc., in a discussion about navigating uncertainty within her career path and how her experience at Harper has contributed to her professional success. She graduated from Roosevelt University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a major in Accounting after her time at Harper College. Knox received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2019 and is currently an active member of the Harper College Educational Foundation.
Listen to Episode 19
Harper Talks Show 18 - Shannon Plate
Harper College alumna Shannon Plate, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), joins Harper Talks for a discussion about returning to Harper as an adult student and her successes as a practicing clinician and author. Plate graduated from Harper College in 1999 and received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2010. She received the Motorola Award for Excellence and was a medalist in national competitions on the Speech Team during her time at Harper.
Listen to Episode 18
Harper Talks Show 17 - Roberto Lopez
Harper Talks welcomes Roberto Lopez who speaks about how his time at Harper College provided the foundation for his current career as a consulting director at CCS Fundraising. Lopez attended DePaul University for his bachelor's degree in finance and the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago for his master's degree. Lopez received the Outstanding Recent Alumni Award in 2021, and he has dedicated his career to philanthropic work and helping others prosper through adversity.
Listen to Episode 17
Harper Talks Show 16 - Tom Schnecke
Tom Schnecke, Emmy winning Vice President and Director of Operations and Engineering for CBS2 Chicago, joins Harper Talks to discuss the experiences that have led him to his current career. Schnecke was named a Distinguished Alumni honoree in 2009, and he worked as the faculty advisor of WHCM for 17 years, which played an integral role in his future within broadcasting.
Listen to Episode 16
Harper Talks Show 15 - Mike Terson
Mike Terson, Superintendent of Communication and Marketing for the Buffalo Grove Park District, joins Harper Talks to discuss his time as public address announcer for both the Chicago Wolves and Cubs, being named a Distinguished Alumni honoree, his time as student at Harper in the 1990s and how his experience at WHCM and as a speech team student helped lay the groundwork for his future career. Download Episode 15 Transcript.
Listen to Episode 15
