Meet Renee Rieke, Business & General Education Adjunct Instructor
Ms. Renee Rieke graduated from West Virginia University with a Double Major, a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with an emphasis on Latin America and International Studies with a business emphasis, and a minor in Economics. She has a Master of Business Administration with a Technology emphasis and has also studied extensively in Higher Education Administration towards a second master’s. Renee comes to WVJC with a background in higher education and is a great resource for students in her courses.
Ms. Rieke currently works as a substitute teacher in the state and a private middle and elementary school. In her summer months, she works as a camp counselor for youth at an educational day camp. Her prior work experiences include working as an Administrative Assistant and Accounting Assistant for West Virginia University. She has taught Freshman Seminar at WVU and Marketing at WVJC. She is currently an Adjunct Faculty at WVJC, teaching general education and supporting courses, as well as business programmatic courses. Her favorite course at WVJC was marketing, where she had the opportunity to connect with students and teach something she was passionate about. She really liked taking the extra time with students who struggled and seeing the lightbulb turn on when the concept finally “clicked.”
From her time working in Residential Life at WVU, she has always enjoyed working with college-level students. She said it is extremely rewarding to see students at all levels come to their “Ah-Ha moments” when they finally understand a larger concept and that helping change lives to a more successful future is always rewarding.
Ms. Renee Rieke says that WVJC is amazing not just because it has a small campus environment but also because it provides a caring and engaging environment to inspire while creating lasting relationships among the students and faculty. While she can name many personal heroes, she is most motivated when she sees a student who accepts a challenge and succeeds. The smile on her student’s faces when they have accomplished a goal, brings her so much joy and makes her want to see that same light in the next student.
She is most proud of her three children, who have remained strong pillars of pure kindness and maturity despite the continued change in their lives. Her days begin with a Diet Coke and walking her dog, Eevee, in peaceful meditation. She likes to listen to music on the way to her substitute teaching job. After her day job, she makes dinner for her two children, who are still home. She has one child who has moved into a career. Then, she focuses her evening on grading and giving her students timely feedback and lesson planning. She likes to make weekly outlines of what is expected that week and what to look forward to next week. She composes emails to make sure students are staying up to date.
In her spare time, she enjoys learning Dutch, listening to music, and playing video games. Something interesting about Ms. Reike is that she really enjoys traveling. Every year, she takes a trip to Europe, usually the Netherlands or England. However, she has also visited Mexico, Canada, Germany, and Belgium as well. She has a deep love of music and for her dog, Eevee. She also has a deep love for Ice Hockey and is Certified as a Level 4 Coach with USA Hockey. Her long-term career goal is to continue educating in some capacity from across the ocean.
Are you like Renee Rieke and interested in employment opportunities at WVJC? View employment opportunities here!