Dominike-Hernandez-Finds-Her-Path-in-Criminal-Justice-at-RVC.php

Dominike Hernandez Finds Her Path in Criminal Justice at RVC

• Students
• 07/31/2024

Before attending RVC, Dominike Hernandez attended a four-year institution and found the large class sizes and academic work load was a lot to manage as a first-year college student.

In the spring of 2023, Dominike made the decision to transfer over to Rock Valley College.

“I had transferred over to Rock Valley for spring of 2023 where academically it was a lot more manageable,” shared Dominike. “It’s the best decision I’ve made.”

Dominike would go on to become a student ambassador at the welcome desk in the Stenstrom Student Center helping prospective students start their journey at RVC.

“Dominike is one of my favorite people. She is someone I can count on. She is kind and helpful,” said Annie Romanello, Welcome Center Coordinator. “She is willing to take on any task put in front of her. Dominike is someone who cannot be replaced at the Welcome Center and she will truly be missed. I have no doubt that she will be an RVC Alum who will leave her mark wherever she goes and whatever she does. She has already left a lasting impression here at RVC.”

Dominike assists students whose native language is Spanish. “Dominike is the definition of a student-professional,” said Alex Luft, Director of Career Services. “I’ve been struck by the care and attention to detail she brings to every aspect of her work and studies, including her outstanding work with the Spanish-speaking populations served by Rock Valley College. She may seem quiet at first, but she possesses humor and humility that speak volumes.”

Dominike is majoring in criminal justice. Her favorite aspects of the program are being able to learn new things she didn’t know existed in the criminal justice career path and listening to the guest speakers that were brought in to her classes.

“What drew me to the program was all the opportunities that were offered here for this specific program,” said Dominike. Not only were the classes taught by instructors filled with knowledge, but also ones who brought experience from working directly in the field. “The activities I liked from these classes were all the real-world situations that can happen put into assignments and having to consider all the possible outcomes of one decision.”

The classes also featured guest speakers from various career pathways in the criminal justice field. “The guest speakers I had in my hybrid CRM-101 class,” shared Dominike, “came from different areas of the criminal justice field. We had judges, police officers, probation officers, jail warden, and many more.”

One of the resources Dominike found helpful was the Testing Center. “The Testing Center was the most helpful for me,” said Dominike. “There would be times where I would miss a test because I was unable to attend class, I was able to discuss with my professor regarding making up the test. Being able to easily have access to a place for testing or even if my final tests were set at the same time, my professor can send the test down for me to take at a different time.”

Professor Elizabeth Raley reflected on Dominike’s time in her literature classes. “I had the pleasure of having Dominike in class for two back-to-back semesters of literature and found her a joy to have in the classroom. She exemplified the qualities of a scholar – intellectual curiosity, a can-do attitude, an understanding of how to succeed, and the discipline it takes to get there. The quality of Dominike’s work demonstrated that she had a clear goal in mind, one that went beyond merely passing the class; she had a desire to learn, to truly engage with the material. Even for high-stakes writing assignments, she chose prompts that would challenge her rather than those that would be easiest to write. But even when completing a 10-point homework assignment, Dominike’s best effort was evident in her work, which was consistently full of thoughtful, insightful responses. She is the type of student any teacher loves to have in class.”

Dominike graduated with her Associate of Arts Degree during the 2024 spring semester and was recognized at RVC’s Hispanic Recognition Ceremony. This was a memorable moment for Dominike and her family.

“The Hispanic ceremony and graduation were a memorable experience for me,” said Dominike. “Being able to walk the stage twice, once for Hispanic recognition for students of Hispanic background that are mainly first-generation students like myself. Noticed for their accomplishment with a serape stole. The second time I received my diploma for accomplishing my associate’s degree. I still remember being so concentrated on following the marshal that I completely tuned out the cheers of the advisors I worked with. When I walked up to Dr. Howard Spearman, shook his hand, and got my diploma handed to me, I remember hearing him say ‘You have a lot of fans’ because of the cheers from friends and family.”

Dominike plans to transfer to the University of Illinois Chicago and get her bachelor’s degree in criminology and double major in sociology and psychology.