Get to Know Jill Rinzel, Social Sciences Instructor

What is your name, and where did you grow up?

Jill Rinzel. I grew up in Verona.

What is your role at Blackhawk Technical College?

Social Sciences Instructor (Psychology)

What was your journey to this role?

I’ve spent the last 16 years teaching at the UW Colleges, mainly the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha and eventually the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Waukesha. Before that, I taught as an adjunct instructor at several other schools in southern Wisconsin. Before teaching in higher education, I worked at a daycare center for seven years.

Where did you go to school? What did you study?

I went to Northern Michigan University (on Lake Superior) for my undergraduate degree and majored in Psychology with minors in Childcare Services and Math. I earned my master's and doctorate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Human Development.

Is there something that drew you to this career?

I’ve always enjoyed science and math and had planned on having a minor in Psychology. That changed in undergrad because I enjoyed my Psychology classes so much that I decided to change. I enjoyed teaching and thought that it was really interesting to study how people learn and how we can learn in so many different contexts.

What motivated you to apply for this position at Blackhawk?

I really enjoy working with students who come from a variety of backgrounds. I learn something new every day and love to hear about other people’s experiences. I also like working at open-access institutions because I feel like I can help students learn more about the learning process, which can help them throughout their lives.

What is something Blackhawk offers its students that you feel other colleges do not?

The flexibility and focus on teaching are really helpful for students who have a lot of other things going on in their lives. It gives them the chance to learn in a way that fits their lives.

What is your life like outside of work? Family? Community involvement? Adorable pets?

I am married and have two kids: an 11-year-old son and a 9-year-old daughter. Both my mom and my mother-in-law live within 25 minutes of us, so we spend a lot of time with our families. Both of our kids are involved in several sports, so we spend a lot of time with them in those activities. I also sit on the Peer Court Advisory Committee in my village government.

What was your first concert?

I went to smaller concerts, but my first bigger concerts were Blink-182 and Jimmy Eat World.

What is your favorite book or author? What are you currently reading?

One of my favorite books is “Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are” by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz. I tend to read a lot of nonfiction, with a few fiction books thrown in occasionally. I’m currently reading “The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt.  

What/who is your favorite sports team or pro athlete?

Go Packers!

What is your personal pizza order?

Onions, chicken, pineapple, tomatoes, spinach, and garlic. Or pesto pizza with chicken, spinach, and onions.

If you could be any animal, which one would you choose and why?

Dolphin. To be able to swim in the water all the time.

What’s one thing on your bucket list?

Travel more out of the country. I’d really like to go to Iceland, Australia, Aruba and New Zealand.