Riverland Community College Alumni

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Riverland Community College Alumni

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Sharing news and accomplishments of the alumni of Riverland Community College and its predecessors in Albert Lea, Austin and Owatonna.

Riverland Community College is proud to serve southeast Minnesota and beyond from our three campuses in Albert Lea, Austin and Owatonna. If you attended Riverland or any of the predecessors--
•Albert Lea Manpower Development and Training Center
•Albert Lea Technical Education Center
•Albert Lea Area Vocational Technical Institute
•Albert Lea/Mankato Technical College
•Albert Lea Technical College
•Albert Lea Technical Institute
•Austin Area Vocational School
•Austin Area Vo-Tech Institute
•Austin Community College
•Austin Junior College
•Austin State Junior College
•Austin Technical College
•Austin Technical Institute
•Minnesota Riverland Technical College
•Owatonna Extension Center/Austin State Junior College
•Owatonna TTC
•South Central Technical College (Albert Lea)

we are proud to call you an alum! We salute the generations of students, faculty and staff as well as the three communities that host our campuses for forming a foundation for Riverland Community College. Your excellence inspired our vision to achieve BEST-IN-CLASS status in programs through excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service.

11/05/2026

Just one week until Empty Bowls! 🥣

Ever wonder what goes into creating the beautiful handmade bowls at our event? Take a peek behind the scenes with award-winning artist and Riverland instructor Dom Venzant as he puts his talent and heart into creating these one-of-a-kind pieces. The best part? Your ticket to Empty Bowls includes one of these amazing bowls to take home with you at the end of the evening.

Join us Thursday, November 12, from 5:30-7:30 in the Riverland Austin campus West cafeteria for an evening of handmade pottery-including a demonstration by Dom Venzant, delicious soup and an opportunity to make a meaningful difference for Riverland students experiencing food insecurity.

And thanks to a generous matching gift, your donation can go twice as far in supporting our student food pantry from now until November 19th!

Come enjoy a bowl of soup, take home a handmade piece of art and help make sure no student has to choose between going to college and going hungry.

Purchase tickets here: https://riverland.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/list/event?event_date_id=1167

09/28/2026

For Austin native, Dean Foley, community college turned a second chance into a life of teaching and leadership. After feeling lost at bigger schools, Dean found smaller classes and personal connections with instructors inspired him to see a future in teaching. After 30 years as a community college instructor, he knows the power of a Riverland education.

Read more about Dean’s journey here: https://www.riverland.edu/alumni-community/alumni-stories/dean-foley/

09/14/2026

Growing up in Austin, Judith Villar Lopez ('23) always dreamed of becoming a teacher. With support from Riverland, The Hormel Foundation Austin Assurance Scholarship, and mentors who believed in her, she turned that dream into reality. Today, she's back in Austin classrooms, helping the next generation of students believe that they can achieve their goals too.

Read Judith’s story here: https://www.riverland.edu/alumni-community/alumni-stories/judith-villar-lopez/

09/14/2026

Stories worth hearing. Voices worth sharing. Join us for Voices of Austin: Her Story, Our Community and hear from Austin-area women sharing their stories, experiences and perspectives.

Stop by when you can and stay as long as you’d like! This event is open to the public!

September 17, 2026
Noon-1:30 PM
Riverland Community College
Austin Campus
East Building Library

09/02/2026

We love when alumni come to visit! 😍 Melissa graduated in 2025 and popped in to help us practice ! Here she is with 2 current students - Destiny and Katelyn. Are you alumni? Get in touch ! We love having students practice on experienced professionals 💆‍♀️

08/28/2026

👮‍♂️ Learning from experience matters!

Riverland's Law Enforcement students benefit from instructors who bring decades of real-world experience into the classroom (over 5 decades actually!), helping bridge the gap between theory and practice. That knowledge has helped prepare generations of graduates for careers in law enforcement and public safety.

If you're a Riverland Law Enforcement graduate, where has your career taken you? We'd love to hear what you're doing today! 💙

08/28/2026

Last night, Riverland held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and celebration for the RiverLAND Lab, a 2.5 acre parcel on Riverland's Austin Campus to build a stronger local food system for Austin, Mower County and Southeast Minnesota. The RiverLAND Lab hosted a Home & Market Gardener class in 2026 to expand the agricultural courses at Riverland. Community members and partners joined the festivities with flower cutting, student gardening demonstrations, food and live music.

08/27/2026

Get ready for the 3rd Annual Running With Ella 5K this Saturday!

Whether you're running, walking, rolling, or pushing a stroller, there's a place for everyone at this family-friendly event. Come out, get active, and make a difference!

Every registration helps support the With Ella program while also raising funds for Riverland's Emergency Grant Scholarship, which provides emergency financial support to students navigating unexpected challenges.

One event. Two incredible causes. Join us and be part of the impact!

See you at the starting line!
https://runsignup.com/Race/MN/Austin/RunningWithElla

08/26/2026

📸✨ ✨📸
We’re closing out the Way Back Wednesday Summer series this week with a look back at 1982 and the Albert Lea Area Vocational Technical Institute (ALAVTI.) While Pac-Man fever was taking over arcades and moviegoers were lining up to see ‘E.T.’, these student leaders were busy helping shape campus life.

From the hairstyles to the sweaters, this group photo is packed with peak '80s energy. While some fashions may be best left in the past, student leaders making a difference is always in style.

08/25/2026

Join us this Thursday, Aug. 27 for the inaugural RiverLANDLab Festival! Stop out and get a firsthand look at Riverland’s new on-campus farm plot and garden and learn more about what's growing at Riverland!

There will be farm plot tours, live music from My Grandma’s Cardigan Duo, food from Sunny’s Ice Cream and Mexican Food Truck and plenty of opportunity to explore.

The event is free and open to the public, so bring a friend and come see the oppurtunities we're planting at Riverland!

📅 Thursday, Aug. 27 | 4–6 p.m.
📍 RiverLANDLab, 1900 8th Ave. NW, Austin (straight West of the West building)

Address

Austin, MN
55912

Telephone

507-433-0664

Website

http://www.riverland.edu/alumni

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