Juhelia Thompson was hired to teach psychology classes at IVCC, beginning with the spring 2026 semester.

Where are you from originally?   

I am from the south side of Chicago; I am Chicago true and true. I grew up in the inner city, so I definitely love the feel of Oglesby. The community around it; I was like this is so scenic, definitely not what I am used to, the hustle and bustle, the L train, ambulance, police… This is the complete opposite, but I am enjoying it.   

 Where did you attend college and what degree do you hold?  

I got my undergrad at SIUC with a Bachelor of Psychology there, about five hours south from here. I really liked it; I spent the summer there. Then I went to Saint Xavier University in Chicago and got my counseling psychology degree there. Teaching is actually my second profession. I have been a licensed professional counselor for the last 20 years and then switched to teaching five 5 years ago. I have a lot of experience with the hard-core stuff.  

 What classes or positions are you currently assigned?  

Just psychology, but it is going to change a lot because the department is primarily doing intro to psych, and I have taught so many classes and want to offer more. I am currently working on trying to develop a life span class that will cover birth to death as well as social psychology.   

Where did you teach before IVCC?  

I taught at the local community college system at Cook County, so this is my first time being over here in this county. I also teach graduate courses for counselors, so I have been teaching for a long time.  

 What are your initial impressions, not only of the students, but also the atmosphere at IVCC, and your fellow faculty and staff?  

I like it a lot more; I like the smaller institutions where you can walk down the hall and know students’ names. I have always been prone to community college. I have never gone to one, but I felt like it would have prepared me more and would have helped. I thought the environment was welcoming. When I first got there, there was a group of students, and they were crying because of a professor’s last day. That just stuck to me, because she must have really had that much of an impact on those students. It was a family feeling.  

What inspired you to teach?  

My mom was a preschool teacher for 35 years, so the teacher’s blood runs through my veins. I want to share knowledge but also want to learn as well from my students. I love to learn new things I wouldn’t have thought. I love being around young people. They keep me young.  

What are some lesson plans you hold for right now?  

I will talk about sleep disorders like depression, anxiety, basic health care, and quality of sleep. I always tell my students that you need more than three hours of sleep. I like to focus a lot on drugs because it does affect the body, legally or not. I do believe in storytelling. I like to take real world examples from my life or take some from movies/ shows like “Stranger Things” and try to pull that stuff in class because I know they have seen it. I do make them give an oral presentation, but I do that because students receive information differently when it comes to their peers and not just me talking.  

 What are your teaching styles?  

I like to use handouts and group work. I like to use the method think, pair, share: you get into a group, share information and then come back and share with the class. Once you get interactive with your students, you will engage more, not just me talking.  

What’s some advice you recommend for taking the class?  

Participate and engage, not just for my class: that’s my recommendation for every class. It’s going to make the information stick.  

What’s advice for wanting to have a psychology major?  

After covid this is one of the most in demand majors/ It is really embedded into every occupation. But prepare for the long haul. Don’t just stop at your bachelors. Keep going for that masters. It will open up many more careers for you.