Dr. Ivette Trentini is the
new associate dean for Business/CIT/Trades on Southeast Community College’s
Lincoln Campus. She’s spent the past 12 years as a speech instructor at the
College and is looking forward to her new role.
“I want to build
relationships with faculty and make sure they don’t burn out of their important
roles as educators,” she said. “I feel this is an important aspect of serving
our students, our community and the world.”
Trentini was raised in
Lincoln by two immigrant parents; her mother is from Guatemala and her father is
from Brazil. Growing up, there were three different languages circulating in
her household.
“My mother is quite upset at
me for not remembering enough Spanish,” she joked.
Trentini received her degree
in Environmental Laboratory Technology from SCC in 1997. She went on to work at
Molex in the chemistry lab adjusting chemicals for the manufacturing lines. She
then went on to work at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo. First, she supervised and
trained employees and later worked in research conservation.
“I worked
with endangered animals and frequently I would work in cages with the big cats.
They were sedated, but not so much that they didn’t growl at us,” she recalled.
She
then switched gears and worked in the non-profit field, both in fundraising and
administration. She started teaching part-time as an adjunct and decided that
it was something she wanted to do.
She
earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Management at Bellevue University in
2006 and her master’s in Communication in 2008. She started in 2009 as an
adjunct at SCC, and full-time in 2011. She then received her Doctorate of
Education in Interdisciplinary Leadership from Creighton University in 2018.
She will continue to keep teaching in her new role.
“I’ve taught several
different classes under the realm of communication,” she said. “I try not to
broadcast the ‘speech teacher’ role because people become self-conscious.”
One of the reasons she
decided to pursue this new position is when she retires she would like to work
and/or develop international education for the underserved. She believes this
is a natural step toward that goal.
“She readily acknowledges the
benefits of the community college education because she is living proof of its
benefits,” said Dr. Kathy Eitzmann, dean of SCC’s Business and Community
Services divisions.
When she’s not working,
Trentini enjoys cooking and spending time with her boyfriend and two cats. Her
office is in T-101 on the Lincoln Campus.