Rock Island Today

Western Illinois University Riverfront Campus recently issued the following announcement.

Ask Western Illinois University alumnus Rich Gulotta, Jr. about his time as a Leatherneck and his face lights up.

For the new catering manager at Sodexo, the University's food service provider, accepting a job at Western is returning to the place that gave him the tools he needed to launch not only his career, but also to better himself personally.

Gulotta spent several years working in the hospitality industry in California and Florida, but said he always felt like a "transplant" in those places. When he learned his mentor was returning to Macomb to retire, he said he knew it was the perfect time to come back to where he got his start.

Gulotta's father passed away when he was 15, leaving him to navigate his life choices on his own.

"I never thought I'd actually get to a university – my high school career was not that special," he said. "I bounced around to a couple junior colleges and, even then, didn't acquire many credits."

When his roommate announced he was leaving for college at WIU, Gulotta said he was devastated because he didn't think there was a chance a state university would accept him. He said he took a leap of faith and submitted an application to Western.

"It was one of the best days of my life; I was very fortunate to open up a letter one day that said welcome to Western Illinois University," he said.

Gulotta's world changed when he arrived in Macomb and became a student in WIU's Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration (RPTA) department. Lacking parental guidance, he says he was unsure of his next step.

"When I got here, the faculty and staff turned that around. I now had parents - lots of them," he said.

Early in his academic career, Gulotta met Dale Adkins, the former associate dean of the College of Education and Human Services, who he considers his mentor, as well as a father figure. His first class with RPTA Professor Katharine Pawelko sealed his fate in the hospitality industry.

"A group of friends in the dorm were going through our course catalog for our next semester, and I came across a course called 'leisure,'" he said "I told everybody, 'Hey, I'm pretty good at that; maybe it's something I should give a shot.' It was one of the more difficult courses I've taken. Immediately I was drawn to Dr. Pawelko and the department. They just embraced me as family."

Gulotta said he enjoyed his classes, as well as his free time, where he attended every campus event he saw a poster for. He said the four years of campus experiences outside the classroom also shaped him as a student and as a person.

"If you take a look at what Western offers you, and the opportunities for recreation or leisure or student government, or just any organization or committee, that's when you get the Western experience; when you take advantage of what they're offering you," he said. "What I learned at Western that's helped me in my career goes beyond the curriculum and the courses I took. The curriculum can give you the information, but the experience really gives you the education."

As a food lover, Gulotta said he gravitated toward the hospitality side of RPTA, which has led to a fulfilling career he loves. He has been privileged to live in some of the most beautiful sections of the country, but said he always felt something was missing.

"While I enjoyed it, I felt like I was on vacation and it never felt like home, he said. "I felt like a transplant, not a community member. Here it's different. When I walk around the square, and I run into people I know, whether it's from the 90s, or I met them last week, or my neighbors, it's a feeling you can't describe, other than saying I feel like I'm home."

When Adkins announced he was moving back to Macomb, after serving as a university administrator in North Carolina, Gulotta said he knew he needed to make the same move. After finding the position at Sodexo, he knew it was a great fit and he began his new job in June.

"I feel not just that I can be part of the community, but I'm accepted as part of the community. To me that is the definition of feeling like you're home," he said.

Making a Difference

Between graduation and returning to WIU to work, Gulotta came back to campus many times for homecoming, which he considers one of his favorite events and a chance to give back some school spirit.

"It was an event I felt like I could never miss," he said. "Homecoming is my favorite vacation."

On one of those return trips to Macomb, Gulotta brought potential student Kara Sahagian with him, who he thought could also benefit from what WIU has to offer.

When he was working in Florida, Sahagian worked for him and he learned she was struggling with her career path. After some discussion about her academic goals, Gulotta knew there was only one place to make her aspirations a reality -- WIU.

Gulotta brought Sahagian to WIU for a visit, which included meeting WIU President Jack Thomas at a banquet on campus. The visit then evolved into Thomas inviting the pair to his tailgate party and to sit with him at the Leatherneck football game. Thomas also introduced Sahagian to Centennial Honors College Director Rick Hardy and RPTA Chair Emeritus Daniel Yoder.

"It was a special moment," he said. "To be invited, and to be that close to people within the University, the faculty and staff, just confirmed all those feelings I already had about how great Western is to me and how you're not a number, you're a person. They take care of you, not for the four years you're here, but for the rest of your life."

After the visit, Sahagian was accepted as an undergraduate at Western. She will begin graduate school at Western this fall, after finishing her bachelor's degree in RPTA.

Getting Settled

Now that he is back at Western, Gulotta said he is excited to immerse himself in the Macomb community.

"I always wanted to come home, and home is Macomb," he said "If I'm going to tell you this is my family, and this is my home, then I have a job to do and I have responsibilities to keep it a great family and a great home."

For more information about WIU's RPTA program, visit wiu.edu/rpta.

Original source can be found here.