John Yelkich ’11 began studying at Valparaiso University in 1985. Valpo’s reputation as one of the best universities in the Midwest drew his interest, and he says he was lucky enough to be accepted. John says, “I came to Valpo knowing exactly what I wanted to do. I was going to study criminal justice, which required a sociology degree with a concentration in criminal justice. The professors here at the time were wonderful – Venturelli, Burfiend, Westerman, and Martinson – and were an excellent group. I came in and completed almost three years of coursework.” At that time, John received an internship through Valpo with the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office. He was then offered a full-time position working in the victim witness division. He decided to put his schooling on hold and gained unmatched experience and knowledge working in the field. “Working for the Prosecutor’s office was phenomenal. I got to work on six death penalty cases and three serial killer cases,” said John.
After nearly 7 years, Yelkich left law enforcement behind for a career in the automotive industry – something he grew up doing with his father. He says, “I worked as a dealership mechanic and service renderer for a short time, and I wound up going to General Motors working at the service technical colleges as an instructor. I was getting to a point where I did not want to travel as much. I taught all over the country and all over the world. I taught as far away as South Africa.” John adds, “It was not uncommon for me to come in on Friday and find out I would be in New York or Los Angeles by Monday. So, I took a position with the State of Indiana as the state repair advisor. I wanted to find something more permanent, so I applied to State Farm. I’ve been a State Farm customer my whole life and knew they were a good company. I was looking for a position as an underwriter because of my automotive background, and they offered me an agency instead.”
However, John still felt like he had unfinished business at Valpo. So, while working for the state, he decided to return to the University and finish the remainder of his degree program. He says, “I had to take a semester of courses at IUN to prove I could uphold a GPA. I earned a 3.9, transferred my credits to Valpo, and returned for my senior year.” John adds, “I had an incomplete in Peter Venturelli’s course from the semester I left. Fortunately, he was still here when I returned in 2010. The staff here at Valpo found paper copies of his coursework from that semester back in 1987.” John had an “incomplete” in the course; it turned out there was a paper he had never turned in. “So, I went home, wrote it, and turned in a paper to Peter Venturelli that was 19 years late,” said John.
As a non-traditional student, Yelkich had a great deal of responsibilities outside of his schoolwork to think about when he returned to Valpo. He was working a full-time job, had a son, and was taking on caregiving responsibilities for his wife. He says, “It was tough. I look back on it now and I would never do it again. I was going to school and working, we had a four or five-year-old, and my wife was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and was about to retire from teaching due to her health.” Yelkich adds, “But it always bothered me that I hadn’t finished my degree and could never say that I graduated from Valpo. So, I went back and did it.”
Not only was Yelkich a non-traditional student, he was also a first-generation college student. So, to John, Valpo means opportunity. He says the University allowed him to learn and experience things he otherwise would not have, and he credits Valpo for teaching him how to learn. He says, “I see how people learn now, and it’s easier to be led astray.” Back then, the National Institute of Criminal Justice Compendium was published annually. The size of a phone book printed on onion skin paper, he and his classmates would wait for its arrival each year. Filled with endless facts, John and others would utilize this book for their research. Valpo instilled in John to consider the source of information, which served him well throughout his life.
Yelkich currently lives in Lowell, Indiana, where he serves as a town councilman. He says, “I’m one of the five councilmen in Lowell that steers the town. I got into it because I was curious about how things were done. I couldn’t be prouder or happier with the people that I serve. There are three Republicans and two Democrats. We’ve only had 5-0 votes in the last 36 months. We’ve done some amazing things for the town.”
In addition to his duties as town councilman, John owns his own State Farm business in Hobart – John Yelkich, State Farm Insurance. He says owning his own business allows him the flexibility to take care of his family and work outside regular working hours. He adds, “State Farm’s been very good to me. Having an agency has given me the freedom to do things and care for my family. Owning my own business gives me the flexibility to do other things.”
John’s advice for others is simple: “Don’t give up. Just keep plugging.”
