Wenatchee Valley College is pleased to announce the second year of the WVC Speaks Lecture Series with a new lineup of speakers and topics. WVC Speaks celebrates our faculty and staff’s expertise on a range of topics relevant to life in North Central Washington.
These free lectures will be held in the Music and Art Center’s Grove Recital Hall on the Wenatchee campus, with a reception at 5 p.m. and the lecture at 6 p.m. Each event will include a Q&A session at the end of the lecture.
The lecture series begins on Wednesday, Sept. 30, with “6 Strings and Two Pens: A Poetry Reading Woven with Guitar Music,” a music performance and poetry reading featuring professors Derek Sheffield and Jack Johnson, and retired professor Michael Choman.
Sheffield is the state's current poet laureate and an English faculty member, while Johnson, also a poet, teaches English and philosophy. Before retiring from WVC in the spring of 2026, Choman taught accounting and business courses. He is a jazz guitarist for the Confluence Jazz Trio.
On Thursday, Oct. 22, Professor Saxon Spillman will present “Ancient Philosophers: Socrates and Buddha.” This lecture serves as an inquiry of what it means to live a good life from an ancient perspective while donning a contemporary, cross-cultural lens. Though each thinker was separated from the other by significant time and space, their parallels as catalysts for historic change are undeniable, and their societal impacts are readily witnessed even today. Beyond mere historical curiosities, Spillman argues that, with a philosophical and cross-cultural approach, we can helpfully apply lessons from the past to address problems of the present.
Spillman started teaching in WVC's Humanities department in 2024. His academic background is in cross-cultural philosophy, and his current research interests include philosophy and history of therapy, emotion theory, non-classical logic, and Buddhist philosophy.
Author and professor Ana Maria Spagna will present “PUSHED” on Thursday, Nov. 19. In her 2023 book, "Pushed: Miners, a Merchant, and (Maybe) a Massacre," Spagna explored the so-called Chelan Falls Massacre. In this presentation, Spagna will describe her research into the event including encounters with historians, archaeologists, Indigenous elders, and migrant workers. She will also explore the rich history of Chinese immigrants in North Central Washington and compare their experiences with contemporary immigrant communities. Spagna will also discuss the launch of her new book, “Coiled: Essays on Urgency and Kinship,” which will be released this fall by Bison Books.
Spagna teaches English at WVC and is a faculty advisor for Mirror Northwest, WVC's literary and arts journal. Her previous books include "Uplake: Restless Essays of Coming and Going," "Test Ride on the Sunnyland Bus," winner of the River Teeth literary nonfiction prize, "100 Skills You’ll Need for the End of the World (as We Know It)," as well as a middle-grade novel, "The Luckiest Scar on Earth," and a poetry chapter, "Mile Marker Six." Spagna’s work has been recognized by the Society for Environmental Journalists and as a four-time finalist for the Washington State Book Award.
The series will continue on Thursday, January 28 with Professor S. Hart Johnson’s “Escaping the Rear Window: Voyeurism, Confinement, and Miss Torso.” This presentation includes a film viewing of Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 classic "Rear Window," followed by a lecture. This is a three-hour event. Johnson's lecture will address Hitchcock's use of a constrained premise built around character L.B. Jefferies (James Stewart) who, because of an injury, cannot leave his apartment, and therefore the audience cannot leave, either. The constraint contributes to the film's tension by limiting the audience's perspective and agency to Jefferies': the audience sees what he sees and cannot act when he cannot act.
Johnson is a professor of humanities at WVC. His primary interests include film and literary studies, but his work keeps him connected to a wide range of subjects and areas within the humanities including mythology, media studies, and critical theory.
Kelenda Mendall will present “From Orchard Worker to Honorary Doctorate: A First-Generation Graduate’s Journey of Resilience, Leadership, and Service” on Thursday, Feb. 25. Through personal storytelling and practical insights, this presentation explores overcoming adversity, breaking generational barriers, finding purpose through service, and creating opportunities for others. Drawing from experiences supporting foster youth, students experiencing homelessness, survivors of domestic violence, and communities across the globe, Mendall will share lessons that inspire participants to embrace their potential and lead lives of impact. Audience members will leave with a renewed understanding of how resilience, education, and service can create meaningful change in both personal and professional life.
Mendall is a first-generation WVC graduate and currently serves as Passport to College Navigator at WVC, supporting foster youth and students experiencing homelessness as they pursue educational and career success.
Raised in Orondo and employed as an orchard worker during her youth, Mendall's life journey reflects the transformative impact of education, perseverance, and service. She held the national title of Ms. Corporate America 2025-2026 and was crowned the new queen in June. Mendall is a Les Brown Legendary Speaker Champion and a contributing author to "The Power of Resilience and Reinvented to Rise."
Professor René Baca will present “Linguistic Repression and Generational Language Loss: The Case of Spanish Heritage Language Learners” on Thursday, March 4. This presentation examines how linguistic repression contributes to generational language loss among heritage language learners, focusing on Spanish-speaking communities in the United States. Through historical and contemporary examples, Baca will explore how assimilation pressures, language stigma, and educational practices have discouraged the use and transmission of Spanish across generations. These factors often result in heritage speakers experiencing language attrition and a weakened connection to their cultural identity. By highlighting the experiences of Spanish heritage language learners, this presentation demonstrates how societal attitudes toward language influence linguistic maintenance and cultural continuity. Ultimately, the discussion will emphasize the importance of valuing multilingualism and preserving heritage languages in increasingly diverse communities.
Professor Baca is a Spanish faculty member and chair of WVC’s World Language department, where he has taught since 2015. He earned both his B.A. and M.A. in Spanish from New Mexico State University. Before joining WVC, Baca studied abroad in Monterrey, Mexico, served as director of a language learning center, and taught at New Mexico Highlands University. Originally from Alamogordo, New Mexico, Baca draws on his experience growing up in a bilingual community to inform his teaching. His work focuses on language acquisition, bilingualism, heritage language education, and the cultural value of multilingualism. Passionate about promoting linguistic diversity, he encourages students to recognize and build upon their linguistic assets while exploring the connections among language, culture, and identity.
The final lecture for the 2026-2027 academic year will be “Floods, Faults, Fire, and Time” with Professor Gregory Stewart on April 15. In this highly visual presentation, Stewart tells the story of some of the amazing local geology hidden all around us in plain sight.
Stewart is a fluvial geomorphologist and licensed geologist based in Wenatchee. At WVC, he teaches the theory and practice of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), helping students turn observations into maps.
WVC Speaks began in 2015 and was held annually through 2019. Originally held in the afternoons, the series brought faculty, staff, and students together to develop an appreciation for a variety of disciplines and to share perspectives. The series returned in 2025-2026 to welcome our wider community to learn and connect with faculty, staff, and students. Learn more at www.wvc.edu/wvc-speaks.
About Wenatchee Valley College
Founded in 1939, Wenatchee Valley College enriches North Central Washington and delivers relevant, innovative, and experiential educational opportunities for thriving and healthy communities. Learn more at www.wvc.edu.
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Published Sept. 3, 2026
Media Contacts:
Marcine Miller, Executive Director, Public Information Office, 509-682-6582, mmiller2@wvc.edu