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OLNEY, Ill. — Olney Central College Associate Professor of Speech and Communication Jessica McDonald was one of just 14 educators selected from colleges and universities across the United States to participate in the Alan Cornell U.S. Campus Faculty Seminar at Yad Vashem, Israel’s World Holocaust Remembrance Center.
The fully funded intensive 10-day professional development experience focused on Holocaust history, research, memory, testimony, pedagogy and contemporary antisemitism. The seminar was established through the generosity of the Cornell family to equip U.S. faculty with the knowledge and resources to strengthen Holocaust education on college campuses.
Throughout the seminar, participants learned from internationally recognized historians, researchers, museum professionals, and educators while engaging in discussions with colleagues representing a wide range of academic disciplines and professional backgrounds.
McDonald said the diversity of both the participants and the speakers, combined with the remarkable depth of expertise they brought to every session, was one of the most impactful aspects of the experience.
“The seminar reinforced that meaningful Holocaust education isn’t the responsibility of just one discipline,” McDonald said. “Whether you teach communication, history, theater, religion, or early childhood education, each perspective helps students understand this history in a deeper and more meaningful way.”
Participants explored Yad Vashem’s expansive campus, museums, memorials, archives, and educational facilities while examining approaches to Holocaust remembrance and education.
One of the seminar’s most memorable experiences was visiting Holocaust survivor Rena Quint in her home to hear her personal testimony, which provided a powerful reminder of the importance of preserving survivor voices for future generations.
For McDonald, the seminar’s impact extends well beyond her own professional development.
“I returned home with new knowledge, practical teaching strategies, great educational resources, and a network of colleagues that I can reach out to for advice and collaboration,” she said. “I’m excited to bring what I learned back to our students and community and help expand access to Holocaust education in Southeastern Illinois.”
The seminar also directly supports McDonald’s continued work developing Holocaust education opportunities at Illinois Eastern Community Colleges. In Summer 2027, she will teach Communication During the Holocaust, a new course that is open to students, community members, and IECC faculty and staff, that will examine the Holocaust through the lens of communication and give participants the opportunity to go on an international study experience in Germany and Poland.
The knowledge, resources, and professional relationships developed through the Yad Vashem seminar will help enrich both the course and the travel experience for participating students.
Reflecting on the experience, McDonald described the seminar as one of the most meaningful and impactful professional development opportunities of her career.
“I’ve attended many conferences and seminars throughout my career, but this was one of the very best,” she said. “It exceeded my expectations in every way and reinforced the importance of expanding access to accurate Holocaust education in communities where those opportunities are often limited.”
