The Story of Jill Warhol-Olsen
By: Kaitlyn McMullin
Photo of Jill Warhol-Olsen and her daughter Marleyann
Communications Professor at Chaffey Community College, Jill Warhol-Olsen, is an inspirational teacher both inside and outside of school. She began teaching at Chaffey in 2005 after getting her bachelor's and master's degrees at California State University Fullerton. Teaching communications is rooted in her strong desire to help people have a healthier relationship with those around them, including with themselves.
She comments, “There’s endless possibilities with teaching these courses because you are helping people… That makes me feel good that students are learning so much about themselves and the things they want to work on.”
Through many relatable life experiences, such as becoming a mom, she discovered that everyone can not only learn from others, but as well teach others.
“I mean, everyone’s a teacher if you look at them that way, we can all learn from one another, we are all learners. We’re all teachers.”
Professor Warhol-Olsen hopes students will learn in her communication classes that they are,
"Worthy of success, they are worthy of happiness, worthy of love."
She discussed how she rather have a student learn and discover something about themselves rather than getting a perfect grade. She not only hopes that a student will learn their worth, but also,
"That others are worthy of forgiveness, others are worthy of being heard, of being seen.”
Aside from being a stellar professor to her students, Jill Warhol-Olsen is a musician who plays multiple instruments. She first began playing instruments at 15-years-old due to the inculturation of her family as well as singing and writing songs.
“I would perform often in LA when I had my band and play all the clubs in LA… I started playing solo in Claremont… Play my original songs and cover songs and perform, I only recently stopped because of the pandemic.”
Professor Warhol-Olsen’s musical upbringing inclined her to raise her kids with a passion for music and instilled inspiration into her husband's family as they also began picking up instruments.
“My daughter, who’s gonna be three… she’ll get out like the little frog, the tambourine, shaker, steel drums… she has ukuleles she strums, she sings, so she already thinks she’s a star.”
A few years ago her mother, with whom she was very close to, passed away from cancer. After having her second daughter five months ago during the pandemic, she was faced with postpartum depression all while raising a two-year-old. She found the strength within her family to be able to rely on in her time of need.
“I completely stayed strong for my mother…I sang to her and just did everything I could to give her a sense of dignity and she really relied on me because of how close my mom and I are.
She spoke of how those two events were the most difficult challenges she has been through. With the loss of her mother that she was so close with and having to take care of her as she passed away. She discovered that she was worthy of love and she found a sense of self-worth that she did not have previously.
“I went into a really dark place; I’m having a baby during a pandemic all these things are happening while I’m pregnant in my third semester… it was very hard for me for about five weeks… My husband was absolutely there for me, and his family, my family.”
After asking Professor Warhol-Olsen if she had any advice for students who feel that they are falling behind in life because they do not know their major yet.
She says, “I didn’t know what my major was until I knew… not knowing is really a sweet spot because it means endless possibilities… embrace it because that’s when you’re really exploring your passions, your desires… embrace the journey...I would want my students to feel excited about that rather than judgement.”
Professor Jill Warhol-Olsen is well-liked among many students, who all find her inspiring, empathetic, relatable and passionate.