Love-Loss-and-the-Gift-of-Opportunity.php

Love, Loss and the Gift of Opportunity

• Students
• 02/06/2026

By RC Pottinger

When my wife, Rhonda, passed away earlier this year, my boys and I knew we wanted to do something that would carry her light forward. She spent her career as a talented dental hygienist, but what made her remarkable wasn’t her skill, but the way she cared for people. She had a gift for connecting with people on a personal level. It’s what we admired about her and what those who knew her still talk about to this day.

We talked about the kind of student she wanted to help, and decided it should be someone with grit, with heart, with a genuine love for dental hygiene. And in one of her last gifts here on Earth, Rhonda helped bring to life the scholarship that would prove to be a source of healing for us and a resource for the students who would receive it.

Together, we created the Rhonda L. Pottinger Scholarship at Rock Valley College.

Before all of this, we didn’t know what went into starting a scholarship fund. We thought it might be complicated or impersonal, but we have learned that the process is simple, personal, and surprisingly flexible. The team at the RVC Foundation took the time to get to know us, to really understand who Rhonda was, and to help us shape the criteria of her scholarship to find the ideal recipient.

More than 150 people have contributed to Rhonda’s scholarship fund, and we are still overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support. Every single gift is a reminder that she mattered, that her impact reached far and wide, and that her light continues to shine.

Because of their generosity, we had the privilege of attending the RVC Foundation’s annual Scholarship Donor and Recipient Luncheon this fall, where we met Brianna, the first student to receive Rhonda’s scholarship.

In her thank-you letter, Brianna wrote: “I know this must be a hard time for you. I am, however, extremely grateful that you are honoring Rhonda by establishing this scholarship so that future hygienists can make the world a better place as Rhonda seemed she did. This scholarship means so much to not just me, but my family as well, as it will ease the financial aspect of my dental hygiene journey. It will help me focus less on trying to afford the expense of college but rather on the goal at hand, which is becoming the best dental hygienist I can be to serve my community.”

And our scholarship is just one of many.

This year alone, the RVC Foundation awarded over $750,000 in scholarships to more than 350 Rock Valley College students. These are our neighbors and friends, our future hygienists, welders, nurses, teachers, and entrepreneurs. When you give to the RVC Foundation, you know your support stays close to home. The impact reaches students whose lives you can see and whose stories you can know.

If you ever think about giving back, we encourage you to start with the RVC Foundation. Whether you create your own scholarship to honor a loved one, support an existing scholarship, or simply give to the area of greatest need, your gift will go exactly where you hope it will: to students who live and work right here in our community.

Sincerely,
RC, Chase, Conlan & Bobby Pottinger