EPCHS Alum In The Spotlight: John Rivera, Class Of 1998

EVERGREEN PARK, IL — A sergeant in the United States Army is looking back fondly at his time at Evergreen Park Community High School in the mid 1990s.

John Rivera, EPCHS Class of 1998, says his favorite memories of his alma mater start with “the people.”

“I am still in contact with multiple classmates,” Rivera said. “The friendships I molded during the four years helped me become the person I am today.”

“We always looked out for each other, and would do anything to help each other.”

His teachers, many of them retired now, still impact Rivera on a daily basis as an adult.

“Steve Bayles, Linda Connor (Konley), Ray Schellenberger, John McGuire, Dave LaBarbera, and Mike Kladis were instrumental to my development, and not only taught me the subject they taught, the sport they coached, but how to be a good citizen,” Rivera said. “To this day, I still ask myself what those individuals would do in certain situations.”

Rivera was part of a wrestling team at EPCHS that saw much success. The Mustang wrestlers had one state champion and two state placers during one of his seasons on the team.

“The work ethic and resiliency I learned in those four years wrestling for Mike Kladis and Dave LeBarbera have gotten me through the most challenging situations in my life,” Rivera said.

As a 21-year veteran of the Army, situations far more challenging than most civilians have ever faced have become part of life for Rivera.

Rivera joined the Army in 2001 as an Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Systems Maintainer Integrator in the Military Intelligence Corps. He’s served overseas in South Korea, Germany, and Afghanistan, and has held leadership positions including team leader, squad leader, platoon sergeant, first sergeant, and deputy commandant of the military Intelligence Noncommissioned Officer Academy in Fort Huachuca, Arizona.

He was stationed at the Evergreen Park recruiting station in 2007, when he shared his Army story with countless students across the south Chicagoland area. He volunteered as a wrestling coach at EPCHS during his time stationed back home.

Now, Rivera attends the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy in Fort Bliss, Texas, with an anticipated June 17 graduation date. He’s earning a Bachelor of Arts in leadership and workforce development.

After graduation, Rivera will be stationed in Hohenfels, Germany, where he will serve as the Senior Military Intelligence Noncommissioned Officer at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center.

Rivera is married with three children, ages 19, 13 and 3, with a fourth due in October. When he’s not working or running around with the family, it’s “everything wrestling.”

“Whether it be high school, college, or senior international style, I follow it,” he said.