Lakeshore Technical College
Wind Energy Technology, 2009
Field Service Engineer, Invenergy Services
Noah Zirbel grew up with wind turbines in his back yard. His parents hosted the first two utility scale wind turbines in the state on their farm south of Green Bay. “I was intrigued,” he said of the giant towers...
Chippewa Valley Technical College
Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Technology
Founder & CEO, MEP Associates
Jeff Urlaub went from raising hogs and working construction to CEO of a consulting, design and engineering company with offices in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Oklahoma. An injury from an accident led him to reconsider his future, and in 1988 he...
Moraine Park Technical College
Graphic Communications, 2014
Marketing Coordinator, NAStar, Inc.
Breonna Bleuel learned about marketing from some of the best in the world—Walt Disney World. While studying Graphic Communications at Moraine Park Technical College (MPTC), Breonna participated in the Disney College Program. “It is very competitive process,” she said. “It...
Waukesha County Technical College
Quality Management, 2015 Industrial Engineering Technology, MATC 1990
Lead Advanced Manufacturing Engineer, GE Healthcare
Kevin Rooney gets emotional when he sees the GE commercial with hundreds of patients coming to the GE Healthcare manufacturing facilities to thank employees for the life-saving diagnostic imaging systems that saved their lives. “It is not just the patient...
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
Accounting, 2000
Agricultural Lender, Investors Community Bank
Jim Smidel was a small dairy farmer who felt he was not making enough money to support his family. At the age of 34, Jim wanted a more fulfilling career with a better income. While taking a Farm Management and...
Chippewa Valley Technical College
Medical Assistant, 2013
Medical Assistant, Marshfield Clinic
With only a high school diploma Brittany Olson was working as a home health aide, cooking, cleaning and shopping for elderly and disabled clients. Then she was laid off. “I was sick of going nowhere and felt stuck,” she said...
Blackhawk Technical College
Culinary Arts
Owner/Chef, Abreo, Social Urban Bar & Restaurant, PK Diner
Paul Sletten discovered his passion for cooking in high school and followed it through Blackhawk Technical College (BTC) to owning two fine dining restaurants and a diner in Rockford, Illinois. He started out as a busboy, progressed to short order...
Gateway Technical College
Early Childhood Education
Teacher, The Goddard School
Gateway Technical College convinced Bryanna Burcham in her mind what she already knew in her heart. Bryanna worked in retail, but wanted a type of career where she could work with children. It was when she enrolled, and began taking...
Madison Area Technical College
IT - Mobile Apps, 2015
Software Engineer, Apple, Inc.
Emily Van Haren can hardly believe it; just months after earning her associate degree at Madison College she’s working at Apple, Inc., in California. She started developing websites while in middle school and by the time she was 16, Emily...
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College
Criminal Justice – Law Enforcement and Police Academy, 2006
K-9 Police Officer, Prairie du Chien Police Department
While enrolled at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College (Southwest Tech), Heather knew she wanted to work in law enforcement and also with service dogs. Her instructors encouraged and helped her gain valuable experience while attending college. "Attending Southwest Tech allowed me...
Western Technical College
Welding technical diploma, 2014
Welder, GEA Farm Technologies
After eight years working on a dairy farm, Naomi Wells’ brother was supportive of her career move, but her parents were not. She wanted to be a welder. “I think they were concerned with it being a health hazard and...
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
Marketing, 2011
Director of Marketing, Keller, Inc.
Growing up in Freedom, Wisconsin, Lindsay Wiese was familiar with both Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) and Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC). She knew she didn’t want to go to a four-year college and didn’t want a lot of student...
Madison Area Technical College
Civil Engineering, 2001
Operations Manager, Davis Construction Company
After serving in the Army overseas, Erin Salmon decided to follow her father’s footsteps into Civil Engineering and reenrolled at Madison College. She already had some credits from before her military service and knew she would get a good education...
Gateway Technical College
Automotive Technology, 2012 & Business Management, 2014
Estimator, Pulera Collision Center
Brent Tate started his dream job only three years after graduating from high school and without a lot of student loan debt. While in high school, Brent enrolled in Gateway Technical College’s Automotive Technology program through the Youth Options program...
Madison Area Technical College
Liberal Arts Transfer
Senior Accountant, Wegner CPAs LLP
Hannah Lanser took a non-traditional path to her career. After high school she took some time off to nurture her spiritual life. She had been accepted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, but deferred her enrollment and planned to start in...
