 Prior to attending NTC, I actually studied biology at a four-year university for one year. Amidst the pandemic, being a first-year student navigating college life through this and living alone at the time was very isolating. I really did not picture myself going to a technical college. I kind of felt that pressure to go to a four-year, all my friends were, you know, that was kind of the norm. I was enrolled in multiple science courses with very high stakes competitive learning environments. And instead of feeling supported, I felt like I was an obstacle for the other students to surpass and I became very discouraged. I had taken dual credit courses through NTC prior to attending college in high school and remembered how much it advanced my college experience prior to even starting college. I was welcomed the minute I stepped on campus. I was provided with so many welcoming people that provided me the courage to get involved. I started a non-campus job in student life and from there I was introduced to valuable opportunities like Wisconsin Student Government and Violeta Kappa Honor Society. I now look forward to going to my science labs and honing my skills, where mistakes are not criticized, but instead are welcomed in the spirit of making progress. This is what makes me so passionate about technical college education, a focus on high quality, hands-on experiences as well as affordability and accessibility. I am proud to be representing such an amazing school and look forward to being an advocate for North Central Technical College. Thank you.