 I'm the 2023 WTCS ambassador for Blackhawk Technical College and I'll be your host this evening. You should know a few more things about me. I won the social media poster for my ambassador years class events. I posted I think 20 sometimes during the whole two days that we were here and I took home that little gift bag, that was me, I did it. I have been able to work with our local K-12 districts at Blackhawk to give tours to our future students so we can encourage our new students to keep coming. I also started at Blackhawk Technical College as a student and went to a student worker in our registration office and then became an intern in the registration office and I am very now proud to say I am a part-time in the admissions office as an enrollment assistant. Alrighty, back to the program for this year's ambassadors, enough about me. Just a note, please silence your phones if you have not done so already, we would like to give them our full attention. We are live streaming this program to viewers at home so please take care not to block any of our cameras that are located around the room if you do need to get up. There is time after this event for family members to take photos with their ambassadors so do not get up during the program to do so, please do that after. Before we hear from our 16 ambassadors, I have two special guests I would like to extend a congratulations to and best wishes. As many of you know, Barrett Public Finance is the generous long-term sponsor of our WTCS ambassador program. Justin Fisher over here. Justin Fisher is the managing director of Barrett's Public Finance and was kind enough to join us tonight along with his colleague Debbie Barnett and who she led a session earlier today about leadership development for our ambassadors to experience today. Please join me in welcoming Justin to share his thoughts with our 2024 ambassadors. Good evening everyone, it is truly an honor to be here and thank you for the opportunity to have Barrett sponsor such a great program again. From what I understand this is the 25th year so we've been doing this a long time and it truly does hit home when we're talking about the things we want to support throughout the year. This is always one of those that it's no question. We absolutely feel that this is an important thing and couldn't be more proud to be up here being the main sponsor. For those that don't know, Barrett is a full-service financial firm that has over 5,000 employees globally with over 1,900 just here in Wisconsin. What makes Barrett unique is that we're privately held and employee owned with over 75% of our employees owning stock within the company. So our success is really dependent on your success and we're very fortunate to have such good partnerships and relationships with our clients year over year so thank you. So part of Barrett is our public finance team where people like me specialize in providing financial advisory and banking services to local governments, school districts and tech colleges to name a few. We assist our clients in finding ways to fund their important capital projects such as buildings, equipment purchases, road improvements and necessary infrastructure. Just in Wisconsin, we work with our clients to fund over $1.5 billion in capital improvements every year so it's pretty exciting to see all the different things we get to work on year over year. What's really fun though is driving around Wisconsin, looking around pointing out the window when my kids are in the car and saying, hey kids, your dad worked on that project, isn't that pretty cool as I'm beaming with pride and you know the reaction I typically get? Cool dad. I think it's pretty cool. So thank you again for the opportunity to sponsor this important program and congrats to all the ambassadors being recognized tonight. Thanks to Justin and to Baird for the steadfast support of our students in this program. At this time, I will ask our first group of ambassadors to join us and come forward up over here. The Wisconsin Technical College System plans the ambassador program and Dr. Mourna Foyd is the system president and we'll share her thoughts with the 2024 ambassadors. See how I'm setting this up right guys? I got to watch them practicing this moment. Good evening everybody. It is so great to see you here tonight and see so many of you here. This is honestly the best event we do all year. I love it and I'm just really happy to have a chance to hang out with some pretty amazing people tonight. When I joined the WTCS 26 years ago, I know some of you are just twinkles in your parent's eyes but it was right about this time and honestly I thought I knew a lot about the system, how it was funded, hundreds of programs that it offered, the hundreds of thousands of students that it served, 16 colleges, 50 campuses, immense contributor to the state's economic success but I confess I did not have a clue about the system's impact on actual human beings and then I came to my first ambassador dinner and everything changed and I mean everything. Hearing first hand from the amazing individuals selected ambassadors convinced me of the transformative power of technical college programs and services and made me a superfan of the WTCS. Every year since, the ambassadors re-inspire me and remind me that I am not a policy wonk, a government bureaucrat or even an organizational leader. I'm a part of a team of action takers and opportunity makers who are changing each other and our state for the better. So I want to thank everyone here tonight, all the trustees, the system board members, my colleagues, the system level and all the colleges and the college board trustees of course for being a part of the WTCS team and helping to celebrate our inspiring student ambassadors. I have to give a special thanks and I have to actually put my glasses on now because I don't want to miss anybody but a special thanks really to Justin and to Debbie and your entire team at Baird. Thank you so much for your steadfast support of this program, our colleges, our students. You know we've had this partnership for as you mentioned many decades now. We just don't need to keep talking about the fact that I've been to most of these dinners but it really is appreciated by all of us and including especially I think the ambassadors that we're honoring tonight who I get to announce will each receive a generous scholarship from Baird of $1,250 tonight. You guys have just been absolutely awesome and we could have been not asked for a better partner. To all the family members and the friends of our 2024 ambassadors that are here today and to the college leaders who have supported them tonight I want to give a special thank you for all the support that you provide to them to make their students their success the students a possibility but also a reality and you know the ambassadors are amazing individuals but we all go farther and we accomplish more with the support of others and you guys give that to them and you're a big part of the reason why they're here tonight and finally I got to thank the ambassadors wherever you I know you're spread out all over the place here but you guys are an inspiration to all of us that work in the tech college system I really mean that and you remind us that through our individual and also our collective efforts we make our community stronger you're gonna have experiences today I know you have and over the course of the upcoming year as ambassadors that you're gonna use through the rest of your life and this is just the beginning of another step in your success story I don't want any of you to ever forget that you are here tonight and you're being celebrated tonight because you earned it you deserve to be here it's important for all of us to hear from you tonight because you're offering us a reminder of the power of possibility having been leaders in the classroom and on your campuses many of you in your places of work and communities already you're you're soon gonna be the next generation of leaders for the state and you're gonna be champions for technical college education so now you're gonna get to spend a couple days building your networks and finding your voice the world and especially those of us in the room here tonight cannot wait to hear your stories I'm really looking forward to it and I want to thank you again for giving me the chance to be here thank you to President Foy and the team that makes this memorable experience for all of our ambassadors now it's my pleasure to introduce our 2024 WTCS ambassadors from Black Hawk Technical College Rebecca Barnett Rebecca is Black Hawk substance use disorder counseling and human services program and Black Hawk is like right about here in the state we have three locations in Rocking Green County and have more than 85 academic offerings and more than 70 different transfer programs I'm deeply honored and grateful to stand before you today is the new WTCS ambassador for Black Hawk Technical College this moment means more to me than words can ever express growing up in the small town of Maynardville Tennessee I often thought that my dreams were out of reach today I'm reminded that no dream is too big and no obstacle too daunting to overcome my journey to Black Hawk Technical College is non-traditional it's been marked by challenges and struggles as well as triumphs and victories when I was young I wanted to be a teacher or a therapist and I know they're sitting over there and they're like totally can see that societal expectations changed though once I hit puberty and I married young seeking out stability in a better future however the reality of marriage was far from a fairy tale and in 2019 I found myself as a single mother to five children was nothing more than hope in my pocket in 2020 COVID happened the world shut down and I lost my job I was struggling by fall of 2020 I was suicidal I will never forget how I felt on September 6th even today I remember the outfit that I wore and the color lips did that I had on I remember spending the day with my mom and hugging her tightly I remember taking my children to their dads and promising them that everything would be okay my friend Trisha saved my life that night I remember her words vividly as I repeat them often just hold on because tomorrow will be better in 2021 after navigating mental health treatment I decided we needed to change in December we moved sits under 84 miles from the Appalachian Mountains to the plains of Wisconsin by spring of 2022 I was enrolled at black hot technical college I would love to say that the reasons I chose black hot for the affordability flexibility and closeness to my house all of which are valid reasons to attend BTC but I chose BTC because I wasn't sure that I was going to be successful the journey hasn't been easy balancing academics motherhood and three special needs children has presented its own sets of challenges adversity as I've learned is not a roadblock it's a catalyst for transformation every obstacle that I've encountered has forced me to grow into the person that stands before you today black hot technical college is more than an institution it's a home where futures are shaped in closing thank you to the Wisconsin technical college system for recognizing the strength and determination in each of us this journey this award is not just mine it play sorry I'm gonna try to do this last part without trying it belongs to every person who played a part in my journey it belongs to my children my friends my parents and my mom it also belongs to the staff and faculty of black hot technical college without them I would have been would have given up my first semester I have been uplifted praised encouraged and sustained but the very people who came to watch me on this honor tonight you all saw past my stars and believed in my future and for that I'm eternally grateful thank you all again for this incredible honor thank you Rebecca from Chippewa Valley technical college we have Eve Decker Eve is working towards her nursing degree at CT CVTC in the map and detailing each college district in the back of your program you'll see that CVTC is on the western side of the state they offer more than 165 academic offerings and at offered at 12 locations across 11 counties good evening my name is Eve Decker and is such an honor to be standing here with you all representing Chippewa Valley technical college how I came into this world has had a direct impact on my future goals I was a NICU baby being a NICU baby made me want to learn about the NICU this research led me to learn about NICU nursing and I fell in love with the profession being a NICU nurse has been a goal of mine since I was young to get to this goal I worked hard in school studied took relevant classes and accepted all and any opportunities that were presented to me CVTC has been and will continue to be a huge part of my journey to reach this goal as a freshman in high school I started my academic journey with CVTC by enrolling in transcripted credits then spring semester hit and COVID happened that was hard my entire sophomore year was a hundred percent virtual but I didn't let that slow me down during my junior and senior years I took more transcripted credits and completed the CVTC health care Academy along with my high school classes and CVTC classes I was also enrolled in Wisconsin virtual schooling for many of us that's a lot of classes with my connection to CVTC I knew this was where I wanted to continue my education towards becoming a NICU nurse CVTC provides hands-on quality education that's affordable paying for college was one of my biggest worries and I was determined to do it without a loan one of my one of my favorite things about CVTC is the amount of support and the staff and faculty provide this fall I'm excited to start my core nursing classes in my role as student ambassador I will be working with student life office connecting with others and advocating for students to help create a welcoming and engaging campus community I'm really looking forward to all upcoming opportunities and continuing the path to my goal I also look forward to any opportunities that are given to me by the Wisconsin technical college system I want to thank WTCS first and staff for having me along with a huge thank you to Chippewa Valley technical college staff that are here to support me of course I can't forget the two people that have helped me get here mom dad thank you for traveling here tonight and supporting me through everything and to the one up in heaven grandma I hope I'm making you proud up there and finally a special thank you to Baird for making this program and scholarship possible thank you thank you Eve from Fox Valley technical college we have Ashley Poggle Ashley is the foundation is in the foundation of a teacher education program at Fox Valley Fox Valley is home to the foxes as their mascot and they serve more than 50,000 students each year in all five counties and parts of four others my biggest question in life that I think of quite often is did I make the right decision did I make the right decision to go to a four-year UW college after high school did I make the right decision to return home after a year at that UW school what if I would have stayed where would be it where would I be now what if by always asking myself have I made the right decision I'd become resistant and anxious about change and making decisions that could vastly change my course in life will I adapt overcome and give 100% absolutely well I freak out and question myself for a good portion of that time you bet but when I look back I realize the decisions I had made have helped shape who I am today they have led me to this point where I'm standing before you with the amazing honor of being Fox Valley technical colleges 2024 Wisconsin technical college system ambassador let me take you back to how it all started my goal in life is to make a difference how can I be a positive influence on others this led me to my calling of working in education I've been a special educational paraprofessional since 2017 shout out to children public schools had to add that line at one point throughout the years I started to coast every now and then I thought about returning to school but I got comfortable why change what doesn't need to be fixed then came about the time my nephew Lucas was born that made a difference in my perspective am I making the right decision to stay where I'm at my first thoughts were that I needed to better myself because I wanted to be a good role model for him and secondly I started to think am I living up to my best potential with that it prompted me to do some online research I saw that the DPI in Wisconsin allowed people with an associate's degree to become substitute teachers I noticed an associate's degree that piqued my interest the foundations of teacher education those five little words led me on the path to where I am at today my co-workers friends and family were very encouraging and supportive of my journey there's a reason why these are here sorry of going back to college but the same time I still had concerns is this the path that I should take will I have a good work to school to personal life ratio college is expensive life in general is expensive am I making a good decision to help me overcome those concerns I set a few goals and parameters I knew I wanted to stay close to home try to work full-time while pursuing a degree full-time and what is the best financial option this is what led me to Fox Valley Technical College when I sent emails to inquire about this degree I was pleasantly surprised staff from multiple areas at Fox Valley were extremely helpful they never left me with more questions than what I approached them with and always directed me to the right people every time I learned something new about the degree and what was offered it made my decision to go back easier and easier to the point where I was asking why not what is really holding me back it was then I realized I was holding myself back my fears are evolved around what if I fail I hate that feeling but that is when I read a quote that helped me once a decision is made you should stop worrying and start working it's not always what we know that makes it a good decision is what we do to implement and execute it that makes it a good decision by John C. Maxwell I am a hard worker I am diligent I'm thorough I can do this that is when I took the leap and applied in the fall of 2022 I started my classes in spring of 2023 and this is where I was able to learn truly how much support Fox Valley technical students receive many of my teachers were so encouraging especially my first teacher Roxanne I felt like I could talk to her and express my concerns and questions and in return she helped me in every way that she could with all these factors I realized I had made one of the best decisions of my life and this can be said for my classmates and other students as well the various modes of learning amazing staff and teachers many scholarships and financial aid available and the multiple transfer pathways that lead to furthering one's education make Fox Valley technical a great choice there are so many people that I would like to thank who have taught me along my journey sorry if I miss anyone try to encompass everybody but I would like to thank the selection committee for choosing me to be the ambassador for Fox Valley Roxanne for nominating me and my coordinators who have been truly amazing I would also like to thank the foundation at Fox Valley for allowing students like me the chance to attend college without fear as they make attending accessible and affordable through their variety of scholarships and tuition assistant grants I would also like to thank the Wisconsin technical college system and Baird for this amazing conference and finally I would like to thank my family co-workers and friends for supporting me wholeheartedly they have been a huge support and have been my biggest cheerleaders I'm proud to say you know put your thoughts out in the universe it'll happen I will graduate in December with my associate's degree in the foundations of teacher education and I plan to continue to attain my bachelor's degree in education can our second group of ambassadors please start moving forward now from Gateway technical college we are inviting Angela Pocklington Angela is in the Gateway IT software developer program and Gateway was the first established technical college in Wisconsin first publicly funded technical college in the America they serve students and communities in the southeast part of the state good evening I am a mother I'm a daughter and I'm a friend among other things first I would like to start off by thanking everyone including the Wisconsin technical college system gateway technical college friends family and many others for supporting me in this opportunity this experience has been a journey in finding new hope and embracing seasons of change in my life I have had to put in some hard work to get this far but I haven't found anything more rewarding than reaping the rewards of doing good when not giving up life is full of adventures and roller coasters what is difficult for me may not be difficult for you I have had times when it would have been easy for me to give up and be wary there was a point in my life before Gateway when I almost lost all three of my children and as a mother that is the most heartbreaking thing to know that could have happened but I decided that I needed to make a change a change for myself and for my family and if I would have given up I would have not have found this season in my life it has been a process of making changes sticking it through and taking breaks I have learned to look at opportunities such as this as one of those life lessons that tend to have some of the most teachable moments climbing each mountain in front of me reveals what I believe and how to keep going this mountain happened to begin by making a decision to better myself and my family like I had said before what's been my favorite part of this particular adventure well that was difficult to choose but it's been allowing myself to rise to the challenges such as standing in front of all of you here today I've even made the Dean's list multiple times thank you now I know that for some that may not seem like a big deal but I don't think that I've made the honor roll since middle school that one time and it may have been an accident but it's true I've been a part of many clubs for the first time I went to program related conferences and I have found a new love for travel and study of broad opportunities I have learned the value of moving forward and putting in a little extra effort when I can taking care of my mental and my physical health and finding community it's been about acquiring the knowledge to not give up and then turning around only to learn that I don't have to do everything and showing my children that it only takes one step at a time life is going to be difficult at times but if you remember anything from my speech tonight I'd like you to remember this do not grow faint in doing good your effort is all that it takes to reap and do season and always smile thank you all ready from Lakeshore Technical College we have Kyle Blaha Kyle is studying to be an IT cybersecurity specialist at Lakeshore Lakeshore serves more than 9000 students and shares spaces with the community alongside the shores of Lake Michigan including its 18-hole disc golf course good evening everyone while I was incarcerated I set a goal for myself of earning a college degree I knew that required years of commitment and focus but I was ready for the challenge it was time to get to work I chose a job working third shift weekend so I could eventually go to school during the week I didn't have any money at the time so asked my mother to borrow me a hundred dollars so I could buy a bike I rode that 14 miles round trip while working as a machine operator I saved every dollar I could and eventually bought a car and my technical college experience was about to begin I had some self-doubt but having overcoming years of addiction and incarceration I knew I had to continue to persevere towards my goal which was earning a college degree I chose Lakeshore because it was close to my home it offered flexible course offerings and opportunities and child care for my sons which is a big deal I'm a father of twin four-year-old boys and they were able to come to school with me and so I was able to work and they're there knowing that they had the best care available really helped motivate me more I chose IT cybersecurity because I wanted to keep my family safe in my community from cyber tax both foreign and domestic and I would like to participate in ransomware legislation and how to handle them more effectively and once I set foot on campus at Lakeshore I was welcome with open arms from all the women in trio and student services to really help create a sense of belonging for me another huge part of my success was the C campus grant they paid for my child care you know a single father a one one income that child care C campus grant really helped me a lot you know I want to say thank you to my parents for loving me when I wasn't always easy to love also gratitude to the staff at Lakeshore for all the help with the scholarships the grants the trio workshops the financial literacy workshops the emerging leaders program really helped shape me into the leader that I'm growing in today so thank you as the new WTCS ambassador I look forward to representing Lakeshore and sharing my story of resilience saying yes to resources and committing to a goal I want to say thank you to Baird for sponsoring this event and also my sons Kingsley and Kaius thank you for and from Madison College we have a net Crowder and that is in the human services and addiction studies programs at Madison College Madison College opened in 1912 as the Madison continuation school and now covers for 40 K-12 school districts in the south central Wisconsin they are UW-Madison's number one source for transfer students I hope you can all see me over at this podium you might have noticed I'm short so I'm gonna start off by doing my thank yous first of all I want to say thank you to my cheering squad they were over at the table there my little sister her wife Callie my teacher Suzanne my husband Travis and my school professionals and I can't remember everyone's name because I'm thinking right now but I know what your name are and I know who you are so the next day I want to ask a question real quick does anyone know what a slam poem is okay beer with me I had just learned to do this recently but that's what you're getting from me because it seemed a lot a good way of expressing myself will just say it like that so the title of this is oh wait dying is like being a unicorn without a sparkling horn I feel like a dying unicorn without my sparkling horn when it's MIA when I am idle it feels like time is wasted there are so many ideas floated around in my head and things to accomplish that it feels like death might catch me fast quiet and reserved in many ways but that's part of my alter ego sitting can be stressful and feel like wasted time especially when death comes knocking at my door or surrounding me by taking my best friend Janelle first my little brother Tyrone who is the father who was the father of six the same year my mother a year later the woman who taught struggled but never stopped no matter the obstacles situations that came about and more my mom was a veteran that instilled her fighting spirit in her children I thank her for that being myself could be death if I show my anger as a black woman however I choose to live get some of my ideas into action and authenticate my blackness even though at one point I would physically fight at being called a white girl just based on my speech I was thankful years later when I found myself behind a locked door as it caused me as it caused my brain to click and say oh no I will go to this winter camp team build myself out of this hot mess that from the choices that I chose at that time did you know that a sparkly unicorn could be a cat that's a question for you guys well my Sadie cat breed life back into me she really did I know that sounds crazy but she did she was there from the beginning or I should say shortly after all of my loss she was just there breathing life into me showing up when I'm in the bathtub do you guys know any kittens that get on your bath tub thing and then dip their paw in the water like they're checking to see if it's too hot for you well that was my Sadie and I say was because she left me unexpectedly in August and she was only four Suzanne Suzanne raise your hand thank you you saved me not just a little but you started me on a path of my college career in a way aka achieving Annette as of yesterday that's a nickname I gave myself during our introduction to each other we had to choose something with our letter by the way back to Suzanne Suzanne I had a mental breakdown in this woman's class started balling my eyes out thinking about all the trauma did I call it trauma no I just thought of it as things that happen and I needed to soldier on because that's what I was used to doing all my life soldiering on and not letting the emotion catch me until it did but Suzanne that woman back there to raise her hand when I had that mental breakdown she did not look at me like I was crazy she did not look at me like oh my god what am I going to do right now no I can't remember exactly what all she did but it was either physical or I don't know she embraced me she pulled me in and told me about the resources available at the college but not like not like I was broken but like that there was an offering that was available to me would you like me to help you it took me a moment but I said yes because I had heard about mental health services before but had I taken advantage of them even when family members such as that other person over there at the table my therapist sister no but I just think it's really important for people to know that the Wisconsin Technical College system is so much more it really is I would have left school that semester between that breakdown and then the next one I had within the rise office at Goodman South rise stands for retention initiative student engagement I am a Trial student just like Kyle and it it's just another life-saving program that's available through the WTCS and other systems but definitely DRS and for me it was a savior just a couple notes here I know I need to get done so I'm gonna skip some stuff because I can talk a lot Ellie who's not here today because she's not feeling well she was my nominator for this role which I didn't even know existed and I didn't really know that she knew I existed from Suzanne's class I showed up in Ellie's area one day because Suzanne's like Annette write about stuff you care about when I'm up there going I hate English I don't know how to write I didn't even graduate from high school so Ellie let's get back to her I showed up in Ellie's office saying Ellie I need to see the three-year plan for Student Senate she didn't look at me like I was crazy she didn't be like who are you asking me for a three-year plan I was afraid she was gonna do that because I didn't truly understand the purpose of Student Senate within the technical colleges I do now she handed me an after-year plan told me if I had any questions to come back and see her and I came back to see her by becoming a student senator and then working from being a student senator at the beginning to now I'm VP of team development for my current Student Senate I'm gonna get to the end of this I just gotta scoot it down I apologize so this is where I get just a little silly I took my chances I went the distance and now I'm back on my feet you guys know what that's from right anybody I have the tiger the song okay as a student a parent and not just of my own two but of a whole horde of children that have gone in and out of my house from I don't know a newborn from the hospital that's now 10 to 32 year old cousins that I raised and a bunch of their friends that thought my house was their house but it kind of is I already mentioned VP of team development for student Madison College student ambassador for 2024 and deaf when you come I will have lived raised children of others made a difference and an impact in what I care about oh wait I forgot deaf I'm gonna slow you down a little bit more because I took some time to lose some weight to work on my health to my journey from feeling like a dying unicorn without a sparkling horn to rising and taking on multiple roles and challenges is genuinely where I belong I think my experience with Madison College I think my family even the ones not here with me today just needed to share a picture of them with you guys that's my mom that's my brother I forgot my picture of my best friend that I lost 30 years and I also want to thank Barrett for this amazing opportunity this last day and a half has been wonderful I like to feel like I know so much because I'm an older student but I can always still learn and I thank you all for taking the time to listen to me and a bearing with my clumsiness and my attempt at poetry well our third group of ambassadors please start to come forward from Milwaukee area tech I'm so sorry from Mid-State Technical College Dylan Saylor Dylan is attending Mid-State for criminal justice program Mid-State serves more than 6,500 students in a population area more than 170 residents across parts of eight counties in Central Wisconsin good evening before coming to Mid-State I was a hundred percent sure what I wanted to do I knew I needed to take a breather from the classroom after 12th grade and I graduated I didn't want to jump right into college I wanted to spend time with my wife and kids during those two years when I took off I pursued a career at Applebee's in Wisconsin Rapids I'm currently working with them right now I'm the general manager of that location so I've been there since 2018 I was very close to choosing a military career I was looking into the Air Force as a as a security force officer and it was something I was passionate about however I had a growing family a great wife I didn't want to leave them behind I decided that I would readjust my career plans so I could care for my wife and kids when I decided the military was not my path I looked to join in my local law enforcement as I hold a huge passion for the career the passion comes from serving the community I enjoy helping and assisting people I feel like I carry a need to serve I need I knew I needed my degree to pursue that career so I investigated my options and looking around at other schools around Central Wisconsin I seen Mid-State as a no-brainer option they have amazing instructors and great resources and I don't have to pile on a bunch of debt just to get through school Mid-State Technical College has a great vision serving the community in both traditional and non-traditional students like myself I love that I get to work and communicate with a large diverse group of students I was fortunate enough to be a part of WSG which is Wisconsin student government I was nervous about going back to school after taking some time off but the experiences I had coming back into the school scene at Mid-State was seamless I'm proud to be part of this wonderful Wisconsin Technical College system and to represent Mid-State and I do want to give a quick thank you to our sponsors I also want to thank my wife and kids they're no longer in the room they they had a little bit too much they're run around in the back and then I also just want to thank Mid-State for representing or choosing me to represent them okay now for the rest of our third group of ambassadors will you please come forward from Milwaukee area Technical College we have Alham Ali Pooley Alham is studying food science technology at MATC MATC is the system's largest college and its stormers study more than 170 different degrees diplomas certificate programs all at four main campuses in the Milwaukee area it was in Kazach which means good evening esteemed guests faculty friends and sponsors today mark of moments of gratitude and the reflection and estimated to the journey shaped by unwavering support and determination as I address today I am filled with profound appreciation for the individuals and our organizations who have contributed to this milestone before I extend my gratitude I must acknowledge these divine guidance and blessings that have eliminated my past it is with humility and and that I recognize the hands of God in every steps of my journey I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to our sponsors for this blanket bear and all these involved in our gesturing this event you're gesturing and believe in the power of education have provided me not only title with with TCS ambassadors but also with the financial support and encouragement to pursue excellence that I earned from today's workshop while I was taking ESL classes I decided to apply for admission to Milwaukee area technical college shortly after I returned to Kazakhstan I received my acceptance letter and I was so thrilled to be able to return to the United States to continue my educational journey as I began to pursue my education at MATC I've been able to volunteer at Walker Square and work in food pantry I've also had opportunity to meet Governor Evers and other government officials this opportunity to meet governance officials are not common in my country as an international students from Kazakhstan whose current re-enrollment at MATC I'm deeply passionate about advocating for the merit of technical education partially in fields like food science and chemical technology reflecting in my own journey I've witnessed for in first hand how a technical education can shape not only for a decade individual career but also continue contribute significantly to community growth and innovation at MATC my decision to enroll was driving by desire to gain participle skills that will breach theoretical knowledge with the real-world application MATC delivered on this promise providing me with a curriculum that seems sleep-planet classrooms learning with hands-on experience this unique approach has been instrument in my career advancement equipping me with a skills needed to excel my in my choosing field beyond personal success the importance of technical education extend to the broad community MATC empowers individuals to become skilled professionals who drive innovation and contribute to economic growth one of the other greatest merit of technical education lies in the ability to engage workforce capabilities MATC prepared me not just only for a job but for a career instilling in mindset of continuing learning and adaptability that has been involving in navigating to the complexities of today's workforce I have also appreciate the diverse student population presented in all campuses of MATC to my family friends classmates colleagues and all everyone who played a role in having my education journey your support and encouragement haven't been a constant source for strength you believe in my paternal has propelled me forward and for that I'm deeply grateful as I embark on the next phase of my journey I carry with me the lessons I learned and the relationships for jet thank you for being for a part of this incredible journey and from moraine park technical college Charles Dray air the third or chas as he's prefers is attending moraine park technical college for the CNC and toolton dye technologies moraine park serves more than 14,000 students annually at its three main campuses and is currently undergoing a major expansion thanks to a recent referendum highlighting how valuable they really are to the community all right that's loud good evening thank you for the introduction while my formal name is Charles as she mentioned I just go by Chas I live in the city of West Bend with my parents Chuck and Christine growing up I had the privilege of witnessing my father's craftsmanship as a skilled carpenter his dedication to his craft inspired me and I knew that I wanted to follow him and find something I love equally I chose to attend a technical college drawn to the practicality and the content I would be learning in fall of 2019 I enrolled in the mechanical design program at Fox Valley technical college that's a little different huh I decided to live in the campus dorms to get the true college experience this was my first time living away from home and I embraced independence even joining the student government out of curiosity the energy in the room and the chance to make lasting changes on campus ignited a desire in me to be more involved my first official role was the food committee chair I advocated for clear food labeling at Fox Valley this issue is close to my heart as I have celiac disease I wanted to ensure that students with dietary restrictions like myself could navigate the cafeteria with confidence through my efforts I saw positive changes to labels and a greater awareness of the importance of inclusive food options on campus I also served as the president of the dorms council it's called residents voices in action this role allowed me to foster a sense of community in the dorm and organize events and activities that brought us way closer together we created a vibrant and supportive environment where everybody can feel included and valued shortly after I began attending the Wisconsin student government meetings to meet with other leaders around the state and compare events that they would put on for their students this led to developing my leadership and advocacy skills and attending my first WSG legislative seminar in February 2020 my mentors and peers acknowledged this and I was elected to represent or I was elected as the governor position to represent Fox Valley at WSG however the spring 2020 brought with it COVID and everything ground to a halt it brought with me or it brought with it about a wave of loss within our family and friends as I'm sure many of you around this room can relate to I move back home to grieve with them like many others I had to adjust to the sudden shift to online learning and the challenges that came with it feeling the need for stability and a sense of purpose I made the difficult decision to take a break from school and gain more on the job experience in production manufacturing this was a great decision for me because I was able to continue learning while at work and continue saving money to return to college in fall of 22 I enrolled in the mechanical design program at part-time at Marine Park since it was closer to home my credits would transfer and I could continue working as a machinist I quickly got involved with our student senate at West Bend at the West Bend campus and I was elected as the 2022 and 2023 governor for Marine Park I also took on the vice president role to fill a vacancy when summer came I decided to take a new path and I enrolled in the cnc tool and die program to get more hands-on experience and truly learn the mental working trade fall of 2023 just seven short months ago I was elected president for our cnc club and the president of the senate on West Bend's campus I earned the lieutenant governor position and the parliamentarian position for our district student government also just last week on friday I was elected to serve as the parliamentarian for wisconsin student government now I stand before you as marine park student ambassador for 2024 being involved with the senate's club clubs and student government has provided me with so many opportunities to grow as an individual my involvement has supported my academic and hands-on learning in the classroom each of them supplementing the other and helping me to become a well-rounded individual my story is not one of overcoming adversity and difficulty it is the story of a student who has seized the opportunities available to him and enjoyed every experience and responsibility that came with them I'd like to thank my parents and my family for supporting me both tonight and through everything that I do in life thank you to my advisors my instructors and student life team who encourage me to become a better leader person and guide me to be the best version of myself in closing in closing I want to express my gratitude for the opportunities that technical education has provided me it has allowed me to combine my passion for craftsmanship with practical skills and knowledge I'm confident that the skills I have acquired and the experiences I have gained will continue to shape my life and career moving forward thank you all ready from nickolai we nickolai college we have becky viscer breezer becky is in the culinary arts program at nickolai college nickolai college sits on the shores of a beautiful lake julia in northern wisconsin their district covers about 4 000 square miles and they serve more than 1800 students every single year hi i'm becky i'm so humbled to be here this evening i wanted to thank um my chef mitch and all the people from nickolai who are here supporting me so a bit of my backstory i'll give you like the highlights i'm 48 i've been married for 24 years to my wife christie we have four dogs i was adopted at 18 i was homecoming queen i served in the army national guard my sign is cancer which tells you way more than you need to know i'm state licensed in wisconsin to trap small game i'm also a certified pest control technician or exterminator i also practiced transcendental meditation i had a brain surgery in 2007 and a near fatal neurological event about four years ago that changed my brain and my life i my wife and i just bought a fixer upper and we were working a lot on it and i'd been struggling with extreme fatigue fibromyalgia migraines unable to keep any food down my hair started falling out i was using my mother-in-law's walker i suffered some side effects from my surgery that caused me to have pain in my right side of my face in the right side of my whole body i had the pain for many years from my brain surgery in 2007 and it turns out when they have every test run on you and there's nothing to report back they send you to pain management and eureka since 2007 i was finally heard and that it was nice that i was validated that my pain was real that it wasn't just in my head like i had heard for years so i was all game to try some new experimental medicine that they had been working on and that i would be able to live not just get through every day so every day i worked i started with not even getting a half a mile in a day on my own to three miles what a huge accomplishment that was now i'm in nicolet working in the kitchen and i am getting anywhere between 12 and 20 miles a day to this day i do not have a diagnosis but on the bright side the constant pain i had experience is much more tolerable now and i have a very strict self-care regimen because i only have so many spoons in a day while i was recovering i was encouraged to find something as a hobby or something to take my mind off of nothing just the pain so i tried tried smoking meat started with the easiest thing of sitting chicken or beer can chicken as most Wisconsinites know and i was hooked so for the next two years i watched every youtube video i could i followed message maybe slightly a little aggressive at messaging people questions and i became pretty good so i started my own little barbecue business out of my garage mostly friends and family and then words started getting around and people were stopping at my house which was cool so i started a facebook page in instagram page and through starting barbecue i became a brand ambassador for meter plus and a couple other rub companies so being an ambassador isn't totally unfamiliar now this is where it gets interesting and attending nicolet comes in so we're getting there so two two days before the first day of school and fall i went and enrolled i was going to go for a catering certificate and ended up leaving enrolled in a two-year degree i didn't know if i was going to be able to pull it off but i was willing to give it the old college try um so this was the best decision i could have made it i always thought of myself as this rough and tough meat cooker not fine dining but i find myself making things prettier crisper clean and precise i thought i had an idea of what i wanted from the culinary program when i started um on the first day of school we were introducing stuff about ourselves and i haphazardly yelled out i want to be mr food famous but with barbecue and uh i have already made changes to my smoking meats from what i have learned so far i've only had two semesters um and it has enriched my life and given me a new purpose to continue on um i have had restaurant experience my grandma owned connie k's alco restaurant for 32 years and i were i was in the kitchen started out when i was in the national guard i started in the kitchen um i have such gratitude to have such experienced and quality instructors who really care as well as the phenomenal staff and administrators who are always there always there to help nickley when life throws you lemons like mine did you can always go back to school and get another degree in the culinary program and make gourmet lemonade i would like to thank nickley college for everything they have done for me i have the deepest gratitude i would like to thank wtcs as well um this has been an amazing day and a half um and of course to bear i wouldn't be here so thank you for making this possible thank you sorry for the delay there we have lots of scripts going around up here all righty so from north central technical college we have grace caler grace is attending ntc's welding fabrication and robotics program north central technical college started in 1912 in a small two-story building called wasa industrial school today ntc is it has six campus locations plus three learning centers as well as a fully furnished student housing center good evening um as she stated i am grace caler and i'm a second year welding fabrication and robotics student at north central technical college my education and future have always been of really great importance for me but my path like many others has not been a straight line from there to here there are a lot of points in my life i remember thinking about what i wanted to be when i grow up in fourth grade i loved history and decided to be a history teacher that continued into sixth grade when i decided i want to change it up and move away to florida to teach history there that year i also learned how to weld and that's kind of where that straight line starts to curve a bit as i began high school i knew i wanted to teach but decided i was no longer interested in teaching history unsure of what to teach i took a variety of electives from band to economics and metals and that last one stood out i was on my way ntc has been a part of my family's story for three generations both of my parents and grandma are ntc grad graduates my mom graduated from the computer information systems program my grandma the small office technology program and my dad the machine tool program my dad holds a deep passion from the machining trade having worked in the same local machine shop since his graduation and it's also open to his own machining business on the side having been surrounded by my dad's deep passion i was influenced to at least try to learn a little bit more about the manufacturing industry throughout high school i participated in 4h and my high school skills u.s.a chapter and it allowed me to learn a little bit more about college and employment options i toured several schools four-year and technical colleges alike and i did my homework i talked with students staff recruiters all trying to get me to attend their college through it all i kept swaying back to ntc during my ntc tour i was able to talk one-on-one with instructors and build a connection helping me to get a good sense of what daily life was like not only did i feel welcomed but i felt an immense sense of community that sense of community has carried through outside of campus walls ntc consistently strives to be visible within our local communities the college hosts a variety of events for students and the community promoting the feeling that ntc not only cares about the people they educate but the people living and working in our communities i have felt ntc's passion for inspiring students to succeed on a very personal level i'm in a unique situation in just a few weeks i will graduate from the welding robotics and fabrication program but i won't be leaving while at ntc i have grown to develop a passion similar to my dad's something so big i can't help but share it with with others i now know that i want to teach high school students about the trades and inspire the next generation of skilled workers this next school year i will be taking a variety of classes from our mechanical design, electromechanical and automation programs all of these classes are transferring through an online individualized partnership with uw stout so i can obtain my my bachelor's in technology education by the time may 2025 rolls around i will have completed over 75 percent of my bachelor's degree at a technical college the flexibility of ntc is unmatched having provided me with much more than what has presented in the curriculum each and every one of my instructors has strived to provide me with a plethora of opportunities outside of the classroom and because of that i'm here today i was lucky enough not only to be offered an opportunity to go to school at ntc but to work there as well and through that i have met a wide variety of individuals who have helped me find a path to success and happiness in closing i would like to thank my nominator christus astru zastro and my family here and at home i would also like to thank all of the staff at ntc especially heidi latondra's and bronica hope who have inspired me through my time at the college thank you all ready well our final group of ambassadors please make your way forward now from northeast wisconsin technical college yana tihanyuk yana is studying design and graphic technology and print technology programs at wtcs northeast wisconsin technical college has more than 200 degree programs diplomas and certificates and apprenticeship programs that service more than 21 000 students annually good evening everyone my name is yana tihanyuk and i'm honored to represent northeast wisconsin technical college as a student ambassador before i begin i want to express my sincere gratitude to all of those who play the role in organizing and supporting this event as well as to the people who are right here with me uh dr rogalski dr flat megan grand and joe rickter and of course my family joined virtually to support me and to celebrate this achievement your support and encouragement have been a constant source of strength throughout my journey and i'm deeply grateful for your presence here today i'd like to express my heartfelt gratitude to megan grand for believing in me and nominating me you were my mentor and you were always there whenever i needed guidance on this intricate journey i had forged your support has meant the world for me and i'm truly grateful for your confidence in me during my time at nwtc i've been supported and guided by the amazing team of student involvement international programs department as well as design and graphic technology faculty which made my cultural adaptation as smooth as possible and helped me to grow personally and professionally almost three years ago i arrived in green bay as an international student from eastern europe everything felt different the culture the educational system new responsibilities and of course language barrier i was young and scared of the brand new world of atme knowing that i had left my family and my home overseas i had traveled 6 000 miles to pursue my education at nwtc despite the difficulty of being far from home i discovered something remarkable i was never alone and wtc was my starting point in higher education and career i'll never forget my first international student orientation when i doubted my english proficiency and was terrified of the whole new world however the warmth and support of the community enveloped me guiding my every step until i stand before you today as a wisconsin technical college system ambassador along my journey i encountered numerous global and personal challenges i came as an exchange student on a year exchange program scholarship and honestly life was great back then however after i decided to stay and finish my associate's degree in designing graphic technology my journey became significantly more complicated at just 19 years old i had weathered the storm of financial strain saving every penny to cover my tuition and find a place to leave i faced a myriad of restrictions and challenges from renting an apartment without an american id or credit score to navigate in daily life without a car balancing work and studies added yet another layer of complexity to an already challenging situation yet through it all i refused to give up i know the struggle intimately but i also understand the strength that lies within us and i believe that every individual deserves the opportunity to pursue their dreams and better life regardless of obstacles in their path in only three years i have built so many meaningful connections and skills by using countless resources and opportunities provided for me at nwtc through collaboration with various individuals departments and programs standing here i'm eager to continue to learn advocate and support each and every student who seeks guidance in finding their future self i understand the challenges that lie ahead and i'm more than prepared to support and guide others through their journey through collaboration and trust we all have the ability to leave this world a better place no matter race gender or citizenship and this is what i hope for and believing thank you all ready from northwood technical college we have kate mack kate is northwood technical college she is studying human resource management and business management at the same time northwood tech serves one in 16 people in their community their mascot is blaze the bear and a new addition to the northwood tech community when they rebranded in 2021 hi everyone my name is kate mack and i'm so grateful to serve as a wtcs ambassador to impact the communities and prospective students outlook of wtcs i'm a northwood tech alum from both the criminal justice and finance programs i'm currently studying business management with the marketing emphasis and human resource management in addition i attend the university of wisconsin river falls where i study political science and economics on a pre-law track i graduated from amour high school in 2019 and i applied to over 80 colleges and i was accepted to all of them usually with a scholarship in addition i was invited to harvard college where i was recognized as one of the future scientists and technologists of excellence award my plan was originally to attend dw madison on a pre-law track but i had family obligations that needed me and my little sisters needed my support since my sisters mean the absolute world to me it was an easy decision to start to look into schools that were a little closer to my small hometown northwood tech had a great perception with our community and all the surrounding school districts it was just a short 20 minute drive from my small hometown and so i started taking a closer look the application process was smooth and easy to get started so i knew it was going to be the right path to take northwood tech allowed me to be fully present to fulfill my family obligations while simultaneously pursuing my dream of becoming a corporate financial lawyer which i've had since seventh grade i can confidently say choosing northwood tech is one of the best choices i've ever made the faculty is both knowledgeable and experienced in the sectors that they're teaching going to a tech school gave me one on one attention that led that led me to incredible opportunities for example i was able to become a financial analyst at 21 without a bachelor's degree and i surpassed all of my peers who usually had master's degrees and certifications and licenses i didn't have but that didn't stop me i was able to surpass them with both my timing and my quality reports which i believe was partially due to the hands-on classroom experience i got at northwood tech it allowed me to demonstrate my skills in my interview and allowed me to surpass all of my peers as i continued into my career in addition i've used my degrees at northwood tech so i could grow my small business that i started at 19 four years ago i use these competencies i could scale my business year to year and my profits have soared since i have also been able to expand on my classroom experience through extracurricular involvement i'm so honored to serve as business professionals of america chapter and wisconsin state president student body president and of course a wtcs ambassador i'd like to thank my coordinator brian trader the northwood tech board and foundation not only for what they did to get me here but for all of our students and what they do year to year i'd also like to thank barrett for this opportunity and for supporting our wisconsin technical college system i'd like to thank my dean steve dust as he supported and encouraged me immensely throughout my college journey i'd also like to thank all wisconsin technical college system students staff and faculty for the amazing community that we've all cultivated together additionally i'd like to thank all my family and friends for all the love and support that they've given me but most importantly i'd like to thank my savior jesus christ for if it weren't for what he did for me i'd be nothing in front of you today today i'm extremely grateful to say that wtcs has catapulted me ahead of my career ahead of my peers in my career and has given me incredible opportunities that will serve as a solid foundation as i go into my career as an attorney your college experience is 100 what you make of it and i promise you you're going to be amazed at just how bright your future will be if you choose a wtcs pathway such as northwood tech thank you and from southwest technical southwest wisconsin technical college jordan scott jordan is in the it network specialist program at southwest tech southwest tech's district includes 30 k-12 school districts spanning 3 800 square miles each year some of the students design a t-shirt that is given away throughout every year's perspective students in addition to having a design used on other items sold in their bookstores so right away when i was selected they put in the email do not attempt a speech without notes or paying attention to your notes they haven't met me yet i don't write notes i've talked three times now in front of chuck bolstead he's still here so fortunately he's probably gonna be too nice to tell me it was like mandated to be here um so i'm a non-traditional student i'm 32 years old and i have to fit my story in four to five minutes so we'll buckle up um i guess i did write a little bit down it's kind of like ink blots but if you've ever watched whose lines is anyway it's you know everything's made up and the points don't matter um so i started my technical college back in 2010 um in high school i was your typical i'll maybe more than typical if you ask my mother angsty angry stubborn child um to the point that you know i i think people if they asked her you know have you have you beat him enough and the beating i deserved was probably a felony um i can i've said it to her before and i'll say it one more time in front of 200 people uh mom i love you and i'm sorry um so a friend of mine from high school and i decided we were we wanted to be cops we were from the age of 10 years old we were best friends and we started southwest tech in 2010 and in law enforcement in 2011 my best friend in the whole world killed himself obviously that crushed me school was not on my brain anymore um a lot of things were not my brain anymore i ran from my problems i ended up in lacrosse um to say you know being that stubborn kid where you're you know all the youth think they have life by the horns right you're gonna run with it i had life by the horns i was a pet smart associate um i was a home theater sales associate at best buy eventually in that career path i was a uh lumber associate at home depot we got a vast background here so i can help you out anywhere if you have questions but it's safe to say that the one demographic i like to talk about with this ambassadorship is the lost there's people like me out there that we lost direction we didn't know what we wanted to be anymore that question when you're asked as a kid what do you want to be when you grow up and you can't answer that anymore you're just lost you're drifting around in life you don't know where you're gonna be living with the mental health from what had happened in the depression you don't know if you care if you want to know you want to be when you grow up because every day is just living life by the seat of your pants and tomorrow's a new day um but eventually and i i try to fit all of my family into when i make speeches if they're around because i like to embarrass people um there was a movie that i like to watch it was one of my dad's favorites when i was growing up in 2001 it came out it was a night sale with heath ledger anybody familiar great movie in that movie one of the first questions when heath ledger's character william was a kid he asked his father if a man could change the stars and his father told him a man can if he believes enough and through all of this he was born a peasant and became a knight because he believed hard enough he could change his fate and that's what i'm getting towards with the lost is that there are so many like me out there that are looking to change their stars that they want to succeed in something i the goal of getting a associate's degree is huge to me something i didn't have i was a correctional officer for seven years prior to coming back to college i was a correctional sergeant at one time i've worked in maximum security prisons i worked in medium security prisons i work at the county level i've seen horrible things i've met horrible people and i've met more people like me who are just lost and to see these opportunities that have come out here and to remind people that they're never stuck with the decisions we make we as a society have come so far with these ideas that are our choices our opinions our careers we've misassociated them with these being some strong convictions that they're not fluid anymore that we can't just decide one day that maybe i was wrong that they don't have to be convictions they we can change our stars whenever we want and i was given that opportunity with southwest tech i succeeded at southwest tech this or starting last year i just started i as a correctional officer i like to sit in the room and be quiet and watch what's going on this kind of what you do you see things evolve so last year i was really quiet i was the secretary treasurer for student senate and that was about it this year i was the senate president i was the tech club president i have a 3.9 gpa and that's because we have to remember our past i had a b in 2010 and a credit that carried over but that's because i changed my stars and i did it with the help of other people that believed that we can do this and are looking for this demographic of the lost um these colleges do so much i mean uh just southwest tech so i took firefighting at southwest tech i was a firefighter for a while i was an emt for a while um i met my wife who is also an r n graduate from southwest tech who was taking her classes one floor below me while i was taking emt classes so they're matchmakers too my ending here is that we need to find the lost there are you've listened to stories already that of people that they fall into that perfect cat we're not all the same we were all lost at some point but we need to find them and we need to change more stars uh thank my family for coming thank baird for everything you've done for us and thank you to the wisconsin technical college system thank you a lot from waukesha county technical college we have jorge manito corchato jorge was attending wtc t wc tc sorry accounting program waukesha county technical college began in 1920 in the basement of a local high school and the student's first project was to build their 20 training 20 manual training benches and mechanical drawing benches if you can imagine doing that in the high school wc tc now serves more than 17 300 students every single year hello everyone my name is jorge benito and i am honored to serve you all as waukesha county technical college district ambassador as i stand before you all today i am reminded of the journey that brought me to the stage a journey of struggle and resilience but hope and determination there's a phrase that resonates deeply with me even in your darkest of days remember that the night doesn't last forever there's always a morning to come these are words one sorry these these words are ones that i've carried close to my heart these past four years remind me of the of the hope through the tough times through the hot days working in industrial oven cold winters working on roofs while working as a roofer and a car accident that left my car totaled and me hospitalized there are days when life puts us in situations that are challenging and draining however i always remind myself that even if today is difficult even if today i have failed tomorrow is a new day tomorrow is full of success tomorrow is full of possibility and tomorrow is full of an opportunity to try again let me share a glimpse into my journey who Jorge Luis Benito Cortado is i'm a proud Mexican a son of two immigrant parents who dared to dream of a better life i'm the eldest of three children often the black sheep but i am more than that i am a first generation student a trailblazer as i navigate uncharted territory with each step forward i am the embodiment of not only my struggles but not only my struggles and failures but also those of my family i am the sleepless nights and days my parents spent working on working to put food on the table i am the countless nights countless sleepless nights of body pains from the car accident i am the hours spent pouring and stressing over books notes and assignments yet even through these difficulties i dare to defy the odds and pursue my dreams of one day becoming of one day having my own accounting firm know that i am all this and more but most importantly a representation of hope and endless possibility a testament to the resilience of those before me a reminder that greatness is possible and attainable but amidst it all there's one thing i want you all to leave with today after hearing my story we all faced obstacles on our journey to success and in those moments of doubt and difficulty i want you to remember this hold on to your dreams lean on to those in your support system and never lose sight of your potential together let's embrace our identities our struggles and our journeys and when we forget the power and may we never forget the power that we hold w ctc has been more than just classrooms and textbooks for me starting my first steps towards my goals i chose w ctc as my foundation there you'll find a community of support where second chances are embraced potential is nurtured and setbacks are just stepping stones to something much greater i would like to take this moment to express my gratitude towards my parents for their unwavering support throughout my journey to to all my college representatives that came here to support me today especially to Beth Sybel thank you again for always being there for me from the beginning i've had a rough patch starting off to begin with and uh you moved me through that kept me pushing forward and i really appreciate everything you did for me uh and i just want to say thank you to w cts and um again the wakasha county technical college for this great opportunity to be able to represent my college as a district ambassador and may everyone's journey be filled with blessings and never forget that greatness can emerge from the most unlikely of circumstances and from western technical college we have courtney chambers courtney is in the human services program at western western technical college serves more than 7600 students and just implemented a new seven-week format for most classes to these should help students focus more on fewer classes at the same time save the best for last good evening hello everybody my name is corny chambers and i'm a new human service student at westman technical college westman have been very helpful and supported throughout my college journey i have changed careers and been on echidam probation twice oh but i am now very thankful of the help of my tutors and many others on campus i have a learning disability going to counseling and still struggling to accept myself sometime i don't want to just i just say why oh well life goes on i say so my whole life i have been worried that people would make fun of me and my stuttering i thought i was stupid when i was younger i have been doing special ed since i was 10 and when i moved to the cross from chicago my mother just came picked me up from chicago and brought me up here to wisconsin for better education and better support after i moved my friends and my family from back home were telling me that i had started talking like a white girl or asked to proper they said i have changed and i asked them why what why why you know at the same time i felt like an outcast in the cross where almost none of my classmates were black and i was expect and i experienced racism firsthand when i got up here and boy it was tough only my class i was only called a person of color and then things had changed as i grow in my education i have always been involved in trying my hardest to be a part of the community i had joined sports and did a lot of activities because my mother said you can't be home you gotta do something at the house so yeah i got outside shame plain high school was the worst the favoritism was huge there i did everything i had applied for class act show choir you named me i'd be involved but i was never homecoming queen or prom queen even now even i was tired i said well the final straw for me was not standing up for myself was my senior year of high school my school picked three students to speak at graduation i submit my speech but was not school had chosen me i was in chosen i was very mad and hurt and i told my case manager about it she helped me rewrite my speech and we had resumed to the principal he told me he would think about it and let me know a few days later he called me and said that he thought about my speech while he was mowing his lawn and he decided that he wanted me to speak at graduation because he's very important he asked me to keep it quiet so i could be surprised so everybody could be surprised at graduation the three children classmates spoke and two alums so as they spoke i was kind of nervous while they finished i stood up and the principal called me up on the stage and speech at my graduation of 400 people screens like this i received a state innovation where i talk about my journey in high school and also my disability there were a lot of people in tears teachers classmates community members they all told me that they were proud of me for standing up for myself and telling my story a person a student who has amount of rest in peace was an author even she wrote a book about my high school experience collecting stories from about me including my speech in there from classmates teachers i was so proud to be inspired by my community across i came to westman ride the high school i wanted to pursue early childhood education but i was unable to pass the compass test which was required the program thank gosh that technical college don't have that no more this is when i was on place agonized probation for the first time i tried my best to navigate everything by myself but was not successful in the classroom i took some pressure classes to try to catch up my advisor recommended me i tried young star classes which allowed me to work at any child care facility after i successfully pursue that i work as a crossing guard in a different three daycare at the same time yeah my life is busy right away i decided i wanted to change my career after working three different daycares in the crossing guard so i came back to westman for the human service program i was placed on the waiting list and took some pressure um professional classes unfortunately covid happened around that time and went online i did not know about using zoom and once again not successful i was devastated and disappointed myself and very down i explained my advisor that the struggle was zoom and we made an academic plan with finance aid as part of that plan i did a palace program a palace program is through a learning commons is which instructors who are trained in programs and work definitely 101 with you and extra support would really make make me a different i still use this program to this day to be off academic probation i had to pass with passing grades i have been off in probation for two years at this time access services also helped me do day one with things like note taking and extra time on quizzes thank god for that because i really need help at that time like my instructor told me my brain is like an onion just letting one layer of the time just do what you can do there are so many other things that westman that help me advocate myself and others i am a basic student meaning bachelor in this in the student place of culture action culture and empowerment there i greet people and create a welcome environment i also seek over back our cavalier pantry cupboard i visited the hungry task force once a week to keep the food on campus and available for students i have gone to conferences and workshops including westcourt and that was with fun i have been a member of the human service club since i began the program we're doing things like go to msc conference in minneapolis we have participate in workshops we had done fundraising we also got local families for holiday season helped them out a little bit we also serve each other successful and spend time together doing things like a social bowling night i had learned to advocate myself through life so now i advocate for others as you leave this room tonight please remind that fair is not always equal and i said that at my high school graduation at the end fair is not always equal racism is still here and it packed my life whole lot but i'm very grateful for these who have come before me and i will work to make a life better for those who come after me i want to thank my god having father who've been in me since day one i thank y'all everyone at westman for helping me got this far you have supported me every step away reminder give people who are different than your opportunities we are all strong and talented in our own ways and the world needs us all and thank for this committee and then we thank for westman god bless thank you okay can we please have one last round of applause for all of our 2024 ambassadors the wtcs planning team would like to recognize all of our college leaders and staff here in support of all of our 16 students including our college ambassador coordinators and all of those who nominated our students for these honors as well as the district and system board members our college presidents our vice presidents and every other leader that is here to support these students in this program before i close i would like to give one huge thank you to baird this program would not be possible without all of your guys's support baird is responsible for changing our lives for the better many of us could never dream of having any opportunities like this and thanks to all of you and baird it's been possible and finally it's hard to imagine these students would be here without any of all of your love and support so family friends please give yourselves a round of applause as we are here to celebrate our students thank you all for being with us for this very special night please please feel free to take pictures in the back with your ambassadors to celebrate and share these memories we hope you will all join us again next year for honoring our 2025 wtcs ambassadors on april 10th please travel safely and have a great night you guys