UNIQUE JOURNEYS, GREAT SUCCESSES
04 | IT'S 'A-PARENT' Mom and dad explain how they frame higher education for their middle and high school children
09 | FOLLOWING DUE PROCESS
CVTC high school academy alumnus credits the College for his success all the way to law school
12 | BELIEVING IN COMEBACKS
After cementing their career paths, people return to college to chart a new course
THEY LOOK
TO US
SUCCESSFUL STUDENT JOURNEYS INCLUDE DUAL CREDIT, COLLEGE ADVANCEMENT, TRANSFER AND MORE
Every student’s journey is unique. Their educational backgrounds are unique. Their learning styles are unique. Their goals and dreams are unique. That’s why, at Chippewa Valley Technical College, our offerings, instructors and learning opportunities must be unique, easily accessible and welcoming.
Those offerings must include dual credit options for high school students looking for early education in a specific field. It also must include the option to transition from a technical college to a university.
In our fall magazine, you will read about many student journeys –some that began in high school and some well into adulthood. But no matter where the journey started or continues, we’re proud to be a part of making their dreams our mission.
Some students don’t want CVTC to be their final stop. CVTC and our three regional universities—UW-Eau Claire, UW-River Falls, and UW-Stout—continue to enhance and expand transfer options recognizing our shared responsibility to streamline pathways and maximize students' time and resources.
We nurtured nearly 220 students in our University Transfer-Liberal Arts program this academic year who started at CVTC and transferred to one of the UWs in our district. This number grows to over 700 when you include students in our occupational programs and other four-year partners. The partnership with our UW institutions is important, and I am grateful for their continued collaboration to
provide seamless transfer for students.
One innovative commitment driving the collaborative transfer effort is the establishment of a shared academic advisor based at CVTC and supported by the three UW partners. This dedicated professional helps students navigate the intricacies of transfer requirements and course equivalencies.
The results of these collective efforts speak volumes. Students report feeling supported and confident in their educational journey, knowing their transition is seamless and their credits are transferable. We also believe closer ties contribute to student success, with all three partner universities indicating that CVTC transfer students have higher-than-average GPAs.
By facilitating smoother transitions, CVTC, UW-Eau Claire, UW-River Falls and UW-Stout empower students to reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to their communities. Together, we are building a future in which pathways are both seamless and transformative. This is our commitment to our students and communities.
Dr. Sunem Beaton-Garcia President
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: UW-EAU CLAIRE CHANCELLOR JIM SCHMIDT, UW-RIVER FALLS CHANCELLOR MARIA GALLO, CHIPPEWA VALLEY TECHNICAL COLLEGE
PRESIDENT SUNEM BEATON-GARCIA AND UW-STOUT CHANCELLOR KATHERINE FRANK MEET TO DISCUSS COLLABORATIONS AND TRANSFER OPTIONS.
CHIPPEWA VALLEY TECHNICAL COLLEGE MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED FOR ALUMNI AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.
PRESIDENT
Dr. Sunem Beaton-Garcia
VICE PRESIDENT OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS & ENGAGEMENT & CHIEF OF STAFF
Joni Geroux
VICE PRESIDENT OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CVTC FOUNDATION, INC.
Karen Kohler
CONTENT STRATEGIST & WRITER
Alyssa Van Duyse
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Mackenzie Slattery
CHIPPEWA VALLEY TECHNICAL COLLEGE
620 W. Clairemont Ave. Eau Claire, WI 54701-6162
715-833-6200
800-547-CVTC cvtc.edu
CARTER MIGALA ON THE COVER
Nursing Program
Migala's educational journey has had twists and turns, but once he made up his mind to put his best foot forward, he turned to CVTC for pre-nursing credits while still in high school. Today, Migala talks about his early struggles and the college that helped him realize his future.
THE JOURNEY OF A STUDENT
Chippewa Valley Technical College has been breaking stereotypes for years.
Since the beginning, CVTC has supported all people interested in education no matter their path. But CVTC continues to push the limits on education for all.
Take a journey with us.
It’s a road paved with students’ dreams and the reality of gaining knowledge, learning skills, satisfying career goals and supporting healthy financial futures.
You’re challenged to read about the many ways students realize their dreams by choosing CVTC.
PAGE 6 GETTING AHEAD
Student forges path with future in nursing
PAGE 8 PURPOSE-DRIVEN PATHWAYS
Advisors help students find their paths
PAGE 4
NAVIGATING POST HIGH SCHOOL CHOICES
Parents share how they frame higher education to their children
PAGE 5 TIMELY TOURS
CVTC opens minds with hands-on fun
PAGE 12 CHANGING COURSE, FINDING PASSION
CVTC welcomes people seeking a career change
PAGE 10 SOLID FOUNDATIONS
Taking college classes early gives grads a leg up PAGE 14 SHE'S BAAAACK!
CVTC alumna excited to be 'home'
PAGE 9 SET UP FOR SUCCESS
CVTC alumnus credits the college for his law school sucess
NAVIGATING POST HIGH SCHOOL CHOICES
Unfortunately, parenting doesn’t come with a manual There’s no test to take – no license to obtain. When it comes to setting children up for career success, sometimes it feels like a roll of the dice.
Tess Lokken and Jake Avery, parents of high school students in the Chippewa Valley, hope with a little research and a lot of luck, their kids will choose the right paths for themselves, live their passions and grow in their careers.
Lokken, 42, of Eau Claire, has two sons, ages 16 and 18, who attend Memorial High School. She said that when the children were young, she and her husband talked to them about college a lot, but it was more “chit-chat.”
“The general theme was that eventually, they were going to be done with high school, and either they were going to go to college, or they were going to have to work,” Lokken said.
The Lokkens knew they would take every opportunity to set their children up for success. When Tess Lokken learned of the Business Management Academy at Chippewa Valley Technical College, where her children could take college classes and earn associate degrees before graduating high school, “it was a no-brainer,” she said.
“It’s a couple years of college out of the way that is covered by the (school) district. They would be walking out of high school with a two-year degree,” Lokken said.
Jake Avery, 45, of rural Mondovi, said he and his wife didn’t ask their three girls what they wanted to be when they grew up. Instead, they tried to gauge their interest in fields of work.
At the age of 16, their oldest daughter, Madeline Avery, enrolled in CVTC's Pre-Nursing and Healthcare Academy, followed by College Transfer and EMT academies. At the age of 19, she graduated with a FireMedic associate degree and no debt from college. Madeline, 21, is now a firemedic in Stevens Point. Jake Avery’s two younger girls are also taking high school academies with CVTC.
Avery, who recently paid off his own student loans from attending a four-year university, said knowledge is power.
“(High school academies) are so great. We’ve been able to leverage it to the girls’ advantage,” he said. “It’s a good lesson in accountability and accessibility.”
TIMELY TOURS
CVTC OPENS MINDS WITH HANDS-ON FUN
The thought of hundreds of middle school students descending upon Chippewa Valley Technical College doesn’t faze Anne Weber and Maggie Meyers a bit.
In fact, they welcome it.
Weber, a Student Recruitment Coordinator, and Meyers, an Admissions Advisor, both for Chippewa Valley Technical College, said preparing for life after grade 12 isn’t just a high schooler’s game anymore.
The colleagues said asking students what they want to be when they grow up is at the bottom of the list. Instead, they invite middle school students from throughout CVTC’s 11-county district to the College, show them different programs, encourage them to speak with instructors and give them a fun, interactive experience at a young age.
“We’re really just opening them up to what's out there but also what CVTC has to offer,” Weber said. “It’s more about ‘Come and experience it.’”
Meyers said even if some students don’t gravitate toward a specific program along the tour, friends of theirs might.
“It’s a learning experience for them,” Meyers said. “It’s fun pulling them out of their comfort zones.”
Each tour is a no-pressure way for those middle school students to determine their own interest in the programs they’re seeing.
“We like to be interactive, and we also like to ask the students to think about if they would want a career that’s predictable from day to day or unpredictable,” Meyers said. “Would they rather work a consistent schedule, work during the day or at night, and these students may have never thought of these things before. It gets them participating.
“I think one of the biggest goals, besides exposing middle school students to our programs, is just to get them thinking about what they want and what they can see for themselves in the future.”
ONE OF THE BIGGEST GOALS...IS JUST TO GET THEM THINKING ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT AND WHAT THEY CAN SEE FOR THEMSELVES IN THE FUTURE.
When having a conversation about career exploration with young people, CVTC admissions advisors recommend engaging in a discussion about skills and culture, and not leading with “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Think about these questions to get the conversation started:
CHECK-CIRCLE Do you want a career that’s predictable from day to day, or one that’s unpredictable?
CHECK-CIRCLE Would you rather work during normal business hours, or would you be ok working a schedule that changes from week to week?
CHECK-CIRCLE What type of environment do you want to work in – indoors or outdoors? Many coworkers or solo?
CHECK-CIRCLE Do you have any financial requirements?
“A lot of times we get students that are interested in healthcare, so we ask ‘why?’” said Maggie Meyers, CVTC Admissions Advisor. “Do you like patient interaction? Do you want to do X-ray where you take an image and pass the baton? Or do you want to be a nurse and be at a high level of patient care?
“I think asking those questions of your students or your children is one of the best steps you can take without putting pressure on them to decide what they want to do for the rest of their lives.”
MAGGIE MEYERS
GETTING AHEAD
THREE STUDENTS SHARE THEIR DUAL CREDIT JOURNEYS AT CVTC
CARTER MIGALA
FROM CVTC HEALTHCARE ACADEMY TO CVTC NURSING STUDENT
When Carter Migala was in sixth grade, he began drinking alcohol. In seventh grade, he started smoking marijuana. He was getting into fights and barely passing his classes in Stanley.
HE REALLY WAS A REBEL ON THE WRONG PATH WHO HAD A REALIZATION
AS A SOPHOMORE AND TOTALLY TURNED HIS LIFE AROUND.
- JULIA BROWN
“I was kind of a jerk as a kid,” said the 19-year-old. “I was making a lot of horrible decisions. I was going to school drunk or high.”
He moved to Chippewa Falls for high school, and that’s when the fog cleared. Migala started dating a girl – by all accounts, a good student – and he began thinking about his future.
“She was complaining to me that she got a B+ on a test, and she was so mad at herself,” he said. “I really started to self-reflect. That summer I got motivated to do well in school, and I made a plan and figured out what I wanted to do with my life.”
His first step was entering Chippewa Valley Technical College’s Healthcare Academy — a series of classes for high school students. Migala graduated from Chippewa Falls Senior High School and took the college credits he earned and put them towards the CVTC Nursing program.
Now, it’s Migala’s second semester in the Nursing program, and he’s thriving. This semester, he’s immersed in a clinical on the neuro-pediatrics trauma unit with Mayo Clinic Health System.
Migala’s Healthcare Academy Instructor at CVTC, Julia Brown, is impressed by
his ability to self-reflect and turn things around.
“He really was a rebel on the wrong path who had a realization as a sophomore and totally turned his life around,” Brown said.
“Now he’s an A student who was super motivated in the Healthcare Academy.”
Migala is happy that the Healthcare Academy was there when he needed it.
“If I hadn’t figured out my life in high school, I don’t think I would have ever gone to college,” he said. “I would have been 30 years old wishing I had gone. Now I’m as motivated as I’ve ever been.”
CARTER MIGALA
MADELINE AVERY
FROM CVTC HEALTHCARE ACADEMY TO CVTC FIREMEDIC PROGRAM GRADUATE & FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC IN STEVENS POINT
Madeline Avery knew at a young age she wanted to be a helper. At 16, her junior year at Mondovi High School, she enrolled in a high school academy at Chippewa Valley Technical College.
“I discovered my passion for emergency services while taking an EMT class at CVTC,” she said. “I took the EMT course rather than high school (classes), and I immediately fell in love with it, and I think I changed my major, like, within the week that I had my first class."
At 19, she graduated from CVTC with a FireMedic associate degree.
Now, at 21, she’s already in her career as a firefighter paramedic for the Steven’s Point Fire Department.
DeWayne Hanson, CVTC Fire Service Instructor, said it’s nice when students are able to work in the field while going through their program.
“They receive so much valuable experience, and they can bring anecdotal information to the classroom experience,” Hanson said. “When someone starts working for a local service, it shows their willingness and dedication to this field and helping others.”
For people wanting to get into the firemedic and paramedic fields, CVTC is attractive. One hundred percent of students in the program at CVTC find jobs in the field, and many find jobs in the field before graduation, Hanson said.
ALEX BRYAN
FROM CVTC WELDING ACADEMY TO CVTC WELDING STUDENT
Alex Bryan was born to be a welder. His father and grandfather have a combined 80 years of experience in the trade. Years ago, Bryan’s father was building a roll cage for a truck, and he turned the project over to Bryan, who was 9.
“He just let me go at it,” Bryan said. Now, at the age of 18, Bryan has Welding Academy courses under his belt from Chippewa Valley Technical College and is enrolled in the Welding program at the College as well.
The Neillsville native is exactly the kind of young talent that businesses in rural communities like his hometown are looking to hold onto or recruit. Already, Bryan has been working for OEM Fabricators, a custom metal fabrication company specializing in building components for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), based in Neillsville.
Although Bryan could probably write his ticket now without even having graduated from college yet, he said he’s keeping all of his options open.
“I want to keep growing and learning the trade of welding and getting to know all that goes into it even before it gets to the welding part,” he said. “I want to watch something go from a pile of metal on a table to become an actual part that goes into a bigger system. It’s like a big Lego puzzle.
“I like the idea of having a position where I know I’m helping build something that will further the business and the community.”
ALEX BRYAN
MADELINE AVERY
PURPOSE-DRIVEN
ADVISORS HELP STUDENTS CHOOSE RIGHT PATH FOR THEM PATHWAYS
This isn’t grandpa’s “tech school.” Technical colleges are great at evolving because it’s in their nature. They add and sunset programs based on community need. They’ve been designed to pivot on a dime.
Chippewa Valley Technical College is no different. In its evolution, CVTC has seen the need to offer college courses to high school students and to make it easier for students at CVTC to transfer to a university if they choose.
Mitch Orlovsky, CVTC High School Academy Specialist Advisor, is the face at the beginning
headed toward, or maybe they want to go to a four-year university, but they’re not sure what any of that looks like.”
Orlovsky advises on key areas for high school students taking CVTC courses. First, he ensures that College courses they take also satisfy their high school requirements. He also helps students navigate career exploration. Then, he makes sure that the CVTC courses they're taking in high school are credits toward a degree at CVTC or are likely to transfer to a university.
Sarah Schliesmann, UW Transfer Academic Advisor, said her first order of business is connecting with students who enter CVTC in the University Transfer Liberal Arts program. This program is designed for students to take general education classes at CVTC, earn an associate degree, and then plan to continue their education to complete a bachelor's degree.
of that journey for middle and high school students in the CVTC district.
“We advise students based on their intent,” Orlovsky said. “Maybe they’re just exploring, maybe they have a clear future that they’re
“To start, just having a conversation with students and educating them about what it means to graduate with a bachelor’s degree is huge,” she said. “For us, it’s so important to have that conversation right away, before students start registering for classes to make sure they’re setting themselves up for success based on their goals and what pathway will fit them the best. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all.”
MITCH ORLOVSKY, ONE OF THREE CVTC HIGH SCHOOL ACADEMY SPECIALIST ADVISORS, HELPS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS DETERMINE IF
SET UP FOR SUCCESS
Grant Magnuson is in law school now, but it wasn’t long ago when he was an eighth-grade student at River Falls Middle School contemplating jumping into the world of college classes.
When he discovered the high school Business Management Academy at Chippewa Valley Technical College, his mom was skeptical. She wanted to make sure his transition from middle school to high school was smooth.
But Magnuson had his mind made up, and he says the experience of taking CVTC classes throughout his four years of high school and then graduating with an associate degree in Business Management set him up for success.
“This was a wonderful opportunity to get (an associate degree) in high school,” Magnuson said. “It made me really excited about education. It gave me a level of confidence, like, I can do this. I can finish college, and I have this ability to apply myself.”
Magnuson doesn’t love
I THINK MY BEGINNING, MY CVTC EDUCATION AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE, WAS NECESSARY FOR ME TO BUILD THE CONFIDENCE TO BE ABLE TO EXCEL IN A FOUR-YEAR UNIVERSITY ENVIRONMENT.
school. He knows that seems like an oxymoron – a law student who doesn’t like school. But getting an education is the goal, and Magnuson had his eye on the litigator prize.
“I always knew I wanted to be an attorney,” he said. “I don’t know if it was just the way media portrays attorneys wearing the nice suits or having a big role in court where they stand up and yell ‘objection,’ but that was always an interest of mine.”
Magnuson's CVTC credits transferred, so he was already two years ahead of others who were just starting their college journey.
He majored in business management with a minor
in project management, and he credits CVTC for getting him there.
“CVTC provided me a really great foundation to build into a four-year program and be able to launch out and be successful to do it,” he said.
He graduated with his bachelor's degree when he was just 20. He took the LSAT – Law School Admission Test – right away and entered his first year of law school at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, still at the age of 20.
“I’m very proud of the fact that I was able to come in and say, ‘Hey, I’m not good at school. What can I do to come in and be successful and take advantage of this education?’
"I think my beginning, my CVTC education at such a young age, was necessary for me to build the confidence to be able to excel in a four-year university environment. And I really needed those instructors who were committed to hands-on education and small class sizes. That really set me up for success.”
GRANT MAGNUSON, 21, OF RIVER FALLS, CREDITS HIS START AT CVTC AS A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT FOR HIS SUCCESS AS A LAW STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS IN MINNESOTA.
SOLID FOUNDATIONS
TAKING COLLEGE CLASSES EARLY GIVES GRADS A LEG UP
Charlie Nilsson, 19, began flexing his business prowess in middle school when mowing a neighbor’s yard turned into a lawn care business. Slowly, while attending Memorial High School, construction began piquing his interest.
“I never thought too much about construction and carpentry until my senior year,” he said. “I ended up building a bedframe for my sister. Then I started building bedframes and custom furniture.”
“I think it felt very natural to be interested in health care for me,” she said.
When her great-grandfather became ill and went to live in a nursing home, she began volunteering and eventually got a job at the facility. Right before her senior year at Chi-Hi, the EMT High School Academy opportunity came up at CVTC.
IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES IN MY LIFE WHERE I WAS ACTIVELY BUILDING TOWARD SOMETHING THAT I KNEW I WANTED TO DO.
Nilsson learned about the Chippewa Valley Technical College Residential Construction High School Academy – courses he could take while still in high school. That was up his alley.
“I took all the construction classes I could at Memorial. There wasn’t much more I could do, and I wanted to do more in the field,” he said. “I always built stuff on the side. I thought taking the classes at CVTC would be a good way to be more independent and do more in construction.”
Nilsson’s start at CVTC during his senior year of high school put him on a path to have a job in residential construction now, with the potential to become a project manager in the near future.
REASONS TO EARN DUAL CREDIT IN HIGH SCHOOL
Elizabeth Buck, 25, also began her college journey at CVTC while she was attending Chippewa Falls Senior High School. Her eye was on healthcare.
“It gave me a lot of confidence because it was one of the first times in my life where I was actively building toward something that I knew I wanted to do,” Buck said.
Her drive and determination didn’t end there. As she received her bachelor’s degree in biology with a concentration in neuroscience from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., she was working in the intensive care unit at Mayo Clinic. She worked in the emergency department at Hennepin County Medical Center. And now she is attending medical school at the Medical College of Wisconsin while living in Green Bay.
Nilsson and Buck agree that CVTC put them on the path to careers that bring them satisfaction.
“What’s really important when you think about your future is figuring out what gives you purpose,” Buck said.
“Maybe you enter this EMT program and you realize you’re terrified of blood. That’s OK. Being uncomfortable and trying something that is pushing you professionally and emotionally is such a gift, honestly.
“I think it really does mature you and develop you in a way that I think will change you for the rest of your life and help shape your future.”
CHANGING COURSE, FINDING PASSION
CVTC WELCOMES
PEOPLE SEEKING A CAREER CHANGE
Andrew Thayer is following in Shelley Lindner’s footsteps. They don't know each other, but they both went to Chippewa Valley Technical College to find their passion after already having established careers.
It took Lindner, 38, of rural Eau Claire, a few years to figure out what she really wanted to do as a career, and going back to school was part of the process.
“When I was growing up, I was thinking about being a teacher or a vet to help and assist people and work with animals or teach someone a new skill,” Lindner said.
But when she went to college and began her teaching career, it wasn’t what she expected.
“I guess I had this happy idea that we would just go play together, we’d have gym, we’d be teaching them stuff and everything would be great,” she said. “Then when you get there you realize sometimes you have to bring down the hammer. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do that. I didn’t want to be fighting kids to get them to learn.”
Lindner has schooling in education and adventure recreation, but by chance she
ANDREW THAYER
ended up working for the UW-Eau Claire theater program teaching college students how to build sets.
“It ended up coming full circle,” she said. “I came back to teaching, and I was pretty excited about that, but that position was just a yearly renewal position. It was never meant to be long term.”
She started looking at other career options, and architecture popped up on the list. Lindner was on a time crunch. She had just had her second child and day care bills were around the corner.
...WERE EXACTLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR TO GET MY CAREER STARTED.
“I knew I was in a decent amount of trouble if I couldn’t find something quickly,” she said. “CVTC programs, being a little shorter – the one- and two-year programs – was exactly what I was looking for to get my career started.”
As Lindner was working her way through the Architecture Structural Design program, she attended a career fair and found her path. She spoke with Summit Fire Protection, and months later she was designing sprinkler systems for them.
“That’s been one of the things that I find amazing about CVTC, is that they are helping to push us to find the jobs in the area or even beyond, and we leave with an occupation.”
Thayer, the 32-year-old Altoona man, is following closely behind Lindner in a quest to find a career that hits the mark.
His path has taken twists and turns, but he said he’s lucky to have CVTC in his backyard, and he has taken advantage of the educational opportunities.
He started the IT-Network Specialist program at CVTC but he said the program wasn’t a good fit. He left and worked in customer service for a while. A career fair at CVTC drew him back in, when he landed on welding.
“I still remember the booth displaying information on the Welding program. They were showcasing the work of current program stu-
I’M GLAD I FOUND [A SCHOOL ] THAT I CAN TRUST AND RELY ON TO HELP ME ACHIEVE THE GOALS I’VE SET FOR MYSELF.
dents, gorgeous weldments, videos of nimble robots programmed by the students perfectly performing their tasks … I was sold. It was new, exciting and challenging.”
Thayer graduated from the Welding Fabrication program with honors. He also secured a one-year Welding technical diploma and a certificate in Gas Metal Arc Welding. But after graduation, he continued his part-time job of working in the meat industry.
More years passed and he turned back to CVTC, but this time in the IT-Software Developer program. He graduated from that program in December 2023 and also received a one-year technical diploma as an IT-Software Development Specialist. But he is not done yet. He is continuing in the IT-Networking Specialist program.
He also works for the CVTC IT Help Desk. Thayer expects to graduate from the Networking Specialist program in 2025.
His future career is up in the air, but with two IT degrees and a degree in welding, he’s setting himself up for success no matter where he goes.
“I think the main takeaway is that CVTC prepares you for a job –you're really ready to go after two years,” he said. “A good school should support students no matter their age or previous college education. I’m glad I found one that I can trust and rely on to help me achieve the goals I’ve set for myself.”
IN EMILY'S OWN WORDS
I think there was part of me that, because I am the alumni population, I'm so close to that fresh out of college age, that the idea of raising money for scholarships for students my age, if not a little bit younger, was a little daunting at first. I wondered, am I capable of this position? Do I understand what that role means? And I think it has ended up being a strength. I'm fresh out. I remember what it feels like.
CVTC ALUMNA EXCITED TO BE ' HOME ' SHE'S BAAAACK!
Colleagues at Chippewa Valley Technical College love nothing more than to see students graduate and walk off into their careers with businesses throughout westcentral Wisconsin.
But the excitement is two-fold when those students graduate and return to CVTC for a career.
place, but I didn’t want to go home because if I did, I felt like I was accepting defeat,” Keeler said.
With her parents’ support, she started looking at other options, which included CVTC. The Marketing program looked appealing, and Keeler decided she was going to make the move.
She knew she had made the right decision when, on the first day of class, now-retired CVTC Marketing instructor Ric Messner remembered her name and hometown from meeting her during a tour of the College two months prior.
“I thought, ‘Oh, I belong here,’ ” she said. “I texted my mom right away and I told her my instructor remembered me. It felt different. Everyone told me about CVTC –that you matter here. So, literally, day one,
EVERYONE TOLD ME ABOUT CVTC - THAT YOU MATTER HERE. SO, LITERALLY, DAY ONE, THAT WAS PROVEN TO ME.
- EMILY KEELER
Once Emily Keeler experienced CVTC as a student, she knew the atmosphere was perfect for a career.
Keeler, 28, a Marketing program alumna, is the College’s Development and Grants Officer based in River Falls, but she also travels to Eau Claire once a week.
However, her educational journey wasn’t always as clear as her determination to work for CVTC.
She graduated from Ashland High School in 2014 and started at a university as a psychology major. Quickly, she realized the major was “too heavy” for her. She changed her major to undeclared and it left her feeling lost.
“My grades were dropping. My mental health was dropping. I was not in a good
that was proven to me.”
Keeler finished four semesters at CVTC and transfered to a university to get a bachelor’s degree in marketing and communications.
“This was not the journey I planned, but I was so glad to complete what I started,” she said.
And there was always a part of her that knew she would come back, she said.
She connected with the Foundation team at CVTC and became a member of the Alumni Board. When the Development and Grants Officer position became available, she was interested.
“I’m quite literally giving back to exactly what helped transform my journey, so it’s been amazing,” she said. “I came in day one and I was like, ‘Honey, I’m home!’”
UNLOCK YOUR
