Rita Becerra-Lopez and Libby Huck at MATC Spring 2024 Commencement
This was a great opportunity for me to get a really good jump on my career.
MILWAUKEE – Libby Huck and Rita Becerra-Lopez always had their eyes on careers in the beauty industry.
“I was never going to go to a four-year college, if I went to college at all,” said Huck, a student at Cedarburg High School. “I always wanted to go to beauty school.”
Meanwhile at Milwaukee Public Schools’ Ronald Reagan High School, Becerra-Lopez was interested in chemistry and science, but was caught more than once twisting, twirling and styling her hair in class. “My teachers kept telling me I wasn’t in a salon,” she laughed.
Thanks to Start College Now, a dual enrollment program offered by Milwaukee Area Technical College, Huck and Becerra-Lopez bypassed their final year of high school and enrolled in the college’s Cosmetology program last August. They received technical diplomas at MATC’s Spring 2024 Commencement, held May 19 at Fiserv Forum, before receiving their high school diplomas.
Start College Now gives qualified high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to take college courses at MATC – usually at no cost – to begin college early or prepare to enter the workforce.
“To be honest, I didn’t miss high school all that much,” said Huck, who lives in Grafton. “This was a great opportunity for me to get a really good jump on my career.”
Huck worked with Suzie Considine, a dual enrollment and high school relations specialist at MATC, and Clare Barrie, her high school counselor, to get into the Start College Now program.
“Libby was proactive from the first day she and her Cedarburg counselor started asking about the possibility of doing the Cosmetology program during her senior year,” Considine said. “It was clear that she was eager for the opportunity to start her career and ready for the commitment the program required.”
Huck and Becerra-Lopez attended classes Monday through Friday at MATC’s Downtown Milwaukee Campus during the Fall and Spring semesters.
The two were the youngest students in their Cosmetology cohort. They gravitated toward each other and quickly became friends. “Having someone else there who was like me going through the same things made everything easier,” Becerra-Lopez said.
Both women were stellar students, didn't shy away from difficult subjects, and always have positive attitudes towards learning, said Kara Walker, an MATC Cosmetology instructor.
“Libby has a quiet, but assertive personality. She's very smart and always diligent with completing tasks. She's a natural leader in the classroom, always eager to help her classmates and participate in classroom activities,” Walker said. “Rita has an infectious smile. She takes pride in her work and never stops trying when she stumbles on something.
“Both young ladies will definitely do well in life with the great attributes that they possess,” she added.
After MATC’s commencement, Becerra-Lopez got her high school diploma May 22, and Huck will receive hers at Cedarburg’s graduation June 2.
The two will return to MATC for eight more weeks of classes to prepare for the state licensing exam. After that, they will be ready for jobs in a salon. Eventually, both of them want to open their own beauty businesses.
“This program worked for me because I am passionate about wanting to do this,” Becerra-Lopez said.
“Looking back, 100% I made the right choice,” Huck said.
Learn about MATC’s dual credit programs
About MATC: Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. More than 30,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 180 academic programs — many that prepare students for jobs immediately upon completion and others that provide transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 40 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.