We are a great alternative to going into a bunch of debt. I wish I had known about MATC when I was going to school.
Standing in front of a bright red City of Milwaukee fire engine parked at Milwaukee Area Technical College’s Downtown Milwaukee Campus, Daniela Diaz slung a heavy firefighter coat over her slight shoulders.
“It’s really heavy,” the 13-year-old said with a shy smile.
Then again, Diaz isn’t into fighting fires. She’d rather fight crime. Someday she wants to be an FBI agent.
“My mom loved watching those kinds of shows on television, and I watched along,” said Diaz, who will start eighth grade at Milwaukee’s St. Augustine Preparatory Academy in the fall. “Watching it got me interested.”
Whatever Diaz decides to do, she knows she could start her journey at MATC. She was one of nine middle school students who visited MATC on Wednesday, June 12, to hear about the college’s accessibility, affordability, variety of academic programs, and availability of student resources, financial support and student life opportunities.
The campus visit was part of a summer educational program that introduces students to careers in medical, engineering, dental, architecture and law (MEDAL). The students visited the Medical College of Wisconsin on June 10 and the Milwaukee School of Engineering on June 11.
The MEDAL Tour was first organized in 2022 by then Milwaukee Municipal Court Judge Derek Mosley. Mosley now serves as director of the Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education at Marquette University Law School.
Mosley takes students to a different educational institution where they complete a hands-on activity and learn the steps needed to become professionals.
This year the program has students from St. Augustine, St. Sebastian, Messmer and St. Monica schools.
Azu Rivera, another rising eighth grader at St. Augustine, said she liked seeing the different college environments in the city. “It has been really interesting.” she said. “I’m getting to see what is out there.”
MATC is a place where students can thrive and be successful, and not spend a lot of money to do that, said Michael Rogers, MATC’s interim vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion. “We are a great alternative to going into a bunch of debt,” Rogers said. “I wish I had known about MATC when I was going to school.”
The students heard about career opportunities in protective services and transportation servicing.
Milwaukee firefighter Geof Leach told the students that he was working for the city park district when he decided at age 48 to become a firefighter. “During training, I was the old guy on the crew,” he said. “All the other guys were 19 and 20 years old. But it was something I decided I wanted to do.”
Leach had an engine from Milwaukee’s Station No. 2 come to MATC. The students climbed on the truck, donned protective gear and helmets, held axes, and sounded the horn while the vehicle was parked on Highland Avenue outside of the T Building.
The students heard from alum Kathy Kingcaid, who enrolled in MATC’s Horticulture program and started her own landscape company. She wanted to learn how to keep her company cars and trucks in good condition, so she signed up for MATC’s Automotive Maintenance Technician program and graduated in December 2023.
Kingcaid grew up around cars and helped her father with small repairs. Her first car was a 1982 Chevrolet Cavalier that seemingly broke down every two blocks. “Every time it did, I did something to fix it,” Kingcaid said.
At MATC, she was the only female in her automotive class of 18 students. “I became a top student because I know my stuff,” she said. “Don’t let anyone tell you what you can’t do.
“Today I earn enough money to do what I want,” Kingcaid added. “I can travel, help my parents, help my family and have some savings. You need to do what makes you happy.”
Travis Mrozek, MATC’s assistant athletic director, told the students about the opportunities to play sports at the college. Playing on a team can lead to all sorts of career opportunities, he said.
The students enjoyed lunch on campus before leaving.
“I loved the collaboration of our campus partners,” said Alea Cross, the college’s high school relations manager who helped organize the event. “We 100% showed the influence and support we can have to make students thrive.”
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.