Be proud of what you have accomplished. I challenge you to turn this positive energy into action. It’s your turn to lift up the next generation.
Good news for the Milwaukee Area Technical College students who graduated on Saturday, December 14: All of them already have a job, according to Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.
They get to use their newly learned skills to lead by example and serve as mentors to the next generation.
“The people of the world need you,” Crowley said. “They need your strength. They need your ideas. They need your work ethic. You can — and you will — make a difference. The world is waiting on your brilliance.”
Crowley, who in 2020 became the youngest county executive in the history of Milwaukee County and the first Black leader to hold the position, served as the keynote speaker at MATC’s 2024 Winter Commencement, held at Fiserv Forum.
At the ceremony, more than 1,000 students received their associate degrees, technical diplomas, apprenticeship diplomas and Adult High School diplomas. In addition, the college honored 15 graduates who served in the U.S. military with red, white and blue cords.
See more photos from commencement
The commencement was the first for MATC President Anthony Cruz, Ed.D., who was hired as the college’s 11th president in July.
“In this very space, the Milwaukee Bucks became NBA champions just three years ago,” Dr. Cruz said. “To get there, they practiced day in and day out. They made sacrifices and put a priority on achieving their dreams. And they committed to themselves and those around them that they would give their all. You have done all these things as well. Now we celebrate you as champions.”
At the end of his remarks, Dr. Cruz whipped out his cell phone and took a selfie with the graduates in the background. “Thanks for indulging me,” he told the crowd with a laugh.
Ankur Kaushal, who received the Outstanding Associate Degree Graduate award, served as the student speaker. He earned his Associate of Science degree and plans to attend medical school.
Born and raised in India, Kaushal arrived in the United States in 2023. Since then, he has learned that small steps can make a big difference in life.
“When I came to Milwaukee, I didn’t even know where MATC was. I started out by learning the bus system,” Kaushal said. “I also needed to make some friends, and I needed to learn how to ask for help at school. All of that started with small steps.
“It’s the little details that are vital,” Kaushal told his fellow graduates. “Little things make big things happen. And we, too, can make big things happen.”
Crowley, who was reelected as county executive in April 2024, told the crowd that he never thought anything big would happen to him as he grew up at 23rd and Burleigh streets in Milwaukee. He and his neighbors struggled with crime, joblessness, evictions, housing issues and mental health challenges, he said.
“I never dreamed of being an elected official,” Crowley said.
But he found support from community groups and mentors who put him on the right path to overcome his circumstances. They encouraged him to finish high school, run for office and attend college. This month, Crowley graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Education with a Bachelor of Science in Community Engagement and Education.
Now, he said, it’s his time to pay it forward. “That’s why I’m here to encourage you to dream bigger than you ever thought possible,” he said. “Be proud of what you have accomplished. I challenge you to turn this positive energy into action. It’s your turn to lift up the next generation.”
Commencement officially started when Carina Gray, the Outstanding Technical Diploma Graduate, welcomed students, faculty, staff, administrators, members of the MATC District Board, family, friends and guests.
Michael Emem, a Milwaukee developer, an MATC alumnus and a member of the MATC Foundation’s finance committee, announced that the Foundation, the college’s philanthropic partner in supporting student success, had established a $1,000 scholarship in Crowley’s name for a student in the Human Service Associate program.
Emem also recognized honor students Kaushal, Gray and Shauna Morris-Patterson, a Human Service Associate graduate who won the President’s Award.
The commencement ceremony will be broadcast at 9 a.m. Saturday, January 11, 2025, on Milwaukee PBS Channel 36.
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.