I have learned a lot at MATC, and it has helped me mold and mesh some ideas I have in my head. I have met a lot of great people, and this has been such a welcoming place. I have been given the skills to really help and be the leader I know I can be.
Levon Coger gets a big kick out of kids.
Growing up, she wanted to be a pediatrician. Instead she got married and had a girl and a boy. Fifteen years later, she had two more children. Now she has a 12-year-old girl and 7-year-old boy at home.
And after working as a medical assistant, a certified nursing assistant and a medical office administrator, she took a job at a day care center.
“Nothing is more fulfilling than working with children,” she said.
She also has watched with sadness as day care centers, preschools and other child care facilities closed because of a lack of high-quality, adequately paid and committed child care providers.
“You see places closing all over town,” Coger said. “But many younger kids need these services.”
So at 41, she decided to do something about it. In the fall of 2024, she enrolled in the Child Care Services program at Milwaukee Area Technical College. She earned a full-ride scholarship, made the college’s honor roll and received her technical diploma this month.
“I have learned a lot at MATC, and it has helped me mold and mesh some ideas I have in my head,” Coger said. “I have met a lot of great people, and this has been such a welcoming place. I have been given the skills to really help and be the leader I know I can be.”
Going back to school in her 40s wasn’t easy; she took classes, worked and tended to her children.
“It’s a challenge,” Coger said. “You have to find a balance. My husband steps up and helps. It takes a team.”
Receiving an Ellen and Joe Checota MATC Scholarship helped immensely, she said. Launched in August 2022, the program is designed to help students earn a diploma or certificate quickly and enter the job market.
More than 320 supporters contributed $2.5 million to create this scholarship fund, which was matched $2-to-$1 by the Checotas. Those supporters included a generous gift from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, which participated in the Checota campaign challenge as part of its strategic support for early childhood education initiatives.
The Checota scholarships cover tuition, books, fees, equipment, food and transportation expenses. Coger especially liked the food stipend, offered in the form of Kroger grocery gift cards, Milwaukee city bus passes, and campus parking passes.
“The Checota has been more than just a financial award; it has been a symbol of hope, a beacon of light in darkness,” Coger said. “It gave me the opportunity to focus on my studies, to pursue my passion. The Checota has been a great stepping stone to help me do what I want to do.”
“Levon was stressed about coming back to school and figuring out how to pay for it,” said Sara Cappaert, the college’s manager of scholarships. “This scholarship and the support helped her realize it was possible. I think she almost lost faith in herself, but then she figured out she could do it. Now she wants others to know they can do it, too.”
“Sara really made it happen for me,” Coger said. “She helped me so much. She broke everything down and made sure I understood everything. I wouldn’t be here and wouldn’t have done this without her.”
Coger was a pleasure to engage with and even learn from in child development class, said Toshiba L. Adams, Ph.D., who is instructional chair of the Early Childhood Education program.
“She consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to learning and applying child development theory to classroom practice,” Dr. Adams said. “She is not only academically strong — earning a high mark in class — but also deeply invested in the well-being of children and families.”
With her diploma in hand, Coger said she might return to MATC to get her associate degree in Early Childhood Education or open a preschool with her cousin.
She will be entering a career field in desperate need of workers. Low pay and lack of benefits have created a major shortage in staffing, according to a report issued last June by the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families.
“Due to razor-thin margins, Wisconsin child care centers are only able to pay lead teachers an average of $13.55 per hour. That’s 69% less than the average hourly wage of $28.34 for Wisconsin workers,” the report noted. “Unlivable wages combined with a lack of benefits is causing qualified early care and education professionals to leave the field.”
With a lack of staff, child care providers are stuck closing more classrooms and serving fewer children while watching their waiting lists grow. This is causing parents, especially women, to leave or not enter the workforce, costing Wisconsin at least $1.1 billion per year in lost economic productivity, earnings and revenue, the report added.
Coger is the perfect person to help ease these challenges, Dr. Adams said. “I am confident she will make a meaningful impact in the field of early care and education,” she said. “I'm honored to have been a part of her journey.”
Learn more about MATC’s Child Care Services program
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.