I had not been to school in so, so long. But everyone at MATC was just so wonderful. The support I received was amazing.
Lisa Perry grew up in a hurry.
Born in Milwaukee, she endured a turbulent childhood. She struggled through four Milwaukee Public Schools high schools before dropping out. At 15 years old, she was living on her own. At 17, she was working full time.
“I had to provide for myself,” she said. “At that age, it was a challenge, and it was an experience. I fended for myself. You had to learn street smarts to survive.”
She took jobs at a cab company and at a telephone answering service before beginning a 32-year career working in nursing homes. A foot injury forced Perry to retire in 2024 at the age of 63.
But not having a high school diploma all those years always nagged at her.
“That was a monkey on my back,” she said. “I enjoyed working with elderly people, but I wanted to work in hospitals. I knew that to do that, I needed a high school diploma. I felt trapped.”
In February 2025, Perry decided once and for all to attain that long-delayed diploma. She enrolled in Milwaukee Area Technical College’s High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) 5.09 program, a competency-based high school completion option.
Perry received her HSED at MATC’s GED/HSED completion ceremony on Wednesday, May 28, at Cooley Auditorium on the Downtown Milwaukee Campus.
“I finally got to walk across a stage,” she said.
But getting to the stage wasn’t easy. While working, Perry several times started the process to get her diploma, but always stopped because her job took up too much time. Once she enrolled in the 5.09 program after she retired, completing the five sections was hard work. She received invaluable assistance from Holly Thielen, the college’s 5.09 coordinator, and instructor David Harden, Ph.D.
“I had not been to school in so, so long,” Perry said. “But everyone at MATC was just so wonderful. The support I received was amazing. Everyone made me feel like I could accomplish this, and that gave me some get-up-and-go power.
“I knew this would not be easy, and it wasn’t. But I pushed myself. I told myself I wasn’t stupid and that I could figure it out,” she said. “I could do what would have taken me four years in four months.”
“Lisa is a wonderful student,” Dr. Harden said. “She worked hard on her assignments and did a terrific job of keeping me up to date on her progress. She asked questions when she needed help. Her interactions with me were always polite and professional.”
To complete the 5.09 program, students must write a letter to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction discussing their educational journey. Perry’s letter was succinct:
“I do not have my high school diploma due to unfortunate circumstances in my early years, which forced me to start working,” she wrote. “I am now at a point in my life where I can focus on achieving my high school diploma.”
With her HSED in hand, Perry plans to return to MATC, earn a Healthcare Customer Service certificate, and go back to work part-time.
“If anyone is feeling trapped or unhappy with what they are doing, just go for it,” Perry said. “Get a job you like and will enjoy.”
Learn about MATC’s HSED 5.09 High School Completion 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 Higher Learning Commission accredits the college.