MATC Gap Year Program Participants Learn All About College

I felt very welcomed (at MATC). The instructors push you, but they also want to know what your dreams are. They encourage you and help you make them come true.

Two years ago, Rashid Sheikh Ali had two things: a high school diploma and no idea what to do with his life.

So he participated in Milwaukee Area Technical College’s Gap Year program, a 10-week session that offers career exploration and hands-on experience to students taking time off after graduating high school. Participants also hear from career professionals and visit Milwaukee businesses and cultural assets.

On Thursday, October 30, Ali was back at MATC, this time as a student, sharing the ins and outs of college to the next group of Gap Year Program participants.

“I was once where you were,” he told a group of a dozen recent high school graduates at MATC’s Downtown Milwaukee Campus. “The Gap Year program helped me decide what I didn’t want to do. It really helped me focus on what were the options I really wanted to do.”

At MATC, Ali is working to get an Associate of Science degree. He plans to transfer, earn a bachelor’s degree and then attend dental school.

Ali was one of the four current MATC students who sat on a panel sharing their educational experiences with the current Gap Year participants. 

The student panelists explained why they chose to attend college and what their experiences at MATC have been.

“College is a roller coaster,” said Rachel Schlies, an MATC basketball player who works in the Student Life office. “You’re starting a whole new chapter of your life. You need to be open to that change, get involved and meet people.”

Schlies, who grew up in the northern Wisconsin village of Wausaukee, said her first day at MATC was emotional. 

“I couldn’t find any of my classes and stood in the hall crying,” she said. “I didn’t know anyone and it was super overwhelming. But I found that people here are extremely helpful. You have to find the courage to ask. You just have to push yourself into that new world.”

Ali said he knew right away that MATC was the place for him. “It has such a community vibe,” he said. “I felt very welcomed. The instructors push you, but they also want to know what your dreams are. They encourage you and help you make them come true.”

Pierre Washington joined the Marines after graduating high school in 2011. He played in the U.S. Marine Band, served overseas and was wounded. He returned to Milwaukee and enrolled in MATC’s Power Engineering and Boiler Operator program and the Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating Service Technician program.

“This is my first semester of college ever,” Washington said. “I’m 32. I took a 10-year gap. I wouldn’t recommend that.”

He did recommend that students get involved and ask questions and network as much as possible. Washington is  president of the college’s Black Student Union. 

Ali also suggested sitting in the front row of classes and creating a plan for the present and the future. “Make a routine and stick to it. Keep pushing yourself. You can take this step by step,” he said. “Take your opportunities when they come to you.”

Several panel members encouraged the potential students to ask about scholarships and financial assistance. Schlies received an athletic scholarship to play on the MATC women’s basketball team, while Ali received an MATC Promise scholarship.

“Starting college is starting a new page,” Ali said. “It’s a clean slate. And you can make it whatever you want.”