At MATC I have learned the value of having a small group of close friends. My instructors and advisors have helped me immensely. I have enjoyed my experience at MATC.
In staid courthouse corridors and nondescript nonprofit offices, among the processes and the paperwork, Sumanpreet Kaur discovered her passion.
The Milwaukee Area Technical College student interned at the International Institute of Wisconsin, a nonprofit that provides social services to immigrants and refugees, and volunteered with Legal Action of Wisconsin at the Milwaukee County Courthouse, assisting attorneys and law students who provide free legal services.
At both places, she connected with people from all over the globe. She helped host informational events about finding jobs and educational opportunities, and assisted with reviewing case files.
“I worked with people from many, many countries, and I came to see how very important these services are and how they impact people,” Kaur said. “Undocumented people have trouble navigating life. From being unaware of pathways to citizenship to seeking opportunities, everything feels limited. That helplessness struck my passion for immigration and diplomacy.”
She also knows all too well what it’s like to be a stranger in a strange land. Kaur was born in Punjab, a state in northwestern India that borders Pakistan. Her family came to the United States when she was 2 years old.
Today she is on the path to become a naturalized citizen, but she doesn’t see herself much different from any other American.
“I have the same hopes and dreams as everyone else,” Kaur said. “We have the same ambition and drive to create a meaningful impact on our families and communities. Yet, we are often judged not for our character or abilities, but for the paperwork we were born into.”
Kaur certainly has made a meaningful impact at MATC. As an Associate of Science degree student, she made the president’s honor roll, which requires a 4.0 GPA, for the past four semesters and has been invited to join Phi Theta Kappa, an honor society for students at colleges that grant associate degrees.
For her extensive academic achievements and exemplary involvement at the college and in the community, Kaur was selected as the college’s Outstanding Associate Degree Student for Fall 2025. She addressed students, faculty and guests at the college’s Winter Commencement ceremony Saturday, December 13, at Fiserv Forum.
“Sumanpreet has a great work ethic, is extremely dedicated and works as hard as any student that I have had,” said Robert James Pileggi, the college’s instructional chair in mathematics. “She is an intelligent student who is intrinsically motivated and is the type of learner who will do well at any endeavor she chooses to take on.”
After graduating from St. Francis High School in 2022, Kaur planned to study biology. “I was always interested in how life worked,” she said.
She was accepted into a four-year university in California, but because of the uncertainty of her citizenship status, she enrolled at MATC. “The personalized guidance from the college’s tutors, advisors and professors guided me in the right direction,” she said.
Dr. Kristen M. Barr, a biology instructor, called Kaur academically gifted, thoughtful and approachable, and always willing to help her classmates.
“She possesses excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, qualities required for success in the sciences,” Dr. Barr said. “She approaches her lab work methodically, demonstrating a keen ability to identify potential issues quickly.”
Along with academic work, Kaur served as secretary of MATC’s Asian Student Association from 2022 to 2023, helping coordinate the group’s Hmong New Year celebration and open houses at MATC campuses.
After graduating from MATC, Kaur plans to attend a four-year university to study political science or international affairs. She has applied to intern at the Legislative Reference Bureau in Madison in the spring and hopes to continue her college journey, perhaps in California or New York, in the fall of 2026.
She also continues on her path to U.S. citizenship. She hopes that her application for naturalization is approved sometime next summer — the next major hurdle to overcome before interviews and tests.
Wherever her path takes her, Kaur knows she got an excellent start by coming to MATC.
“I made the right decision,” she said. “After high school, I wanted the traditional college experience with a big campus and a large group of friends. But at MATC I have learned the value of having a small group of close friends. My instructors and advisors have helped me immensely. I have enjoyed my experience at MATC.”
Learn about MATC’s Associate of Science degree 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.