If MATC had a four-year degree program, I would stay here and keep going. MATC offers students so much.
The first time she delivered a hot meal to an elderly neighbor, Vida Bridges felt transformed.
“I felt a mix of humility and purpose as I handed her the plate and saw her smile,” Bridges recalled. “I realized that even small acts of service could create a meaningful impact.”
Since then, Bridges has become hooked on helping. The Milwaukee Area Technical College student and mother of five stops in the street and talks to the needy, the hungry and the homeless.
“I do it all the time. I listen to their stories,” she said. “I will help them if they need some spare change. But in the end, it’s not about money. Most of them just need some encouragement and someone to listen to them.”
Bridges will earn an associate degree in Business Management at MATC’s 2025 Winter Commencement on Saturday, December 13, at Fiserv Forum. And for her academic achievements and exemplary community service, Bridges was awarded the President’s Award for the Fall semester.
The President’s Award is a districtwide recognition for graduating students that honors academic achievement and rewards their contributions to the college and the community. The recipient is selected by the Office of the Registrar, Student Life and the college’s Scholastic Recognition Committee.
Bridges received the award from MATC President Anthony Cruz at the college’s Academic Honor Recognition on Thursday, December 4.
“This is the college’s highest honor,” Dr. Cruz said at the event. “The stories behind this award remind us that true success is measured by the challenges we overcome and the positive impact we leave on the world.”
Bridges certainly has overcome her share of challenges during her 36 years on Earth. She was born in Houston but grew up moving between Milwaukee and Indiana. She attended Juneau and Washington high schools before graduating in 2007 from Lady Pitts School (now closed). At the time the school served pregnant and parenting Milwaukee Public School students.
In high school, she played basketball, sang in the choir, participated on the debate team and dreamed about being a writer.
“I always wanted to make something out of my life,” she said. “Nobody else in my family really went to college. My father passed away and my mother did the best she could. I set my mind to doing something, and I knew once I started, I wasn’t going to give up.”
After high school, she attended classes at several colleges but got serious about her studies in 2021 when she enrolled at MATC. Her first two years weren’t easy. While taking classes and raising her children, Bridges lost her brother. She also was pregnant and her landlord sold the house she was living in, forcing her to relocate her family.
“I struggled to continue my education and maintain stability,” she said. “I refused to give up. Honestly, I can say that while grieving, it was very hard to cope with life. But as time passed, I became a little stronger day by day. Life threw me so many punches. But I wasn’t going to allow adversities to steal my joy.”
Bridges returned to MATC in 2023, renewed and invigorated. She immersed herself in campus activities, attended career fairs, received a scholarship and took a student job at the registrar’s office.
“Vida’s story is one of profound transformation, community service and leadership in the face of adversity,” said Nadirah Muhammad, who supervised Bridges. “She has not only excelled academically and professionally but has used every challenge as fuel to better herself, her family and her community.”
Bridges stepped up her service. She prepared, cooked and distributed meals to low-income and elderly residents. She frequently donated plasma to local blood banks. She supported her sons’ sports teams by offering players rides home and buying snacks. She assisted the youth choir that her daughters sang in.
“Serving others has allowed me to focus on something larger than my own struggles,” she said. “Service has taught me empathy, resilience and the importance of lifting others even when life feels heavy. It helped me heal emotionally, regain focus and continue pursuing my education with renewed determination.”
She also excelled at her studies, maintaining a 3.3 grade point average. She participated in several professional and entrepreneurial programs, including Brew City Match, Develop the Developers Academy, Riverworks and the Wisconsin Small Business Development Center. She also operated her own business, Business Better Bridges LLC, that provides consulting and hair styling services.
She was invited to join the National Society of Leadership and Success, a national honor society that serves more than 800 schools across the country and has more than two million members.
“Her commitment to being always prepared and on time, coupled with her philosophy to treat others with respect and maintain a positive attitude, demonstrates a daily commitment to making her academic and professional spaces better for everyone present,” said Charles F. Scott, an instructor in the college’s Business and Management Academic and Career Pathway. “Vida embodies the spirit of the President’s Award. She is a reliable, respectful presence today and a determined future community leader whose professional aspirations are centered on unselfish service.”
In 2024, Bridges received a PepsiCo Foundation Uplift Scholarship, given to students pursuing associate degrees, technical diplomas and professional certificates in high-skill, high-wage fields. “That really helped out,” she said. “Especially with raising five children at the same time as going to school.”
Bridges plans to attend the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in the spring to study pre-law or get a bachelor’s degree in business. She wants to start her own law firm or a financial services company to help her community.
“If MATC had a four-year degree program, I would stay here and keep going,” Bridges said with a laugh. “MATC offers students so much, from jobs on campus to exercise rooms and food spaces. The college is a great resource for the entire community. I recommend MATC to everyone.”
Learn more about MATC’s Business and Management Pathway
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.