Today there’s hope and I can see a future. For once, I’m working so I can get ahead and not just break even. MATC has put me on that path.
Perhaps for the first time in his frenetic, fraught life, Jonathan Pritzlaff has hope.
It comes after his parents divorced when he was in first grade, after his mother gave him up to the state, after he started abusing drugs and alcohol, and after he dropped out of high school at 14.
It also comes after he enrolled at Milwaukee Area Technical College. This month Pritzlaff, now 43 years old, earned his High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) and received a certificate in Office Technology from MATC’s Integrated Education and Training (IET) program. In the spring, he hopes to start classes in the college’s Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating Service Technician program.
“I spent years of my life thinking that I would never change, that nothing would ever change,” Pritzlaff said. “Today there’s hope and I can see a future. For once, I’m working so I can get ahead and not just break even. MATC has put me on that path.”
Growing up in Cudahy, Pritzlaff’s path was rocky. After his parents split, he shuttled between living with his father and mother. He became petulant, then angry. “I was the kid who never listened. We fought all the time,” he recalled. “I didn’t go to school. I was truant all the time.”
Mentally and physically exhausted, his mother handed him over to the state. He was placed in foster care. He got kicked out of an elementary school. He discovered drugs and drink. When he got to Cudahy High School, he lasted exactly 30 days.
“I think I earned half of one credit,” he said.
Pritzlaff dropped out. At 16, he started roofing, learning the trade from old-timers. At first he cleaned up fallen debris, earning $6.25 an hour. He eventually went into business for himself, installing customized gutter systems, window and door trim, and exterior detailing.
The work wore him down physically and, in some years, financially. Mentally, he struggled through a toxic relationship for more than two decades and finally realized he had to change his life.
“I was going through the ringer,” he said. “I was sick of being sick and tired.”
He went online and discovered MATC had a General Education Development (GED) program. He went to the Oak Creek Campus, took several tests and discovered that the HSED 5.09 program was a better fit, he said.
In the HSED 5.09 program, students must demonstrate mastery in communication, social studies, science, math, health, civics and employability, said Holly Thielen, the program’s coordinator.
“Jonathan is an awesome student,” Thielen said. “His work ethic and energy to do what he needed to do was all there from the get-go. He doubted himself and he shouldn’t have. He did all this. I hope he realizes he has the potential and ability to do whatever he wants.”
Thielen also suggested he enroll in the IET program, where students completing their HSEDs take college courses at the same time.
“The IET program was another opportunity for me and I took it,” Pritzlaff said. “I’m learning something new every day. It’s been great. I’ve made new friends; I’m learning to network. I feel like I’m starting a whole new life.”
Pritzlaff said he received vital support from everyone at MATC, especially Thielen, and his girlfriend, Sarah Jean.
“Holly took the time to remind me that I was on the right track. Her words truly stuck with me and gave me the confidence to keep going,” Pritzlaff said. “That moment of reassurance helped shape my perspective and motivated me to stay committed to my goals.”
His next goal is to earn a technical diploma in the Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating Service Technician program.
“I want to get that started as soon as I can. School helps me with my routine, with my structure,” he said. “I have found a positive environment. It’s healthy. I’m actually proud of myself. And having something to look forward to, for once, means everything to me.”
Learn about MATC’s high school completion programs
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.