Having MATC so close to where I live is a great opportunity. I think this will be a great place to start my career.
Danaiya Clinton always knew Milwaukee Area Technical College was big.
She sees it almost every day.
The James Groppi High School senior lives a mere two blocks away from the college’s Downtown Milwaukee Campus and has gazed upon the exterior of the buildings many times.
On Thursday, March 12, she went inside for the first time.
“I never knew it was this big,” said Clinton as she walked through the campus’ Main Building. “It’s big. I mean it’s actually bigger than big. It’s so spacious. But it’s really nice.”
Clinton was one of 100 area high school students getting the lay of the MATC land at the first Admitted Stormer Day of the spring semester.
The visiting students are all seniors set to graduate this spring and attend MATC in the fall. Another 200 seniors are scheduled to visit the downtown campus for another Admitted Stormer Day on Tuesday, March 17.
The college started the events in the spring of 2023, said Marwill Santiago, the college’s director of recruiting and call center operations.
“We want to celebrate and welcome these accepted high school seniors to MATC,” Santiago said. “We also want them to explore the campus, connect with the staff, and get a clear path to registration.”
Thursday’s event started in MATC’s Cooley Auditorium, where the drumline from Milwaukee Marshall High School pounded away as the students gathered.
College recruiters prepared the students to go on a campus-wide digital scavenger hunt. “It’s OK if you get lost,” said Aneisha Denson, one of the recruiters. “When I started college I got lost. I didn’t know what I was doing. We get that. We are here to help.”
The students spent the next 90 minutes roaming the campus, scanning QR codes, taking selfies at various locations, shooting short videos of themselves at certain spots, and visiting Pathway offices to get information about programs.
Kyree Johnson-Hicks, another senior from Groppi, said she intends to follow in her mother’s footsteps and earn a nursing degree from MATC.
Her friend, Mianna Roland, said she also wants to go into healthcare, perhaps into diagnostic medical sonography.
Clinton said she plans to study real estate and interior design. “Having MATC so close to where I live is a great opportunity,” she said. “I think this will be a great place to start my career.”
After their expeditions, the students gathered for lunch.
“Today was a day to learn the places you can go, and to learn that there will always be someone there to help you,” Denson told the students. “We’re all here to support you and we will be ready for you when you get here.”
About MATC: As 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 35,000 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 45 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.