We have been given a great opportunity to transform our lives.
About four months ago, Rodney O’Neal decided to change his life.
While serving time in the care of the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, he enrolled in a welding course offered by Milwaukee Area Technical College.
On Monday, May 18, he received a certificate in Welding Fundamentals and immediately felt he was heading in the right direction.
“We probably won’t prevent the next global pandemic, but we could help stop a bridge from collapsing,” said O’Neal, one of nine men serving time in the state correctional system who received certificates Monday at MATC’s Downtown Milwaukee Campus.
The men participated in MATC’s Second Chance Pell Grant program, which provides students who are in the custody of Wisconsin correctional facilities with access to postsecondary education, technical training and in-demand career skills.
Through the program, students take classes and can earn certificates, technical diplomas and associate degrees that support successful reentry into their communities and help reduce recidivism.
“We have been given a great opportunity to transform our lives,” said O’Neal, who served as the student speaker at Monday’s event. “We have overcome many challenges to prove success is possible when we put the hard work in, when we persevere through change, and when we believe that there’s something greater beyond the mistakes we’ve made.”
Once released, the men could use their skills to secure in-demand welding jobs, or continue their education through MATC’s Welding technical diploma or Welding Technology associate degree programs, MATC President Dr. Anthony Cruz said.
“You have proven that you have the discipline to master a technical trade and the resolve to see difficult tasks through all the way to the finish line,” Dr. Cruz said on Monday. “You are now equipped with a high-demand skill. In the world of manufacturing, a welder is a builder, a fixer and a creator. Today, you aren’t just graduates — you are the future of Wisconsin’s workforce.”
Numerous objects created by participants during their classes were displayed at the ceremony. The works included nameplates, necklaces and plant stands.
Those handcrafted items symbolize the choices that the nine men made to improve their lives, said Kristen E. Hoile, reentry programs manager at the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.
“You chose to show up, you chose to learn, you chose discipline and patience, and you chose hard work in an environment where none of that is easy,” Hoile said. “Welding teaches more than just how to join metal. It teaches precision, responsibility and pride in doing things the right way.”
She added: “The world needs more people like you, people who make a choice to make a change. It needs people who can create, repair and strengthen what’s broken.”
The nine men took classes at correctional facilities six days a week for 16 weeks to earn the 17 credits required to receive the certificate. Classes ran from 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, said Dr. Clavon Byrd, dean of MATC’s General Education Academic and Career Pathway. The class attained a cumulative 3.5 GPA, he added.
“No one has done the work as you have done it. No one has built yourself back up better than you have,” English instructor Roland Jackson said. “It’s your efforts, your strength and your determination. Right here, right now, is something good. I hope you will remember some of what you've accomplished here.”
O’Neal told his classmates that they now have a responsibility to be a light of hope for others. “What we’ve done to get here is not really important,” he said. “It’s what we do next to impact others that counts the most.”
Learn about MATC’s Correctional Education 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 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.
