The scholarship definitely helped me out, and I am so grateful for all the assistance I received.
Nakiyah Evans means business.
Evans is a licensed real estate broker and is working to start her own company. She sells life insurance. She also recently got her bartender license.
She has done all that while earning a Business Management associate degree from Milwaukee Area Technical College and raising her 4-year-old son.
“I’m the kind of person who usually works as much as I can — usually two or three jobs at once,” Evans said. “But being a mom, working and going to school has its challenges.”
That’s where the PepsiCo Foundation came in. Evans received a scholarship from the foundation that helped her complete her degree.
Established in 1962, the PepsiCo Foundation is the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo. The scholarship program offers financial assistance, support, professional development and employer networking opportunities to students pursuing associate degrees, technical diplomas and professional certificates.
Since its inception, the PepsiCo. Foundation Scholars program has helped more than 4,000 students across the country.
“I was older when I came to MATC, and a lot of things were different. I had a home; I had a son. I had to make every step count,” Evans said. “Things had changed, and PepsiCo was there to help ease that burden. The scholarship definitely helped me out, and I am so grateful for all the assistance I received.”
In September 2022, MATC became the only technical college in Wisconsin to receive money for the PepsiCo Uplift Scholars program. During the next two years, more than 150 students each received a $2,000 scholarship to complete their degrees.
In the summer of 2025, the PepsiCo Foundation gave the MATC Foundation, the college’s philanthropic partner, an additional $180,500 for the 2025-26 school year. The college was one of 15 schools across the country that PepsiCo renewed its relationship with, said Naomi Pollek, who leads corporate and employer relations for the foundation.
“The funds from the PepsiCo Foundation help eliminate a financial barrier and enable students to enroll, stay and graduate from MATC,” said Dr. Anthony Cruz, MATC’s president. “Our students get the skills to secure high-paying, family-supporting jobs, and our employer partners in the region can alleviate their workforce shortages.”
Evans was born and raised in Milwaukee and graduated from Ronald Reagan High School in 2012. In high school, she wanted to become a nurse. She attended the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and worked as a nursing assistant.
“I’m a caring person,” she said. “I loved working with patients. I especially liked speaking with the elderly patients and listening to their stories.”
But Evans struggled at Oshkosh. “I didn’t get great grades. I was away from home for the first time,” she recalled. “I was a first-generation college student. I didn’t have anyone to tell me what to expect.”
She switched to Fox Valley Technical College and earned an associate degree in human resources. She moved back to Milwaukee and got a job at Northwestern Mutual, where she learned the insurance business.
She discovered she had a knack for selling policies and soon branched out into real estate.
“A good salesperson needs to be relatable and empathetic. They need to understand where people are coming from,” Evans said. “Most of all, they need to care for people and care about people. You’re helping families build wealth, protect income and own homes.”
In the spring of 2025, she enrolled at MATC to take business classes. She received an email about the PepsiCo scholarship and applied.
“MATC was the best choice for me,” she said. “It was flexible with online courses and had a lot of resources. I received a ton of support at MATC. Anytime I have needed something, MATC has been there to help.”
On May 16, Evans received her associate degree with academic honors at MATC’s 2026 Spring Commencement. She’s wasting no time putting that degree to work.
“I’m ready to jump right into business,” she said. “This degree helps tie everything together.”
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.
About the MATC Foundation: For more than forty years the MATC Foundation has been the philanthropic partner of Milwaukee Area Technical College, supporting student success through scholarships, emergency grants, and college initiatives. With a vision of a prosperous region built on expansive access to education and economic opportunities, the MATC Foundation’s mission is to build donor relationships to facilitate private investments, removing barriers to education to accelerate careers and deliver skilled talent to the Milwaukee area. To learn more and explore how to partner with the Foundation, visit matc.edu/foundation.