The Froedtert Hospital scholarship provides all the support I need to accomplish everything I want to do. And it came at a time when I needed all the resources I could get.
Please excuse Phoua Lor if she gushes about echocardiograms.
As a student in Milwaukee Area Technical College’s Cardiovascular Technology – Echocardiography program, Lor enthusiastically believes these exams are modern medical marvels — in minutes, they can detect leaking heart valves, dangerous blood clots and potentially deadly tumors.
“To me, it is utterly fascinating,” she said. “You can save lives with one diagnostic test. You can really make an impact in improving the quality of people’s lives.”
Lor plans to do exactly that by transforming her passion for the procedure into a high-demand healthcare career, thanks to MATC and comprehensive financial assistance from the Froedtert Memorial Hospital Scholarship program.
The scholarship program was established in June 2021 when Froedtert Hospital gave $6 million to the MATC Foundation, the college’s philanthropic partner, to help students pursuing healthcare careers. The scholarship covers tuition, required books and supplies, and licensure exam fees. Froedtert Hospital scholars also receive a stipend and access to emergency grant funding.
“The Froedtert Hospital scholarship provides all the support I need to accomplish everything I want to do,” said Lor, who is on track to earn her associate degree in the spring of 2027. “And it came at a time when I needed all the resources I could get.”
Lor was born and raised in Wausau, Wisconsin. Her Hmong parents came to the United States from Laos during the Vietnam War. She graduated from Wausau East High School in 2015 and enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
She struggled to fit in at Madison. “In the end, the school might have been too big for my learning style,” she said. “I do a lot better in a small setting. I found out how much better at MATC.”
Lor also experienced a series of health issues. As a freshman, she started losing weight, her hair began falling out and she suffered through bouts of brain fog. “I couldn’t converse with people. I lost my train of thought. I got so embarrassed that I cut myself off from family and friends,” she said.
She eventually was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, which had probably gone untreated since high school. At the same time, her father experienced kidney failure and received a transplant, one of her half-brothers developed cancer, and her stepmother died of cancer.
“I had to leave school to manage my own health and my family’s health,” Lor said.
With proper care and medication, she rebuilt her abilities to function and, little by little, reestablished her social skills. “Discovering my disease and getting the right medication gave me energy almost right away,” Lor recalled. “My social anxiety faded away, and I got more confidence being around people.”
She worked as an assistant manager at a doughnut store in Madison for almost 2 1/2 years. In October 2022, she took a job as a scheduler with SSM Health, where she became intensely interested in echocardiography and decided to make it a career. She chose MATC because the college’s echocardiography program was accredited.
“That was a very big motivator for me,” she said.
She also received encouragement and support from her fiancée, Manny, to make the move to Milwaukee. “He has been my biggest supporter through my transition,” Lor said. “I wanted to change my situation. I was terrified about moving to a new city, but I took a leap of faith.”
In the fall of 2024, she took several prerequisite classes, along with electrocardiogram technician courses, at MATC. She applied to the echocardiography program, which accepts about eight students each year. She scored well on the entrance exam and was admitted in the spring of 2025.
In smaller, more personal classes, Lor thrived. “My anatomy class with (instructor) Cristine Madden was super engaging, exciting and interactive,” Lor said.
“Phoua was a really good student, always smiling,” Madden recalled. “She worked well with her classmates and was generally just a pleasure to have in class. I'm glad to hear she is a Froedtert Scholar. I'm certain she will exceed expectations.”
Her echocardiography instructors Wendy Kong and Amanda Etes also were amazing, Lor said.
“Their commitment to all of us and our success, as well as their ability to hold us all accountable for our personal growth as students and individuals, while continuing to show compassion is the perfect combination for molding intelligent, respectful, and compassionate future healthcare workers,” Lor said.
The Froedtert Hospital scholarship has provided some welcome financial relief for Lor, whose mother lives with her and her fiancée. “Part of my wanting to do better for myself is to also be able to provide a life for my mom that she was never able to have,” Lor said.
Lor is completing her clinical work through the spring of 2027. After graduation, she will take the national exams. Lor hopes to work at Froedtert Hospital. “I think that would be a great fit for me,” she said.
Lor could have her choice of destinations: The job outlook for echocardiography technologists is exceptionally strong, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment in the field is projected to grow 13% in the next few years, driven by an aging population and high rates of cardiovascular disease, the bureau reported.
Each year between 3,500 to 6,000 positions become available, with the median annual salary being $67,260; the highest earners can make more than $100,000, according to the bureau.
Following her passion to MATC was one the best decisions she had made, and receiving the Froedtert Hospital Scholarship was one of the best things that happened to her at the college.
“I feel that I would have been a little lost, even if I had stayed at Madison to get a bachelor’s degree,” Lor said. “Everything could not have worked out better. I hope others find my story interesting and relatable and apply for this scholarship. I am truly so thankful for all the donors who have invested their efforts into people like me.”
Learn more about MATC’s Cardiovascular Technology - Echocardiography program
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.