Today, I have skills that I can take anywhere in the world and find a job. I recommend MATC to anyone who will listen. It’s an education you can’t get anywhere else.
Sean Brkich never received a single scholarship in high school.
“Not even a small one, for like $20,” said Brkich, who graduated from West Allis Central High School in 2017.
He finally got one at Milwaukee Area Technical College, and it made all the difference in his life.
After Brkich enrolled in MATC’s Welding program in the fall of 2024, he applied for and received the Ellen & Joe Checota MATC Scholarship.
The Checota MATC Scholarship Program, which launched in August 2022, with a $5 million commitment from Milwaukee residents Ellen and Joe Checota, pays for tuition, books, supplies, meals, transportation and child care.
“I can’t tell you how helpful the Checota scholarship was,” said Brkich, who graduated with a Welding technical diploma in December 2025. “All the time I have spent at MATC has brought me to this great place and the Checota scholarship absolutely helped me get there.”
In high school, Brkich wanted to be a dermatologist. He graduated and enrolled at MATC, but he struggled during his first semester and failed almost every class.
“I discovered I really wasn’t cut out for that line of work,” he said.
The next semester, he switched to the CNC Setup and Operations program and received a certificate. After a few years, he returned to MATC and enrolled in the Welding program, despite not having any experience.
“I wanted to broaden my range of education. I love going to school and love learning new things,” he said.
The Checota MATC Scholarship Program made college easier. “With the food plan I could eat before or after class. The support I received was just tremendous. When I needed a new welding shirt, I got one,” he said. “I got very prompt responses for anything I needed or questions I had.”
Brkich spent two semesters attending welding classes at the West Allis Campus and his final semester at the MATC Education Center at Walker’s Square.
He graduated in December 2025 and soon found a job at a machine shop in Menomonee Falls.
“They contacted me and made me an offer I really couldn’t refuse,” he said. “It’s a small place with great people, about 20 employees, but I get to do a lot. I work the CNC machines and do some welding. Places like it when you are versatile and can do a lot of things. It has worked out great.”
With a technical diploma, in-demand skills and a full-time job, Brkich is eyeing a much better future.
“A few years ago, I didn’t feel like I was in a very good spot,” he said. “Today, I have skills that I can take anywhere in the world and find a job. I recommend MATC to anyone who will listen. It’s an education you can’t get anywhere else.”
Inspired by success stories like Brkich’s, the Checotas, MATC and the MATC Foundation launched the Second Ellen & Joe Checota MATC Scholarship Program in March 2026, to provide $15 million for scholarships for students in trade and technical programs who want to achieve meaningful employment or career advancement.
“The first Checota MATC Scholarship Program helped change the lives of 1,200 greater Milwaukee residents and their families,” Joe Checota said in March. “We believe the Second Checota MATC Scholarship Program will help change the lives of an additional 2,500 greater Milwaukee residents and their families.”
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.