Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

Gary Baase was the first of several graduates from the innovative "2+2" Engineering program established by Gateway Technical College and the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE).

Gary earned his Electrical Engineering Technology associate degree, and then landed a two-year internship at Rockwell Automation while attending MSOE. Rockwell eventually hired him for a full-time position.

"Gateway helped me succeed at both Rockwell and at MSOE.  I use everything that I learned at Gateway all the time at work," he states.

After completing her degree in Chemical Technology, Anna worked in the microbiology lab of the children’s hospital.

"The education I received gave me a great base for furthering my education and entering the business world. Completing a degree gave me a sense of accomplishment and confidence I still carry today," she states.

Some friends took the Milwaukee police officer exam. Anna followed them, "just to see if I could pass." She decided to pursue law enforcement with the goal of entering forensic medicine. Once Anna began patrolling the streets of Milwaukee, she fell in love with the job. She rose through the ranks to Deputy Inspector. In 2007 she became Police Chief of Menomonee Falls.

Her impressive resume includes serving on the board of the Waukesha County Police Chiefs' Association and the Pardon Advisory Boards of two governors. She is currently the Chairperson for the Attorney General's Crime Victim Council.

Chuck is a professional Engineer, thanks in part to Madison College. His two-year Engineering degree allowed Chuck to get an entry-level position that eventually led to professional licensure and management.

"Smaller class sizes with good access to my teachers helped me learn the fundamentals. My skills allowed me to work on a variety of projects, gaining knowledge through experience." Chuck recalls. "As a registered professional engineer, I was able to work into project management and eventually corporate management."

Chuck has served as the City Engineer or Village Engineer for numerous municipalities in south-central Wisconsin. He specializes in site design, storm water management and erosion control.

Kelly continued working in the field of electronics while taking classes in the Automated Systems program at Blackhawk Technical College. He found the instructors very supportive and encouraging.

"I am much more confident and happy with my job, because I am actually doing what I wanted to do for years," he says.

Even Kelly's wife is happy that his new job allows Kelly to spend more time with the family. "There is no doubt things have improved for me in my life in general because of [Blackhawk Tech]," he concludes.

Amy had always planned on becoming an electrical engineer. Her first step was to enlist in the Air Force and train as an avionics technician. At Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC), she was the first student to complete the engineering transfer agreement with Marquette University and she’s now a product manager for a division of a multi-billion dollar company.

"WCTC gave me a strong technical foundation and allowed me to get involved with a wide variety of extra-curricular activities while also saving a substantial amount of money," Amy said. "I was able to gain critical life skills which have led to success in my career," she added.

After completing his degree in Lakeshore Technical College’s (LTC) Health Physics Technician program, and an internship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Jason knew he wanted to work within an academic environment. After graduation, his career began immediately at the National Institutes of Health.

"LTC was key to reaching my career goals in several ways," Jason explains. "My instructor was a fantastic teacher and career counselor. My internship developed my career interest in environmental health and safety in an academic environment and provided valuable experience on my resume."

Chippewa Valley Technical College gave Mark the opportunity to enter the workforce at Cray Research where he worked and learned from world-class engineers and scientists. He also worked directly with senior management. This experience combined with his entrepreneurial spirit helped him leverage his talents. Count among his career milestones the co-founding of two high-technology companies.

"Along the way, I have experienced virtually every aspect of starting, building and selling a corporation. This includes raising capital, intellectual property, science, engineering, product development, marketing, sales and company exits," Mark explains. "CVTC gave me a solid fundamental skill set of problem solving, communication and the ability to never stop learning."

Ron Ford’s associate of applied science degree from Moraine Park Technical College has been the springboard to a rewarding career. He is now president and CEO of the third-largest power generation company in the world.

"The education I received at Moraine Park opened doors for me that were incredible," says Ron. As president and CEO of Deutz Power Systems, he is responsible for a company that produces very large power generators and has a commitment to alternative energy. "If I didn’t have the skills learned from my associate’s degree, I wouldn’t be anywhere now," he adds.

Many technical college graduates become entrepreneurs. After two years at Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC), Mike Strand landed his first job at Cray Research and fell in love with programming.

"To go from blank screen to a finished program, you need a solid foundation of overall knowledge," Mike observes. "CVTC gave me the infrastructure to know there are answers out there—if you just go find them."

After several years in programming, Mike returned to CVTC for an electronics degree and founded his own business that produced Strandware, an award-winning bar code label software.

He also formed StrandVision in 2003. This company produces web-based digital signage software used by several Wisconsin Technical Colleges including CVTC.