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February 2022 | Volume 19, Number 2 Amber Patterman, Western graduate and Western faculty member A publication for alumni & friends of Western Technical College WESTERN C O NN E C T IN THIS ISSUE - Amber Patterman - College News - Alumni News - Where Are They Now?— Dan Rooney - Classnotes - In Memoriam2 We are excited to be back on campus—in person, once again! The campus energy is genuinely appreciated after a long time apart. This edition of Western Connect is full of exciting things on campus and in the community. In addition, our alumni board is growing. We are excited to introduce two new members, MacKenze Ramsey ’16 and McKayla Haldorson ’17 (learn more about our new members inside this edition.) The board looks forward to holding in-person events we have had to put on hold or cancel over the last 18+ months. Finding additional ways to connect with Western alumni and current students is significant and enjoyable work. As I have mentioned before, the extensive impact Western grads have on this community and beyond is remarkable. We want to hear about your accomplishments and progress after Western. I urge you all to reach out and share your post- Western story or any updates, large or small. Stay healthy and happy, everyone. Very Sincerely, Stephanie Knutson Alumni Relations Coordinator Western Connect is published twice a year for alumni and friends of Western Technical College. Western Technical College President: Roger Stanford, Ph.D. Writer/Editor: Lauri Hoff ’00 | Editor: Leah Call | Contributing Writers: Stephanie Knutson, Eric Jacobson Alumni Relations Coordinator: Stephanie Knutson Graphic Designer: Sharon Burchardt ’91, ’93 | Photographer: Jayme Hansen ’98 Western Technical College is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action. Accommodation requests, or questions and complaints about discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation should be directed to the Employment, Benefits, and EEO Manager, 608-785-9274 or TTY 608-785-9551. We are back! 22-FA-0156 Stephanie Knutson These benefits and services are just for you! Career Resources | Insurance Alumni Marketplace | Shopping Discounts Athletic Event Admission Library Services | Wellness Center Discount Email Address | Alumni Scholarship Visit westerntc.edu/alumni > Services and Benefits for details. Attention alumni ! westerntc.edu/alumni Connect with us!Construction on Western’s state-of- the art Apprenticeship and Industry Training Center quietly reached completion during the pandemic and has been home to apprenticeship students since. This fall, Western officially opened the doors to their newly remodeled center with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The building was once a grocery store, but now houses many lab spaces that mimic an authentic A long-awaited ceremony College News Keep up to date on all of Western’s news at westerntc.edu/news Operation Next—free career-focused education for military personnel and their spouses Operation Next provides flexible training in high-demand manufacturing careers for transitioning military personnel of the Wisconsin Guard and Reserve, their spouses, and dependents. The training is fast and flexible, because it unites online, self-paced learning with self-scheduled lab hours to practice what you learned on real-world industry equipment. Operation Next is enrolling for the Computer Numeric Control (CNC) Operator and Robotics Technician programs at Western. Operation Next is available at no cost to members of the Wisconsin Guard and Reserve, their spouses, and dependents. To learn more, visit www.westerntc.edu/ operation-next and opnextjobs.com. Enroll in Operation Next! A proven job skills training program that prepares you for a rewarding, well-paying career while you serve.Training begins in fall 2022. For more information, contact: Western Technical College Business and Industry Services 608-785-9232 | BIS@westerntc.edu 3 work environment with industry-standard equipment. All Western apprentice and trades students learn on the latest technology. To learn more about Western’s apprenticeship programs visit www.westerntc.edu/ apprenticeship .4 Amber Patterman , a 2013 Western graduate, is currently on her second term teaching Anatomy and Physiology to Western students. Her journey started at Western as a student just over a decade ago. After branching out to acquire experience and knowledge, she’s returned to Western to stay. A life well planned and organized is a desirable thing. Patterman’s post high school journey of self- discovery began at Western in 2011. Like her role model and sister Brandi before her, Amber chose to attend Western for general education classes. She played on the basketball and volleyball teams and had a work-study job on campus. She loved her Western experience and still recommends it to anyone. The small class sizes felt perfect for student discussions and establishing a relaxed rapport while easily connecting with instructors. Also, everything you need is on campus! Patterman attended all three of La Crosse’s postsecondary schools: Western, Viterbo, and UW-L. After two years at Western, she transferred to Viterbo to study dietetics and nutrition and continued playing basketball. While there, she had the insight to set up a job shadow as a hospital dietary aid and found it lacking and not what she envisioned. Patterman found hospital patients were deeply set in their habits and rarely took advice, which can be deflating while simultaneously robbing an expert of their purpose. Patterman’s tip for a better life: “Deciding on a college major is a huge decision; I fully recommend doing a job shadow before applying to the program. The job will always be different than what you imagined. Get those shadow hours in before deciding on a major—you’ll be glad you did.” Patterman then changed course slightly and finished her bachelor’s degree in exercise science at UW-L. Working on the proactive-preventative side of healthcare was always appealing to Patterman, so she took a health and wellness educator position at Anytime Fitness in Minneapolis. With a passion for health and fitness, Patterman places hefty value on educating engaged and interested clients about their wellness. She worked hard to gain this specialized knowledge and has a great personal need to help people. While working at Anytime Fitness, Patterman set up a job shadow at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, but COVID got in the way, and she deferred the plan. Amber’s noteworthy 10-year challenge Amber Patterman teaching Western students in her Anatomy and Physiology class. “I wanted something more challenging intellectually, more open, and I prefer the academic setting.” —Amber Patterman, Western instructor5 Succumbing to the lure of La Crosse again, Patterman was accepted to UW-L’s accelerated master’s program in Clinical Exercise Physiology and graduated after 15 crushingly rigorous months. As a grad assistant, she found she liked teaching and had a talent for it. Looking back now, she realizes she’s always loved teaching and has a knack for relating to students and deciphering their needs. Patterman’s intuition is an often-called-upon skill for the notoriously tough healthcare gatekeeper class. Patience and compassion for different lives and difficulties is often a great equalizer. Patterman worked as an exercise physiologist in a hospital before deciding she preferred the academic setting. When the health science instruction position opened at Western, she was ready for it. Patterman explains, “I wanted something more challenging intellectually, more open, and I prefer the academic setting. This teaching job is something that challenges me every single day. Every student is so different that I’m being challenged in different ways and in sharp contrast to medical patients whose issues come with specific protocols. But with teaching, there’s no handbook to it; every day is problem-solving on your own. I love, love teaching! This is my second term, and I feel like this is what I’m supposed to do. I found my purpose and my challenge.” Patterman is currently happy, fulfilled, and making a meaningful difference in students’ lives. However, she is still tending to her path. Patterman refers to herself as a forever student and lifelong learner who needs to be challenged. A fulfilling career and life were— and is—always the end goal, and it takes a lifetime to achieve it! Amber was a student employee for the Marketing department during her time at Western and participated in many photo shoots. She was also a member of Western’s basketball and volleyball teams. (2011-2012 and 2012-2013 seasons)6 College News Keep up to date on all of Western’s news at westerntc.edu/news Isaiah Foster invests in people. Whether he’s enthralling children and corporate executives alike with his top-tier magic show or preparing Western students for a brighter future, he is making a meaningful impact. Foster has a nursing degree and a master’s degree in exercise science with an emphasis on pulmonary rehabilitation. He loved working in the medical field and discovered he has a natural gift for teaching while finding great value in it. In 2009, he tried something new and applied for a health science instruction position at Western; he’s been changing student lives since. The notoriously challenging anatomy and physiology class is his specialty. Foster’s personal history shapes the way he teaches and the rapport he develops with his students. He comes from a single-parent family, has lived with economic insecurities, and experienced different levels of education. He has a real grasp of the difficulties that can derail even the most dedicated student. He’s experienced some all-too-familiar hardships and remains amazed, impressed, and bewildered by students who have children and jobs to tend to while also trying to get an education. The reality is that $500 can make or break a tenuous situation; that kind of uncertainty is exhausting and distracting. For that reason, Foster established a scholarship for single parents to be used on basic needs— wherever it’s needed most. Keeping students on track is Foster’s specialty. He is keenly aware of what his students need to know and when they need to know it. A trained life coach, his open communication helps him intuit student needs. He deduces when a student is in the wrong program and will guide them toward another. Foster’s inherent need to make each student a focus serves him well in his challenging human biology classes. His anatomy and physiology class success rate continually improves. A bit of a performer in the classroom, some say Foster’s anatomy and physiology class is touched by magic. If you haven’t experienced the pleasure of Isaiah Foster’s comedy magic show, The Magic of Isaiah , you are implored to do so. His love of performing magic and delighting audiences has been with him since childhood, and it shows. Magic, much like learning—and everything else in life—is more effective when enjoyed together. Thank you Isaiah Foster! Isaiah Foster: grassroots magician and education equalizer Isaiah Foster in the classroom with Western students.7 College News Wisconsin is a native word, coming from the Ojibwe name for the Wisconsin River, Wishkonsing. The Driftless area is rich with meaningful native history. With reverence and purpose, Western Human Services program students created a beautiful exhibit of American Indian student stories, photography, and writing. These stories of strength, determination, survival, joy, passion, and pride were collected in an extensive interview project. The tribute is a beautiful exploration of the cultural experiences of Western students from the Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Stockbridge Flowers of nations—stories of strength Munsee Mohican, Oneida, Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa, and Constance Lake Cree Nations. “The words of those interviewed are powerful and ask us to both honor strength through healing and dismantle injustice,” said Kirsten Moffler-Daykin, Learning Commons manager at Western. “This tribute celebrates our storytellers who draw strength from their family, culture, land, personal triumphs, and their future goals.” This exhibit is on permanent display in Western’s Learning Commons . OF MANY NATIONS STUDENT STORIES OF STRENGTH FLOWERS8 Cavalier Cupboard is serving students better than ever College News A new report from Western’s department of Equity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement shows use of the on-campus food pantry, the Cavalier Cupboard, declined during the 2020-21 academic year, yet still served hundreds of students and families during the pandemic. The annual report showed the total amount of students and families served was 416 throughout the academic year. In total, 76 students used the service over a course of 184 total visits to the pantry amid health and safety protocols. Forty-two students received a holiday meal package for the winter break in December 2021. All students are invited to use it as needed—another resource established to ensure student success. The Cavalier Cupboard was started in 2014 by a Western student who recognized the need to provide food for students. Since opening, the pantry has served over 5,000 students and their families. To learn more about the Cavalier Cupboard, visit www.westerntc.edu/food-pantry . “Provided that the majority of campus was shut down over the last year, we are very pleased with these numbers,” said Kari Reyburn, director of Equity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement at Western. “While our community continues to return to normal, we know food insecurity is not going away and our need will increase as students return to campus.” Saving local students millions by earning college credit for free A new report from Western’s K-12 Relations department shows Transcripted Credit saved local students roughly $1.8 million in 2020-21, a jump of nearly $500,000 from the year prior, despite COVID restrictions. Transcripted Credit is a growing program in which high school teachers are certified to teach certain college courses based on educational credentials, professional experiences, and yearly training with Western faculty. Once a student passes the course, the grade is placed on their Western transcript—earning college credit for free! The latest report shows the number of students taking advantage of the Transcripted Credit program rose from 2,632 in 2019 to 3,609 in 2021. In total, area students and school districts saved $1,877,182.90 through Transcripted Credit at Western last year, a sharp increase from the year prior. Twenty-seven schools in Western’s district participate in the program. “While a big reason for the increases this year were due to expanded classrooms in light of COVID-19, we are pleased with these numbers,” said Tyler Ludeking , K-12 Relations Specialist at Western. “This is about building strong relationships with our K-12 partners, and it only continues to grow.” To learn more about Western’s dual credit options, visit www.westerntc.edu/earn-college-credit- high-school .Western welcomes first-ever Esports team and competitive season Western has entered the esports world with an official team, and there are plenty of opportunities to spectate and participate. Esports—what you need to know about Western’s newest competitive team. Esports are video games played in an organized and highly competitive environment. Gamers from across the globe showcase their finely honed gaming skills against teams close and far. Western is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association Esports (NJCAAE) where student-athletes compete against other junior college student-athletes in an official and organized capacity. When it comes to games, there are many options: top choices range from team-focused multiplayer battles to single-player shooters and virtual sports play, including popular titles such as Valorant, Super Smash Bros, and the Madden series. The Western Arena is equipped with next-gen PlayStation and Xbox systems and two Nintendo Switch consoles, and 10 Computers with i7 processors and 3070 GPUs. How can I become a fan? If you’re interested in watching the action, you can raise your spectator game by streaming the official Western Twitch channel live www.twitch.tv/westerntcesports whenever there’s a session. If any Western students are into a low-key recreational gaming experience, you can access the Cavalier Arena gaming facility for casual play and practice for a small per-semester fee. Get all the details by contacting the athletics department at WesternTC.edu/Esports . 9 College News Jarico “I love sports, especially basketball, and I’ve been playing for years. But when I found out that Western has an Esports team, I jumped at the chance to join. I can say that mentally, Esports is more intense, especially the team aspect—there are changing strategies and response styles through unspoken communication. I’ve been playing video games since childhood; my first console was a PlayStation 1 and my first game was Pac-Man—I’ve always loved it.” Sydney “I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this for a long time, it’s pretty unique. The arena is super nice, too. My game specialty is Call of Duty and as the captain of this team, I practice a lot. I’m trying to recruit more women to the team because it’s really fun and the friendship bonds are instant!”Next >