Innovative partnership benefits students, employers & community, meeting regional needs Two miles down the road from their high school, nine Clintonville juniors and seniors attend classes at the FVTC Clintonville Regional Center. They’re learning valuable hands-on skills in industrial maintenance, and earning college credit at the same time.  “These classes are giving me skills that

Venture Center helps Steven Kettenhoven elevate his woodworking business Steve Kettenhoven Steve Kettenhoven’s passion for woodworking began 30-plus years ago when he created wooden muskie fishing lures. He had buyers, but the seasonal business wasn’t a steady source of income so he stopped. Fast forward through three decades and a few career changes, Steve is

Scholarship helps Alex Skibicki build a career in Residential Building Construction Alex Skibicki It’s clear Alex Skibicki doesn’t like to waste time. After graduating from Amherst High School last May, Alex was undecided about his future so he took a summer job in construction. Quickly realizing he liked the work but needed more training, he

Through school, clubs & networking, 20-year-old Abby Frisk is living college life to the fullest Abby Frisk Abby Frisk isn’t one to shy away from a learning opportunity. She’s a firm believer that the more you put into something, the more you get out of it. That’s why she’s jumped into college with both feet. 

Volunteering opportunities are a win-win for FVTC students and the community Learning happens in the classroom, but also in the act of giving one’s time to others. Skills like communication, accountability, initiative and teamwork are learned through real-world volunteering experiences. Acquiring them will make you a more desirable job candidate, no matter what industry you

Jen DeBraal and Jay Chang FVTC eLearning & Technology Solutions is helping Zebra Technologies train global workforce When Jen DeBraal’s senior operations manager at Zebra Technologies Corp. asked her if she could do one thing to improve processes, she didn’t hesitate to answer. “I said, ‘I want to develop a training program,” the operations manager

Student Deacon Ante takes advantage of unique automotive program Deacon Ante To understand Deacon Ante’s interest in automotive vehicle repair—specifically import vehicles—you must go back in time to when the V8 engine was cool. Commonly associated with full-size vehicles and often called gas-guzzlers, Deacon grew up with many different types of these vehicles around him.

Precision Agriculture Technician is exclusive program to FVTC Sheila Weninger Having grown up on her family’s dairy farm, Sheila Weninger knew that whatever she studied in college, she wanted a career in agriculture. Shortly after starting at Fox Valley Technical College, an elective class she chose would give her precise direction. “I took Introduction to

Spring 2021 Program boosts Ryan Lonergan’s podcast for veterans. There are two things guaranteed about Ryan Lonergan.  As a veteran who served six years in the Wisconsin Army National Guard, with one deployment to Iraq, he’s built an impressive post-military career guiding other veterans. And, the guy likes to talk. In August 2019, Ryan combined

Spring 2021 FVTC Learning Innovations team building app to help drug-endangered children.  A 13-year-old girl starts each day exhausted. She stayed up late taking care of her younger siblings. Her mom is addicted to meth. Her dad isn’t around anymore.  She didn’t have time to do her homework so she goes to school without it.

Spring 2021 Erich Korth proves a technical diploma is a career launch pad.  Erich Korth is the first to admit he didn’t have a game plan when he started in the Diesel Equipment Mechanic program at FVTC. That’s hard to believe when he explains what happened next.  After graduating from FVTC in 2000, Erich spent 12 years

Spring 2021 You have work experience. You should get credit for it. You have a successful career, but you want to go back to school. Shouldn’t you get credit for that work experience? We think so.  When COVID-19 halted work-related travel for Jenny Peterson, she decided it was time to pursue an associate degree in Business

Becky Cambridge and Kate Lulloff are Foodservice Key Account Sales Managers and Corporate Chefs at Jones Dairy Farm. Although they didn’t know each other prior to starting at Jones Dairy Farm, they quickly learned they have a strong bond: both are graduates of FVTC’s Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management programs.    What Is a Corporate Chef?  Becky: At

Scholarship helps Stacy Morton pursue goal of being a sheriff’s deputy. No one may identify with the proverb, “Sometimes you need to spend money to make money,” more than Stacy Morton. Stacy is paying her own way through Fox Valley Technical College’s Law Enforcement Academy.  “Many law enforcement agencies can sponsor recruits to go through the

Access to technology and hands-on experience was vital for Electro-Mechanical Technology grad Andy Tysver.   Andy Tysver doesn’t hesitate when asked why he chose Fox Valley Tech.   “The hands-on training. It’s the best part,” says the 2021 graduate of the Electro-Mechanical Technology program. “Here you get to work on the actual equipment that you’re going to work with

Class project leads to business startup for Business Management grad. In the final project for the Business Start-up & Launch Experience class, students are required to come up with a comprehensive business plan. As the culmination of everything they’ve learned in class, it’s an important assignment.     The idea that student Emily Nechodom came up with

Spring 2020 Home building opens a door to a new career for Appleton native Ryan Stiles. Ryan Stiles wants a career with a solid future, so the 30-year-old Air Force veteran chose the FVTC Residential Building Construction (RBC) program. “I decided on construction because of the financial possibilities in real estate,” says Stiles. “Learning how to build

Spring 2020 Navistar engine takes diesel technicians to another level of training. The diesel industry is in need of skilled technicians, and new technology at Fox Valley Technical College made training for these careers even more rewarding. The diesel programs at FVTC were among the first in the nation to use augmented reality for understanding

Spring 2020 EMT students gain real experience with simulated ambulance. There’s little room for error in the life of first responders. From day one on the job, they’re required to think on their feet and respond to the unexpected. To ensure that students in the FVTC Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) program are prepared for these

Spring 2020 Hands-on training helps Kimberly woman advance her career. “You cannot get this training from an online classroom experience,” says Kristine Van Roy of Kimberly. Van Roy is a quality analyst at Kimberly-Clark. She completed the Quality in Manufacturing certificate program in December 2019 at Fox Valley Technical College to expand her on-the-job knowledge in automated

Fall 2020 Evolving technology requires quick thinking and adaptability from Digital Marketing grads.  Based in Appleton, Homestead Studio works with eCommerce businesses globally to help them develop their sales channels. Founder and CEO Zach Stuck serves on the advisory committee for the FVTC Marketing program.  “Our biggest challenge is navigating ever-changing paid advertising platforms like Google and

Fall 2020 One-year apprenticeship program is a fast track to a promising career.  The rapidly evolving world of manufacturing is taking a familiar approach to training the next generation of workers: apprenticeship.  The one-year Industrial Manufacturing Technician (IMT) Apprentice program places students in innovative manufacturing environments to gain specific skills. The program offers 3,000 hours of real-life

Fall 2020 FVTC Global Education and construction trades team up to promote understanding, safety and productivity on job sites. Most everyone can identify a few words in Spanish but getting beyond “hola” to “hand me the hammer” takes some work. The Spanish Language & Culture for Construction course teaches English speakers functional Spanish to use

Fall 2020 Father and son Simon and Ryne Cadena of Oshkosh completed the GED-to-Work program together in Fall 2019, encouraged by Rebecca, Simon’s wife and Ryne’s mom.  Funded by a Wisconsin Fast Forward grant, the GED-to-Work program was a partnership between Pierce Manufacturing and Fox Valley Technical College and concluded in Fall 2020. Students earned

Spring 2019 Students serving as college ambassadors play a vital role in making others feel welcome.​ Angela Welch worried about fitting in when she first enrolled at Fox Valley Technical College. “I’m 52, and I didn’t know how other students and instructors would view me,” she says. “On the first day, I realized that accepting

Spring 2019 IN PHOTO: Mary Kamps (left) with FVTC Account Manager Rachel Johnson FVTC is developing leaders for a major financial corporation.​ Headquartered in Green Bay, Capital Credit Union (CCU) needed help developing leadership-level talent. “We had branch manager positions open but didn’t always have employees prepared to fill them,” recalls Mary Kamps, vice president of learning and

Spring 2019 The first FVTC Promise scholarship graduate walked the stage.​ Redgranite native Olivia Arreola graduated in December 2018 from Fox Valley Technical College with an associate degree in Industrial Welding Technology—something the 19-year-old once thought was nearly impossible. “College was not on my radar until I heard about the Promise scholarship,” she says. “It helped

Spring 2019 It’s never too late for a new direction.   When Shelly Platten’s youngest child went to college, she began re-evaluating her career. “I had competed in numerous national recipe contests and even won awards outside of my work as a restaurant manager,” she says. “I couldn’t, however, advance my career after a decade of

Fall 2019 Law enforcement recruits give back while learning about the community.  Tim Hufschmid recalls a defining moment that illustrates the character of his Law Enforcement Recruit Academy students whenever they volunteer together. “A few years ago while volunteering at the Fox Cities Marathon, some recruits noticed an older military veteran struggling to finish,” recalls FVTC’s law

Fall 2019 A Neenah High grad found momentum in her interest in nursing.  A health careers class in high school pointed Mikayla East in the right direction. Enthused about a nursing career but not knowing where to start, she discovered that FVTC offered a Certified Nursing Assistant course at her high school. That one class sparked an

Fall 2019 Automotive program revs up Omro grad’s career. Theo Kretzmann loves working on cars, so when he had an opportunity to take automotive classes, he jumped at the chance.  While attending Omro High School, he enrolled in the Automotive Youth Education Systems (AYES) program. Through AYES, high school juniors and seniors come to FVTC and learn

Fall 2019 A Kaukauna High grad organized his future thanks to dual credit.    While in high school, once Trevor Spoehr discovered that machinists make a good living and are always busy, he was all in. After graduating in 2019, Trevor immediately took a summer course at FVTC and is well into the Machine Tool Technician two-year program.

Spring 2018 Melissa Groeschel (left) Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society members are helping others attain a college education.​ Current FVTC students have stepped up to help scholars of the Fox Valley Technical College Foundation Promise program.The Promise provides free tuition for lower-income high school seniors who plan to attend the college. One of those students is

Spring 2018 Dorea Lauer The FVTC Foundation made it possible for an OTA student to connect her passions with a great career.​ Dorea Lauer, an 18-year-old from New London, set her sights on a career as an Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) after she volunteered at a summer camp for children with autism. “I really want to work with

Spring 2018 Michelle Manthey & Tim Parsons Wautoma siblings Michelle Manthey and Tim Parsons are enjoying rewarding careers at global companies. What did you enjoy most about your FVTC education? Michelle: When I started in Fox Valley Tech’s Administrative Assistant Information Processing program, computers were becoming the future. Both my computer and administrative skill sets gave

Spring 2018 Tiffani Ebben A recent business grad opens an award-winning bridal store​. Tiffani Ebben, a 29-year-old Kimberly native, enrolled in Fox Valley Technical College’s Business Management program to learn how to become an entrepreneur. “I always wanted to be my own boss, and Fox Valley Tech gave me the tools to succeed,” she says. Ebben thought of a

Fall 2018 Mary Blavat This grad credits BizSquad for hands-on practice in career-building skills.​ Mary Blavat’s exemplary classwork earned her a spot on a recent BizSquad student team. “I was honored to be accepted into the program,” she states. “BizSquad gives students a chance to solve real business problems for area companies while learning how to work

Fall 2018 Heather Beil This Hilbert native found career success testing food for a prominent corporation.    ​ Heather Beil knew in high school that she wanted to make a career out of working in a lab setting. Fox Valley Technical College helped make that goal a reality. “I’ve always been intrigued by the sanitation side of

Fall 2018 Jorge Reyes Entrepreneur Jorge Reyes fell in love with technology while learning English.​ Originally from Toluca, Mexico, 38-year-old Jorge Reyes once planned for a career in his native land as an English translator. “I started at Fox Valley Tech by taking English Language Learning (ELL) classes,” he says. “At the same time, I enrolled in

Fall 2018 Randy Tuma An environmental director oversees an expanding organization thanks to FVTC. ​ Randy Tuma, a 1999 Natural Resources graduate from Fox Valley Technical College, has put his education to use by managing one of the region’s best-known conservation organizations—the Gordon Bubolz Nature Preserve. The nonprofit Appleton gem features 700 acres of diverse land, and it underwent

Spring 2017 FVTC’s Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society opens doors to leadership, networking, scholarships and more. PHOTO: PTK President Amber Stanczak and PTK Vice President Jason Lilly (right of table) meet with PTK advisors Jennifer McIntosh and Wolfgang Wallschlager. Joining Fox Valley Technical College’s Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society chapter was a real game-changer for

Spring 2017 Employment Connections matches skill with the ever-changing needs of employers. Showing people how to find the right career is a passion for Chris Czarnik, manager of Employment Connections at Fox Valley Technical College. He believes the key is learning how to network. “About 75% of job openings are never posted,” Czarnik says. “The problem is

Spring 2017 Brian Davis invented cycling and outdoor products with the help of FVTC’s Fab Lab and 1 Million Cups. Inventor Brian Davis turned his passion for bike riding into a full-time career. “I am not an engineer, but I love finding better ways to do things,” says the 40-year-old Appleton resident and former sales

Spring 2017 The 31-year-old executive chef is in charge of creating memorable entrees for major conferences and events at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Green Bay. What first brought you to FVTC? I first learned about Fox Valley Technical College from a family friend who took the Culinary Arts program and told my mother how

Fall 2017 Paralegal students expand free legal clinic in the Fox Valley. PHOTO: Paralegal instructor Christine Perkovich O’Brien (left) and her students (left to right, front row) Toni Hasenfus, Jeremy Schoenike and Anna McGraw presented the concept of expanding the free legal clinics to Outagamie County judges and court commissioners. Prior to graduating from Fox Valley

Fall 2017 Amy Pietsch with Envoy trainees New training modeled after successful program is assisting military veterans with their small business plans.  Earlier this year, Fox Valley Technical College’s Venture Center received a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs to offer the region’s first-ever entrepreneur initiative for military veterans. “The funding provides professional support and

Alesha Handa Fall 2017 The Seeds of Hope fund celebrates 10 years of helping students deal with life’s unexpected moments. Founded 10 years ago by Fox Valley Technical College employees and managed by the FVTC Foundation, the Seeds of Hope (SOH) fund helps students cover expenses resulting from personal emergency situations. “Many students would have fallen

Fall 2017 Byron Tasch The 40-year-old inspector for Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company travels Wisconsin to ensure that boilers, air tanks and all other types of pressure equipment are operating safely and effectively. What first brought you to FVTC? As a millwright, my company sent me to Fox Valley Tech’s Chilton Regional Center to take

Spring 2016 Chuck Duginski (left) and Nick VanderHeyden With the help of the FVTC Venture Center, a wide range of services are under one roof in Wisconsin’s first manufacturing mall. Longtime business associates Chuck Duginski, owner of Grassroots Machining, and Nick VanderHeyden, owner of Industrial Machine Services and apprenticeship completer of Fox Valley Technical College,

Spring 2016 U.S. Air Force veteran Kim Warriner is enjoying a new career in supply chain management. When Kim Warriner was displaced from her job at a paper converting company, she decided to use that experience to build on a personal interest in supply chain management. “I knew it was a growing and high-demand career

Spring 2016 Virtual hospital provides ER staff with state-of-the-art simulation training. ThedaCare, Wisconsin’s third-largest health care employer, looked to Fox Valley Technical College’s Health Simulation & Technology Center (HSTC) for the best in Emergency Room (ER) training. “We brought 240 ER staff members from all seven hospitals to Fox Valley Tech,” says Ann Taake, ER

Spring 2016 FVTC matches immigrant students with regional employers that need certified nursing assistants. Whenever a large community initiative goes into full gear, Fox Valley Technical College is often involved in some capacity. The FVTC Foundation, the college’s Global Education & Services department and Health division represent the latest project—one of global proportions. Working with area health

Fall 2016 Cody Leahy Recent FVTC grad Cody Leahy’s experience included a gold-medal performance at the national SkillsUSA competition. Representing Fox Valley Technical College, Cody Leahy outperformed participants from 13 other schools at the 53rd annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference this past summer in Louisville, Kentucky. “It was a blast!” states Leahy, a 22-year-old Markesan

Fall 2016 Automotive Youth Education Systems (AYES) and FVTC are working to get more students into automotive technology careers. Through a partnership with Automotive Youth Education Systems, or AYES, Fox Valley Technical College is providing classes in basic automotive technology, collision repair and diesel technology to area high school juniors and seniors. “There is a critical

Fall 2016 Sgt. Wang Lee The 37-year-old sergeant with the Outagamie County Sheriff’s department is a graduate of both Fox Valley Technical College’s Criminal Justice Law Enforcement(now known as Criminal Justice) and Recruit Academy (now known as Criminal Justice – Law Enforcement 720 Academy) programs. What first brought you to FVTC? My parents were immigrants from the Southeast Asia peninsula and

Fall 2016 Jake Reedy Jake Reedy got a great job offer before he completed his Electro-Mechanical Technology degree at FVTC. Jake Reedy, a 21-year-old Waupaca native, attended his first job fair at Fox Valley Technical College in fall of 2015 on advice from his instructor. There he discovered that Great Northern Corporation, a diversified manufacturing company

Spring 2015 Winnebago County sheriff finds all of his department’s training needs at FVTC. As one of the region’s public safety leaders involved in helping shape the development of Fox Valley Technical College’s Public Safety Training Center (PSTC), Winnebago County Sheriff John Matz and his department are already impressed with the facility. “The college missed nothing when

Spring 2015 Appleton native Bryce Sternhagen is doubly committed to a career in public service. For 20-year-old Bryce Sternhagen, success is all about setting goals and gaining as much education and experience as possible. The double-major student at Fox Valley Technical College is enrolled in both the Fire Protection Technician and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) programs while working part-time.

Spring 2015 Begin your career now in the high-demand industry of precision farming. In addition to changing the way farmers approach their work, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) technology is demanding a new set of skills for everyone involved. “Using GPS to precisely track what’s being done in farm fields puts focus on the production and

Spring 2015 Bergstrom Automotive and the FVTC Foundation team up to fill high-demand careers in the automotive retail industry. Bergstrom Automotive, the leading automotive retailer in Wisconsin, is partnering with the Fox Valley Technical College Foundation to jumpstart careers for qualified auto technicians. “We’ve had a 20-plus-year partnership with Fox Valley Technical College for brand-specific technician training

Fall 2015 When two Fox Valley Tech IT students met in class, their friendship launched a booming business. When Dustin White and Jim Dobinski met 15 years ago in Web Development and Programming classes at Fox Valley Technical College, White was a recent high school graduate and computer enthusiast and Dobinski was an experienced businessman.

Fall 2015 Waupaca Foundry’s new training assessment programs identify and build skills, reduce downtime and increase productivity. VIEW PHOTO GALLERY BELOW A leading producer of iron castings, Waupaca Foundry looked to Fox Valley Technical College’s Business & Industry Services team to develop, test and implement its new maintenance and electrical assessment programs. By using hands-on real-time tests, the assessments

Fall 2015 A new partnership with Oshkosh Corporation is helping make the Public Safety Training Center the best facility in the nation for fire training. Pierce Manufacturing and its parent company, Oshkosh Corporation, raised an already exemplary bar in best practice training for firefighters at Fox Valley Technical College by providing the institution with a

Fall 2015 One grad nails down a great career with a premier home builder. Spencer Collin found the perfect career while in high school. The 19-year-old New Franken native first heard about Fox Valley Technical College’s Residential Building Construction program while attending Luxemburg-Casco High School. “I always liked building things,” he says. “After hearing about the program,

Spring 2014 At age 26, Jim Peterson has already come a long way in his career field. The recent graduate of Fox Valley Technical College’s Construction Management Technology program is a project engineer for Catalyst Construction, a residential and commercial builder in Milwaukee. “I do whatever it takes to make sure a job gets done right,” he

Spring 2014 Tom Thiel is more than the lead guitarist in the award-winning rock band Boxkar. The 45-year-old Appleton native also just completed the Information Technology (IT) Software Developer program at Fox Valley Technical College and is pursuing another degree in Web Development and Design. “I wanted to learn something that was practical and usable in the real world,”

Spring 2014 Twenty-four-year-old David Zalusky joined the military while still in high school. After a stint conducting military police operations in Iraq, the Appleton native enrolled at Fox Valley Technical College on the GI Bill.  Today, Zalusky maintains a full-time paid internship at Pierce Manufacturing while pursuing his bachelor’s degree. He also serves as a

Spring 2014 Pat Salm (center) with employees & fellow FVTC grads Pat Salm believes there is a great future in what some see as an old-fashioned career. “Today, professional craftsmanship requires a strong high-tech skill base as well as an artistic dedication to quality,” says the 32-year-old co-owner of Ideal Cabinetry in Appleton. “As the

Fall 2014 Scholarships from the Fox Valley Technical College Foundation helped two recent agribusiness grads continue family traditions. Kaitlyn Tesch, a 20-year old Oconto Falls native, received both the Heartland Women for Agriculture and Fox Valley Technical College Foundation scholarships. A fifth-generation dairy farmer, Tesch always knew she wanted to study agriculture. “I was just going to take

Fall 2014 No two days are alike for IT grad Josh Breyer, thanks to Fox Valley Technical College. A lifelong technology enthusiast, Hortonville native Josh Breyer has always been interested in how computer systems work. “I wanted a tech college rather than a four-year school to help me launch my career faster,” he says. “I

Fall 2014 Q & A with Truck Driving Grad Robin Grapa The 35-year-old Phillips, Wisconsin, native is seeing the country while enjoying a great career with V&S Midwest Carriers. What first brought you to Fox Valley Technical College? A few years ago my husband, Adam, and I started talking about driving truck over the road

Fall 2014 The new Student Success Center brings achievement to students through many supportive resources. This September marked the opening of the two-story Student Success Center (SSC) at Fox Valley Technical College’s Appleton campus, a result of the college’s successful 2012 public referendum that passed by a two-to-one margin. The new facility is designed to