Focus 2026

Ben Fouts was running his own home construction company when an FVTC job posting kept catching his eye. He finally decided to go for it and now, two years later, is a full-time faculty member in the Residential Building Construction program. And while he loved having his own business, he’s found that working with students

Caedence Porrey always knew she wanted to earn a bachelor’s degree. She just wasn’t sure where to start. “When I first started looking at schools, I realized how expensive it can get,” she says. “Then I learned that I could take all my general education courses at Fox Valley Technical College and transfer them to

When Logan Nikolai was 13, he pulled on a welding helmet for the first time. The bead he laid that day on a metal door at the Kids Kart Club shop in Neenah wasn’t perfect, but it was enough to spark something lasting. Inspired by his grandfather, he had spent years helping build go‑karts, fixing

You won’t find Jeffrey Wiley sitting behind a desk. “I always have to be doing something,” Jeffrey says. “I can’t sit still. If I’m not working with my hands, I start to get anxious.” His current project is his farmhouse in Berlin, Wisconsin, which he’s remodeling (next up: flooring) and figuring out along the way.

Before Kyle Radmer started as a full-time student at Fox Valley Technical College, he was already working to calm the nerves that come with starting something new. The summer before his first semester at FVTC, he enrolled in two courses; not to get ahead, but to adjust to college life. It was not the first

Margarita Velasco grew up in Fond du Lac and chose to build her life and career there. After starting in finance, Margarita returned to school to pursue her dream of becoming a police officer. At FVTC, she earned an associate degree in Criminal Justice and immediately entered the FVTC Law Enforcement Recruit Academy, sponsored by

Jasmine Jackson’s path to becoming a nurse began long before she stepped into a classroom. Growing up in Chicago, she became a caregiver at an early age when she helped her ailing grandmother with such things as meals and laundry. “I’ve always been a caretaker,” she shares. “It just comes naturally; I want to make

Twenty years ago, Joey Reader was organizing employee appreciation events from inside a corporate HR office. Today, she is the president and founder of A-mazing Events, a full-service event management company in Kimberly, WI, specializing in corporate and nonprofit gatherings. Joey’s background in human resources gave her first-hand experience in planning everything from holiday parties

The Fox Valley Technical College Foundation is celebrating another season of impact—one that is making a meaningful difference for hundreds of students who recently started their spring 2026 semester. Following the Fall 2025 application cycle, the FVTC Foundation awarded $378,195 in scholarship support to 460 students, selected from nearly 930 applicants. For many recipients, an