Katherine Prier, an MATC graduating student majoring in Early Childhood Education, was selected as the State Ambassador, as part of a statewide program whose goal is to recognize and reward outstanding students in the Wisconsin Technical College System.For Prier to go through the process of being a State Ambassador, she had to have over 20 credits completed with a minimum GPA of 3.5. She also had to be nominated by a faculty or staff member. After she was nominated, she was interviewed by an MATC screening team. Once she was approved, she had to write a 500-word essay and submit a letter of recommendation.

As a State Ambassador, she has to be involved in the community and school. One of her jobs as a State Ambassador is to talk to students at all technical colleges in Wisconsin and inform them of Governor Jim Doyle’s budget plans. According to Prier, Doyle’s budget increases funding in the UW colleges and decreases that of the technical colleges. Her goal is to have at least 100 personal letters written by MATC students to Milwaukee district Senator Lena Taylor in hopes of turning the plan around, so that more funding will be given to the technical colleges.

Prier will graduate in December 2009, and she plans to do a lot of work as a State Ambassador until then. So far, she has attended meetings and seminars in Madison and will be attending the Lamp of Knowledge.