A fond farewell: Editor-in-Chief’s final words

I’ll be honest. I procrastinated on writing this piece because I realize what it means. I realize that this farewell represents the literal and figurative closing of a chapter in my life. I am forced to leave the comfort, support and camaraderie that I have known and come to rely on.

When I first enrolled at MATC in January of 2015 it was because I was searching. Prior to 2015 I worked as a real estate agent and I was actually pretty good at it. I was in a wonderful point in my career where I started to receive referrals, I was respected by colleagues and friends, and I actually knew what I was doing. But something was nagging at me, I wanted to do more. I always had this dream of being on the radio and in the entertainment field. I kept it a secret from most people because it was not practical and it sounded silly to “chase my dreams.” So it was a shock to most people around me when I announced my retirement from real estate in the fall of 2014.

I will be honest. I did not know exactly where to go or how to start. I couldn’t find any roadmap for starting the journey to living your dreams. But life has a funny way of rising up to meet your expectations. One night I entered “radio broadcast degree milwaukee” into a search engine and the MATC audio production program was first in the search. I clicked the link and I was intrigued. I knew I had zero background in music and production, but from my research I knew that having a foundation of knowledge in audio and recording could only help me in my goals. So I applied right away, was admitted, and had a schedule for classes. I had no clue about music notes, setting up a drum kit or anything about recording but I showed up to class. I was not sure exactly how this would fit into the story of my life, but after my first semester of classes I was certain I was doing the right thing. Even though many people around me could not connect the dots on leaving a real estate career behind, enrolling in a technical college and starting a whole new career – I know that enrolling at MATC is one of the best decisions that I have ever made.

Naturally the coursework provided a huge boost in my confidence along with my career preparation, but the relationships that I have built and the connections I formed are priceless. So it is only fitting that I name and thank all of those who supported me on the journey to living my dream.

Instructors:

Matthew Smith – Thank you for spending so much time getting me audio ready.

Benjamin Hans – Thank you for all of the opportunities you helped me secure.

Jody Balzer – I hated math before you. Thank you for teaching me the language.

Dr. Liana Odrcic – Your summer English changed my life in ways you never knew. Thank you.

Jennifer Medved – To the coolest library librarian and instructor. Thank you.

Paul Walenta – Thank you for giving me that extra push I needed to cross the finish line.

Ms. Rachael Koppel – The tools and skills I learned in your class I use almost each day. Thank you.

Advisers:

Bob Hanson – Thank you for seeing something in me and always believing in me and knowing that I could do more even when I did not think I could. You knew from a writer, I could become an editor, from an editor to a business manager, and ultimately editor-in-chief.

James Reith – Thank you for leading me when I had no clue on when, where or how to start.

Jenny McGilligan – Your advising started with career and internships, but has extended far beyond. Thank you.