For Immediate Release
Contact: Daniel Wackershauser, Marketing Specialist
Phone: 608.822.2303
Mail: 1800 Bronson Blvd., Fennimore, WI 53809
Date of Release: April 24, 2020
Leatherberry to represent Southwest Tech as state student ambassador
Fennimore -Karlee Leatherberry, Viola, Wis., will serve the next year as Southwest Wisconsin Technical College’s state student ambassador. This program includes representation from all 16 Wisconsin Technical College System institutions. The annual spring banquet in Wisconsin Dells for the ambassadors has been postponed until Nov. 2, due to COVID-19 precautions.
Leatherberry is finishing her first year in the agribusiness science and technology/agronomy program. She was initially introduced to Southwest Tech through a high school visit. “I loved that there were cornfields right next to campus and I felt like I was at home,” she said. “The environment was so friendly. Everyone was so nice. I knew I just had to go (here.)”
Since her freshman year in high school, Leatherberry knew she wanted a career in agriculture. “I grew up on a farm,” she said. “I knew enough about crops growing up on a farm, but I definitely didn’t know everything, so I chose it. Now I love it and I love everything about it. Jamie (Horsfall) is such a good teacher.”
The hands-on experiences throughout the program are something that Leatherberry really enjoys. “It makes it much more interesting,” she said.
Leatherberry explained that her dad and grandpa are always curious about what she is learning in her classes. She is taking that knowledge back to the family farm. “I’ll bring home my notes from field trips and my dad will read through all of it,” she said. “He loves it.”
Leatherberry recently started an internship at Premier Coop in Richland Center. Following her Southwest Tech education, she would like to work for a cooperative.
As part of the state student ambassador selection, Leatherberry will receive a $1,250 scholarship from Baird, the sole sponsor of the program.
The objectives of the WTCS Ambassador program are to:
- foster public awareness and appreciation for the high-quality system of technical education that contributes to the state’s economy and its communities;
- highlight the technical skills, academic achievements, community impact and leadership – in the classroom, workplace and community – of Wisconsin’s technical college students and graduates;
- encourage ongoing collaboration in the delivery of technical education among state and local education, workforce and economic development, and industry partners;
- emphasize the uniquely valuable role of affordable, flexible and responsive technical education in an era of rapid change in the workplace and in every facet of a modern economy; and
- inspire pride in technical education among students, graduates and all involved in its delivery.
| Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is one of 16 institutions that comprise the Wisconsin Technical College System. Southwest Tech offers more than 60 programs in a wide variety of disciplines. Courses are offered on campus, online and in a blended format. The college provides apprenticeship, certificate, technical diploma, and associate degree programs that respond to district workforce needs and prepare student for family-sustaining jobs and career advancement. |