Dave Birkelo | ’87 Microcomputer Accounting Assistant graduate
We have a number of Southwest Tech alumni who have returned to campus as employees of the college. We wanted to shine the spotlight on them and share their Southwest Tech story.
Dave Birkelo is a 1987 Microcomputer Accounting Assistant program graduate who is now an Information Technology instructor.
Why did you choose Southwest Tech?
I kind of ended up here by accident! I grew up on a small dairy farm by Soldiers Grove in the North Crawford school district so ‘Southwest Wisconsin Vocational-Technical Institute’ (our name back then), was the technical college for our district. I was in the first class in high school that had an opportunity to take a computer programming class which is how I became interested in computers in the first place. One of my best friends was also in the class and after graduation, he was admitted into the Computer Programming program at the technical college in La Crosse (Western). I wasn’t initially interested in going onto college so I worked on our farm and at the tobacco pool in Viroqua for a year. By the next summer, my friend had talked me into joining him so I applied at Western. By the middle of July of that year, I was all set to go to college in La Crosse. I had a place to live, I was registered for classes in the same Computer Programming program, etc., all I had to do was show up! That is when I got “THE LETTER!”
What many current students don’t know is that there was something called “out-of-district tuition” at that time. You could apply and attend any other technical college if the college in your district did not offer the same program. The year prior to when I had applied, Southwest Tech did not have a computer programming program so my friend was allowed to go to Western without having to pay the out-of-district tuition rate which was about triple the normal rate. But they had just started the program when I had applied so I was left with the decision to pay out of district tuition or attend Southwest Tech. I couldn’t afford or justify paying triple the tuition so I chose Southwest Tech. With less than a month before I was set to start, I had to withdraw from the program at Western, get out of my living arrangement, apply and register at Southwest Tech, and find a place to live.
What impact did the College have on your career?
I have thought back on that turn of events before and it always comes back to how that one letter that I received from someone in Student Services at Southwest Tech forever changed my future. I really believe that! It’s one of those things that you don’t think about at the time but I highly doubt I would have ended up here at the college if it hadn’t been for that letter. All of my siblings moved to the Janesville area along with my parents when they retired and sold our farm so more than likely I would have ended up somewhere closer to that area.
Tell me about your career path after graduation. How did you get to where you are now?
After graduation, I moved to the Janesville area and was applying for jobs. Before getting hired into the information technology field, I worked on a short-line railroad between Janesville and Monroe for most of that summer. One of my former instructors called me to let me know about a job posting at the college which I applied for and was hired. I was initially hired as a Programmer/Lab Assistant in our Data Processing Lab, a position I held for 13 years. I was responsible for maintaining, repairing, and upgrading the computers we had in our lab initially and then the entire building. I also assisted instructors with classes as well as students who had problems. In some instances, I would also sub for an instructor if needed.
About eight years after I was hired, the college started offering some non-credit basic computer classes and they needed someone to teach them. Our other lab assistant, Joy Kite, was already teaching a couple of them but there was more interest and the classes were full so I started teaching a couple of them also. After experiencing teaching first-hand, I found that I really enjoyed helping others learn. Becoming an instructor was not my original career plan but when an opening came up for a full-time instructor in our Microcomputer Specialist program, I applied for it based on my experience and was hired. I’ve been a full-time IT instructor ever since!
What is something you think every student should participate in?
Students need to actively participate in class discussions. It is so important to realize that EVERY person has something to offer to the discussion. Everyone, students and teachers alike, can learn from each other. There is an old adage states that ‘Nobody knows everything’, and that is so true in the information technology (IT) field. I learn something new from my students almost every week! That comes from a willingness and determination to share and make each other better.
What are you proudest of?
I’m proud of our graduates. I understand that some graduates have doubts about their skills and abilities acquired throughout their education but they really shouldn’t. Every company and every job will have unique challenges, which is certainly evident in the IT field. The only thing constant is change! Graduates have taken the steps necessary to adapt to those changes. As people move between jobs, employers, or industries, we are constantly building on those skills and abilities. We receive feedback from employers who have hired our graduates who praise their abilities and the value they bring to their company or department. Employers will often contact us to inquire about current or past students for positions they have open. Our advisory committees do a fantastic job of providing insight as to what is happening in the industry to make sure that our students are learning what is needed to be successful in their chosen career path.
What are your passions outside of work?
- Laughing and having fun with Family & Friends
- Shooting Pool
- Packers
- Packers
- Packers
Family and friends are and always will be number one to me. I have shot pool in our local pool league for over 33 years and have been doing the stats for our entire league for the last 10 years. I just became the president of our league this past year because it is something I am passionate about. You could also say that I’m a Packers fan! (Numbers 3, 4, and 5 are not typos!)