If options translate into opportunities, then Marathon County high school students in search of a college degree don’t need to look far from home. In fact, the number of institutions of higher education in this central Wisconsin community nearly rivals that of area high schools. Just as Wausau’s local high schools maintain some of the top graduation rates in the country, so do the area’s regionally and nationally accredited colleges and universities provide students with the in-demand tools they need to succeed in today’s workforce.
Wausau-native Jessica Glenetski couldn’t agree more. After four years of active duty in the United States Army, Glenetski moved back to her hometown to begin her college education. A non-traditional student also completing a two-year stint in the National Guard, she specifically sought out a school that offered a high quality education, with the perks of flexible scheduling and one-on-one support from professors who could help direct her in her studies. Knowing that the University of Wisconsin-Marathon County could offer her just that, the choice to attend the local University of Wisconsin system college was simple.
“I knew that they had a very good reputation,” Glenetski said. “Attending UW-Marathon County for my first two years of college was the perfect way for me to begin a great education, while getting acclimated to the demands of a college workload and while I was still trying to decide what, exactly, I wanted to study.”
Glenetski took advantage of the seamless transition from UWMC to a larger, four-year UW campus, UW-Milwaukee, where she completed her bachelor’s degree in communications. She now leads communications efforts for the United Way of Portage County as their Communications and Marketing Coordinator.
Glenetski’s is just one success story of many. Marathon County boasts four highly reputable universities and colleges that graduating seniors and non-traditional students, alike, can rely on for excellent higher education opportunities: University of Wisconsin-Marathon County, Northcentral Technical College, Globe University and Rasmussen College.
With four different institutions to choose from, area students benefit from an endless array of program options to serve their individual needs. UWMC, alone, offers over 100 program majors toward two and four-year degrees, includes traditional and virtual classroom learning options, the choice of living in an on-campus residence hall and a recently constructed, state-of-the-art UW Center for Civic Engagement, which houses the University’s new theatre.
“We provide a pathway to a UW degree,” said Dr. Keith Montgomery, UWMC Dean and CEO. “That’s the core of our mission. And our students are very successful. There are students who transfer with their associate degree from our school, and they graduate from any school in the UW system at the same rate at which their students graduate. We’re very proud of that fact.”
“They say that if you can succeed at UWMC, you are guaranteed to succeed at any other school in the state, and it’s true,” Glenetski added. “It’s a great place to start a college degree. I’m proud to have started my college career there. It helped me lay the foundation for moving on to a larger school and then into the workforce at a level where I could do nothing but succeed.”
Complementing UWMC’s more traditional college setting is the Wausau-based Northcentral Technical College, NTC. NTC’s main campus on Wausau’s north side extends into six regional central Wisconsin locations. They offer flexible course scheduling and a mix of traditional and online classroom settings that truly cater to any adult learner. Highlights of the college’s 150 associate degrees, technical diplomas and short-term certificate programs include training in current high-demand healthcare jobs such as nursing, radiography and dental hygiene. NTC also provides a substantial number of technical diplomas for occupational trades such as machining tool operations and wood manufacturing technologies, and their Workforce Learning Solutions program showcases continuing education courses taught by top area professionals in their field. “NTC is highly responsive to industry need,” said Katrina Felch, director of marketing and public relations for NTC. “As a regional hub in healthcare, manufacturing and agriculture, we are pleased to play a pivotal role in providing a highly skilled workforce.”
In addition to the programs offered at NTC and UWMC, Rasmussen College and Globe University have recently brought to the area two more options for attaining a college degree from a regionally and nationally, respectively, accredited institution of higher learning. Both schools focus on providing training from faculty members with recent or active real-world professional experience. With this mission, students receive career-focused training that prepares them for the challenges inherent in today’s business sector.
“At Rasmussen College we pride ourselves on providing the necessary tools for students to achieve success all the way through the educational process and beyond, as they transition into the workforce,” said Andrea Ohlloff, an Outside High School Program Manager at Rasmussen’s Wausau campus. “We help recent high school graduates begin their journey as college students with scholarship opportunities and program advising, and then provide them with job placement services as they complete their degrees and progress into the workforce.”
For adult students of any age, Marathon County's four institutions of higher learning all offer unique learning experiences that provide the resources to attain success in the professional world. The benefits to the existence of these multiple educational organizations, however, are realized just as much by the community, as they are to local students. Many students who attend these schools realize the quality of life that exists here in central WI and choose to remain or eventually return to the area to pursue their professional endeavors.
Thanks to these educational opportunities, locally grown talent like Glenetski continues to contribute to the economic and cultural vitality of the region.
Written by Michelle Goetsch for Central Time Relocation Magazine
