Blackhawk Student Turns Involvement into a Career Path

Having a voice is important. Being able to have that voice heard is vital. Human Services Student Dixie McKee is hoping to use her voice for those who feel unheard. “After my own life experiences and situations growing up in and out of the foster care system, I’m pursuing a degree in Human Services. I can use my voice so I can advocate for others,” expressed Dixie.

There is no doubt that Dixie is passionate about Human Services, and all of her hard works shows. She is active in student life on campus and is involved in the community, and she is making sure that her dreams are coming true. “There’s no dream worth pursuing if it doesn’t make you a little nervous. Don’t let fear stop you,” encouraged Dixie.

She wants to work with and advocate for homeless teens to help guide them before they reach adulthood. “It shows that they are valuable, loved, supported, and that they can be more than their circumstances,” said Dixie.

She is not waiting for her degree to help the youth of our community. Dixie explained, “I created, planned, and hosted a Youth Homelessness Awareness Event in November 2019 and a Youth Homelessness Awareness Speaking and Simulation Event at Blackhawk featuring project 16:49.”

Being a college student is challenging; being successful and having a family while going to school is even more challenging. For some, it becomes too much. For others, they rise to the challenge and take it head-on. That is Dixie.

She has certainly risen to the challenge of being a college student, a wife, and a mother with children in elementary, middle, and high school. “My kids think it’s pretty awesome that I’m going to college and they’re really supportive. It’s opened up the conversation about time management with my high schooler. At one point she was feeling that she couldn’t do both a job and schooling. So, she and I were able to sit down and talk about having to choose what’s important.”

Everyone has goals they want to complete and accomplish in their life. Dixie McKee has goals to pursue a Master’s in Social Work at George Williams College so that she can start a non-profit to serve teens within our community.  Her goal is to provide teens with life and employability skills as well as helping to provide the mental health care they need to become successful adults.

Listen to Dixie McKee talk about her experience at Blackhawk Technical College: 

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