Inaugural Golden Brick Awards Honors Blackhawk's Partners, Contributors

More than 125 people attended Blackhawk Technical College’s inaugural Golden Brick Awards on Thursday, June 30. Sponsored by SSM Health, the event honored community members and industry partners who have gone above and beyond in the past year to advance Blackhawk’s mission and vision of preparing students for work and life.

The 2022 award winners were:

• Community Partnership Award – KANDU Industries
• Technical Education Champion Award – Scott Forge
• Faculty of the Year Award – Dusty Williams
• Alumni of the Year – Stephanie Hanson
• Philanthropic Award – Dr. Gregg & Helen Dickinson AND Wayne & Janet Albertson
• Futuremaker Partner Award – Frito-Lay North America, Inc.

“Each winner has enriched our college, putting our students first,” said Lisa Hurda, Director of Advancement & Foundation. “It’s truly an honor to live and work alongside these outstanding contributors.”

The event was held at The Barn on Prairie and included several sponsors: SSM Health, Blain’s Farm & Fleet, Sauk Valley Bank, Ahern, Cullen, First National Bank and Trust Company and Seneca.

Kathy Hansen, Executive Director of KANDU Industries Inc., accepted the Community Partnership Award on behalf of KANDU.

“It is an honor to receive the Community Partner Award from Blackhawk Technical College. Through our partnership, KANDU has accomplished many things in the past year, including improvements to our production line as a result of a class project with the Advanced Manufacturing program, participation in valuable training for our managers, input from BTC’s talented experts on our new building designs and facility improvements, and the hiring of several outstanding interns from BTC who have become a part of the KANDU family. I hope we continue this strong partnership into the future as we serve the Rock County community,” Hansen said.

About the 2022 Award Recipients

Alumni of the Year Award: Stephanie Hanson (SSM Health – Award Sponsor)

As a child, Stephanie Hanson dreamed about becoming an elementary school teacher, but challenging childhood and family circumstances kept that dream at bay. Instead, she entered the workforce and didn’t complete high school.

But she began to see a path forward after her Aunt Donna shared her Blackhawk education journey. Donna encourage Stephanie to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher. Stephanie started by completing her GED and then her associate degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE) at Blackhawk.

Her instructors at BTC remember the student Stephanie was and continue to be impressed with the work she’s doing. “She truly has made a difference in the lives of people through her community service and work at the school,” said Michelle Weirich, BTC Early Childhood Instructor.

After completing her work in the ECE program at Blackhawk, Stephanie kept going and earned her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and Special Education from the University of Wisconsin -Whitewater.

Stephanie is now qualified to teach students from birth through third grade in regular or special education. After 10 years at Merrill Elementary in the Beloit School District, she now teaches at Powers Elementary in the Beloit Turner School District - the same district her four children attend.

Technical Education Champion Award: Scot Forge (First National Bank & Trust – Award Sponsor)

The mission of Scot Forge focuses on forging a better future for their employee-owners and the community. As part of that mission, Scot Forge has partnered with Blackhawk on several initiatives, including a robust apprenticeship program for BTC students, participation in Blackhawk’s Manufacturing Days, and engagement with other industries on best practices for establishing manufacturing career pathways.

Scot Forge is a founding member of the Stateline Manufacturing Alliance (SMA), which serves as a regional catalyst for talent recruitment and development in advanced manufacturing through collective efforts, initiatives and partnerships. The company has been a significant influence on other SMA partners, serving as a best practice model in connecting youth to careers in manufacturing through the development of programs, including Youth Apprenticeship (YA). Scot Forge has provided training to SMA members on developing these programs and has promoted expanded “earn and learn” partnerships with BTC to align with Registered Apprenticeships, Associate Degrees and Technical Diplomas in manufacturing.

This past year, Scot Forge also worked closely with the BTC Industrial Maintenance Faculty to develop their customized electrical training program. This partnership also provided the benefit of industry input to shape the curriculum for the electrical credit courses in BTC’s Industrial Maintenance program.

Blackhawk is fortunate to have Scot Forge as an industry partner that understands the true value of partnership. Through their workforce and training efforts, they have placed BTC in the spotlight as a critical player in the region’s economic success.

Philanthropic Award: Wayne & Janet Albertson (Sauk Valley Bank – Award Sponsor)

In June 2021, Wayne and Janet Albertson announced their plan to endow a scholarship for agriculture students studying at Blackhawk. The scholarship is awarded through the BTC Foundation to graduating high school seniors enrolling in either agribusiness/science technology associates degree program or an agricultural-related technical diploma program.

Wayne and Janet, who has since passed away, have been the backbone of Wisconsin since graduating from their local hometowns of Albany and Verona. Married in 1963, they were blessed with three children and began to live out their passion for agriculture by running a three-generation family farm.

Over the years, they both joined forces in the real estate business in the early 1970s. Wayne also followed in his father’s footsteps as an auctioneer. Together, their passion for giving back to their community is profound, especially within the agriculture profession.

“Agriculture has become a business and has expanded in several new fields as technology has exploded. The opportunity for young and older adults with a degree is unlimited,” Wayne said.

The Albertson’s philanthropy to the BTC Foundation to support students through their endowed scholarship will continue to support Blackhawk students for years to come and continue the farming legacy here in southern Wisconsin. 

Philanthropic Award: Dr. Gregg & Helen Dickinson (JP Cullen – Award Sponsor)

In January 2020, Dr. Gregg Dickinson, a retired pediatric dentist, joined the BTC Foundation Board of Directors. Along with his wife, Helen, they immediately embraced supporting Blackhawk students through the creation of the Gregg & Helen Dickinson Scholarship, which supports students in the advanced manufacturing, health sciences and dental hygiene programs. In April 2022, they also established the Harold Robb Memorial Endowment Scholarship, which supports graduates from the Rock River Charter School who intend to enroll at Blackhawk.

Gregg practiced pediatric dentistry in Janesville from 1976 until 2013. Helen worked in dental hygiene as well as the travel industry as a AAA travel agent. She also provided continuing education in computer applications and travel destinations to other AAA travel agents. Helen’s work helped feed their passion for travel, and together, they have visited all seven continents and over seventy countries.

For years, Dr. Dickinson volunteered his dental services at HealthNet of Rock County’s dental clinic and volunteered as a part-time dental instructor at a dental school in Managua, Nicaragua. Both are active volunteers in Janesville, giving their time and financial resources to those in need, especially in the education field. They contribute annually to the BTC Foundation because it allows them to provide scholarships to students who need support and training to prepare for the changes that lie ahead in our technologically advanced world.

Futuremaker Partner Award: Frito–Lay North America (J.F. Ahern – Award Sponsor)

The Wisconsin Technical College System Board awarded Frito-Lay North American, Inc., with the Futuremaker Partner Award, which is presented four times a year by the WTCS Board to recognize the unique, long-standing connections between the state’s employers and local technical colleges. The company was chosen for its ongoing support of Blackhawk, helping the college be a catalyst for the region’s economic success.

Frito-Lay serves on many advisory committees, providing input and support to Blackhawk programs. They are frequent visitors to campus, promoting job opportunities and highlighting how a Blackhawk education prepares students to launch their careers. The company has also partnered with Blackhawk’s Workforce and Community Development team to offer customized Leadership Development training for employees, to develop a Mentorship Training program and to provide financial support to students enrolled in earn-and-learn programs.

Frito-Lay also participates on the BTC Foundation Board and supports the Blackhawk IDEAL Scholars program, which aims to increase access to education and make a two-year associate degree possible for a student of color who faces financial barriers to post-secondary education. PepsiCo, Frito-Lay’s parent company, has donated $25,000 to the BTC Foundation to support the IDEAL Scholarship. Armando Saleh, Director of Government Affairs for PepsiCo, presented the BTC Foundation with a check today, June 30, which will cover tuition, fees and a cost-of-living stipend for IDEAL Scholarship recipients.

Faculty of the Year Award: Dustin Williams (Seneca Foods – Award Sponsor)

Dustin Williams is the recipient of the 2021-22 Faculty of the Year Award from the Blackhawk student body for his outstanding leadership in agriculture. Dustin has been an agribusiness and farm management instructor at Blackhawk for nearly 14 years. He teaches classes in soils, plants, animals, nutrients, agribusiness, agricultural commodities, pest management and more.

As a child, Dustin grew up on a small dairy farm in rural Hillsboro, where his family milked cows and raised horses. He attended the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and earned his bachelor’s degree in Animal Science/Pre-Veterinary Science. He continued his education in River Falls, earning a master’s degree in Agricultural Education.

Dustin started his teaching career at Black Hawk High School in South Wayne as a high school agriculture teacher and FFA advisor. In August 2008, he took on a new challenge and was hired to start an Agribusiness program at Blackhawk’s Monroe campus. With Dustin’s hard work, the Agriculture program received a $340,000 WTCS grant in 2016 to start a new, two-year Agribusiness/Science and Technology program. Dustin also helped Blackhawk establish a new Agricultural Learning Center at the Monroe campus in 2019.

Dustin has also served on the Green County Farm Bureau board, Black Hawk School District board, Green County Fair board. and has recently been elected to serve on the National Professional Agricultural Students Organization Board.  

IDEAL Opportunity Scholarship Spotlight: Pao Delgado

Pao Delgado, Blackhawk’s first recipient of the IDEAL Opportunity Scholarship, graduated in May with an associate degree in Criminal Justice and will attend BTC’s Law Enforcement Basic Recruit Academy. She currently is an intern at the Janesville Police Department.

Through the Blackhawk Technical College Foundation, the IDEAL Opportunity Scholarship program provides funds to cover tuition, fees and a cost-of-living stipend. The program aims to increase access to education and make a two-year associate degree from Blackhawk Technical College possible for a student of color who faces financial barriers to post-secondary education.

Pao’s life has been filled with challenges. While born here in the United States, her parents were Mexican immigrants who spoke Spanish exclusively. Learning English and doing schoolwork in her second language proved to be challenging. As the oldest of five children, she frequently had to put education on the back burner to help care for her younger siblings.

In middle school, Pao came out to her mom as a member of the LGBTQ community. After many arguments, Pao left home. She stayed with friends and eventually became part of Robin House, a transitional home for young women in Beloit operated by Project 16:49.

With the help of her high school graduation coach and Project 16:49, Pao managed to catch up on schoolwork, graduate early, and then enrolled at Blackhawk to study Criminal Justice. The IDEAL scholarship, which is funded in part by PepsiCo/Frito-Lay, made college possible for her.