News & Events

When you ask Victoria Bailey what she’s doing at Blackhawk, she doesn’t hesitate to say, “I am in the criminal justice program. I am going to be a police officer.”

Growing up, Victoria encountered police more than any young woman should. Every spring, her father would relapse into manic episodes due to his Bipolar Disorder. These manic episodes would require police intervention to help protect the family and transport him safely to in-patient treatment until he got stable. The police represented safety to her and her family.

When Amy DeGraw was interviewing for a job as a computer animator with Pixar Animation Studios, little did she ever suspect that she would find herself spearheading the Central Service Technician program, a new certificate option at Blackhawk Technical College. A glimpse into what her life would become in a world of impossible deadlines, forced creativity, and 18 hour days led her to step away from what she always thought was her dream career to pursue a different craft.

Blackhawk Tech is committed to making sure students have real-world opportunities to practice the skills they are learning. Early Childhood Education student Hannah Craig took this practice to the next level when she gave birth to her second child just a couple of months ago.

Community-wide testing launched at Blackhawk Technical College on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Since that time, the Wisconsin National Guard has administered over 5000 tests. The person behind that operation is Mike Swartz, a retired police and corrections officer from Pennsylvania. A member of the College’s safety and security team, Mike now serves as the Incident Commander for the testing site.

Kate Galica and her program of study started at BTC at the same time, in the fall of 2017. She enrolled in the Foundations of Education program when it launched because of her fierce passion for helping students learn, grow, and realize their full potential - the same goals she has for herself as a student and a person.