Skila Burlingame has been named Blackhawk Technical College’s new Student Ambassador for the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS). She will represent Blackhawk at the state level and participate in several events into 2024.
Burlingame was celebrated at a banquet last month in Wisconsin Dells with family members and leaders from the state’s technical colleges and WTCS.
As part of the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) District Ambassador program, one student from each of the state’s 16 technical college districts is selected to act as an advocate for vocational and technical education. Students serve a one-year term and are called upon to make special appearances, give presentations and participate in various events on behalf of the WTCS.
Skila, who is a Janesville native and Parker High School graduate, was attending the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater when she was in a car accident that left her in critical condition in March 2020.
It was during her healing process that she decided to attended Blackhawk. It was closer to home, and she was still apprehensive about driving.
“I realized the four-year setting was not meant for me at that time. I needed something that was more of a community and individual-focused, not focused for the masses,” she said.
Skila chose the Business Management program because she has felt passionate about it since she was a child.
“When I was little, I would always tell my parents about all these elaborate businesses I wanted to open that could help very specific groups of people,” she said.
Skila is a peer advisor, an intern in the Registration Office and is an honor student.
Since becoming the WTCS Ambassador, she hopes to create and run events that will allow for more community involvement. She would also like to help students connect with local employers to gain real-world experience.
“I would like to see about training agreements where our students can get work experience with the local businesses and really send that connection with the community soaring,” she said.
Skila plans to graduate in December and hope to continue working at Blackhawk while attending UW-Whitewater to earn her bachelor’s degree with a focus on leadership.