What is your name and where did you grow up?
Ann Forbeck. I grew up in Michigan, mostly in the Upper Peninsula.
What is your role at Blackhawk Technical College? How long have you worked here?
I am now the Counselor and Case Manager but I started in Admissions. I have been at Blackhawk since March 2022.
What was your journey to this role? Where did you go to school? What did you study?
I attended the University of Michigan (GO BLUE) and earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a master’s degree in Social Work. I started my career as a counselor with youth in residential treatment, then in special needs foster care, and finally spent many years as a school social worker.
Is there something that drew you to this career?
Social work aligns with my values, and I like helping others and learning from them.
What do you like most about working at Blackhawk?
I like the students, who are so hard-working and resilient. They inspire me. I also love the book club!
What is something Blackhawk offers its students that you feel other colleges do not?
Blackhawk’s flexibility and support is unlike any other college I’ve experienced. It really allows for people with jobs and family obligations to complete their education.
What is your life like outside of work? Family? Community involvement? Adorable pets?
I have a wonderful (sort of famous) husband, Matt. Check out Forbeck.com if you like games, sci-fi, or Dungeons & Dragons. I also have five adult children, two of whom take classes at Blackhawk. We have one adorable fur-baby dog, one grumpy old dog and a diva cat. I belong to a church with the Instagram #LoveAndJusticeChurch and have served on its consistory for a few years.
Tell us something about yourself you think people would be surprised to know.
Four of my children were born at the same time. I have quadruplets.
Who is your biggest influence?
I’ve been inspired by people who fight for social and environmental justice. I remember seeing the movie “Gandhi” as a teenager and it had a big impact.
If you could have dinner with anybody, alive or dead, who would you choose?
Do I get more than one? Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Martin Luther King Jr., Jane Goodall, Jane Addams, Harvey Milk, Lin Manuel Miranda, Shakespeare, the Rock (aka Dwayne Johnson) and my hubby.
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, which food would you pick?
Chocolate, definitely!
What’s one thing on your bucket list?
I love to travel so I would like to go to Australia, Turkey, Haiti/DR, Jamaica, Portugal, India, or just about anywhere new.